RE plays a significant role in the personal development of children and is at the heart of the curriculum here at Abbey CE VA School. At its core is the intention to enable children to become “religiously educated” to face the demands of the contemporary world. Given the opportunities for encountering people of different beliefs and lifestyles, RE also has a key role to play in fostering respect and social cohesion.
In addition to being “religiously educated”, RE helps students to become “skilled cultural navigators”, able to handle the differences of faith and belief around them and to establish their own sense of identity and belonging. Through the curriculum, children are encouraged to develop a curiosity to learn about other people’s beliefs and cultures, and to find the common threads which bind them together.