Why is RE important in the 21st Century ?

As a Church of England School, Ramsgate Holy Trinity follows the Canterbury Diocesan RE guidelines together with the national resource Understanding Christianity. Christian values are at the heart of everything we teach at Ramsgate Holy Trinity and in their weekly RE lessons, pupils will explore the deeper meanings and relevance of scripture, both for the people at the time and for today's world. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to ask questions and explore the development and teachings of the Christian faith.  They learn that Christianity (as is the case with all religions) has a broad spectrum and that cultural practice and location (both at home and globally) influence the way that people interpret The Bible and Christian narrative. Christianity is studied as a living and diverse global faith, focused on the Gospel teachings.  Our units on Christianity progress through the Big Christian Story, beginning with God's Creation and ending with The Kingdom of God.  As pupils develop their knowledge and skills, they learn to make links across Christianity and across other religions.

A section of the Big Christian Story frieze on display in all classrooms.

How is RE taught?

RE is taught as a rigorous, academic subject and has the status of a core subject.  In RE lessons children learn to ask the 'big questions' and understand that adults don't always have the answers. RE is not taught with the assumption that everyone is coming from a Christian starting point - pupils are encouraged to ask questions and challenge. It is through these discussions that they develop their own views and learn to listen to others whose opinions may differ radically from their own. The curriculum is designed and delivered to be fully inclusive. A child who struggles in more formal areas of the curriculum, may demonstrate a deep understanding and go on to achieve high levels in RE.  Pupils' attainment and progress is tracked termly through the use of ‘Hexagons’ to assess the connections children have made throughout the topic and planning is adapted to suit learners' needs. 

As they progress through school, pupils will become familiar with stories from the Bible which they reference frequently in class. As well as reading and discussing the impact on the people at the time, pupils may also work in groups to explore the gospel teachings and its relevance both for people at the time and Christians around the world today.  The RE curriculum has links across other subject areas and is designed to be as creative as possible, often including art, dance, drama and music.  We encourage discussion and support children to explore the similarities and differences across religions. Global issues such as sustainability, justice and fair trade also feature in the RE curriculum.

Pupils today grow up in a multi-faith society and many will have little or no experience of religion in their homes. As such, we believe that it is important to teach children to appreciate different religions; the basic beliefs, the rituals and celebrations. Our Curriculum includes the study of Humanism and universal units which encourage children to think about how we should be care for others and the world and why does it matter?  During their time at Ramsgate Holy Trinity, pupils will have the opportunity to explore the beliefs and practices of: Islam, Judaism, Hindu Dharma, Sikhi and Buddhism.  We are well resourced with artefacts from major faiths and welcome visitors who can answer questions and put the learning into context. Parents are welcome to see the programme of study if they have questions.       

Creative RE

 Photos of RE throughout the school.

What impact does RE have on pupils going forward?

We believe that a child should leave knowing the origins, teachings and principles of all world faiths.  As they mature and form their own opinions, they will have the knowledge to be able to participate in discussions on topics around religion and moral benchmarks in society. Their knowledge should also help them to make informed decisions about their own life choices.

Parents will sometimes remember dreary RE lessons from their own childhood and wonder why it is relevant today. We would urge you to watch the short clip below: Nobody Stands Nowhere: It's a couple of minutes long and may challenge you to consider why religion and World Views are an important aspect of a modern and challenging curriculum. 'World Views' is a term which is used to refer to a person's way of understanding, experiencing and responding to the world.

Please read in conjunction with RE policy, school vision