The RE curriculum at St Philips has been designed to fit The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames agreed Syllabus for RE.
The RE syllabus enables pupils to know about and understand Christianity as a living faith that influences the lives of people worldwide and as the religion that has most shaped British culture and heritage. It also enables pupils to know and understand about other major world religions and world views, their impact on society, culture and the wider world, enabling pupils to express ideas and insights. Finally, it contributes to the development of pupils’ own spiritual/philosophical convictions, exploring and enriching their own beliefs and values.
The RE curriculum at St Philip’s operates under the agreed Syllabus of Kingston and covers all the necessary topics. The RE curriculum has been certified by Insight Kingston.
The Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 schemes of work consider how and where they can promote British values through the topics which pupil’s study. The learning intents have been designed to ensure that students reach appropriate levels at the end of Key Stage 3.
In Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 students further develop their religious education through the Citizenship and PSHE curriculums where they not only explore religious beliefs but also engage in ethical and philosophical discussions.
All students at St Philip’s enjoy an annual cultural celebration day in the Summer term and this provides an opportunity for them to celebrate the things they have learnt through the RE, Citizenship and PSHE lessons.
St Philip’s pupils live in a multicultural society, and they need to know all about the main 6 religions to respect the customs of the people they live with. What is more, the knowledge they acquire in KS3 will help them follow the subject of Humanities in KS4.
The rest of the topics like justice and freedom or humanism are necessary for them in their daily life. They familiarise themselves with concepts that will prepare them to lead a life as global citizens in the 21st Century.
We would like to remind all parents and carers that they have the legal right to withdraw their child from all or part of Religious Education (RE) lessons, should they wish to do so. This right applies to RE lessons delivered as part of the school curriculum.
Parents who wish to withdraw their children from RE should be aware of its aims and what is covered in the RE curriculum and that they are given the opportunity to discuss this if they wish. It should be made clear whether the withdrawal is from the whole RE curriculum or specific parts of it.
If you are considering withdrawing your child, we kindly ask that you contact the school in advance to discuss your decision. This ensures that we can understand your concerns and arrange appropriate alternative provision for your child during these lessons.
Please feel free to reach out to Mr Ben Walsh (Principal) at 02083972672 if you have any questions or require further information regarding this matter.
If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching. A pupil may be required to work in another area of the school, such as the library or break out area.
Whilst parents or carers have a right to withdraw children from RE, they should note that children may also encounter religions and beliefs and wider aspects of faith in other areas of the curriculum from which there is no right of withdrawal.
On occasion, spontaneous questions about religious matters are raised by pupils or issues related to religion arise in other curriculum subjects such as history or citizenship (PSHE). For example, schools promote community cohesion and help pupils to understand ideas about identity and diversity, feelings and emotions within both religious and non-religious contexts.
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