Religious Education

At John Cross Primary school we strive to provide the best possible teaching, learning and experience of Religious Education not just within the RE curriculum, but within all aspects of our teaching and learning thereby enabling all children to flourish and the school’s distinctive Christian character to be evident in all aspects of school life.

I think RE is very important Year 3

MISSION STATEMENT

Believe and Achieve

Jesus said,” If you believe, you will achieve.”

Following in the footsteps of our founder John Cross we are committed to providing a loving Christian family school built on mutual love, respect and co-operation. A safe and stimulating learning environment will enable our pupils to believe and achieve, now and in the future.

John Cross was the benefactor of our school, whose generosity and compassion for children was rooted in his strong Christian faith which led to him donating the funds to build the first school for the ‘poor children of Myerscough and Bilsborrow.’ By walking in the footsteps of John Cross, we follow his Biblical values which shape the social, moral, cultural and spiritual aspects of school life. For 300 years since the school was founded, staff have nurtured a symbiotic relationship with the community, ensuring God’s love is evident through thoughts and actions, embedding Christian values which have provided the basis for individuals to shape their personal beliefs and respect for others. As such, the school has educated, grown and shaped generation upon generation of children who are confident, articulate, loving, respectful and kind members of the community and who know that when they believe, they can achieve.

We learn a lot of life lessons. Year 6

The Aims of our School are:

To help everyone realise their full potential
To promote spiritual, moral and social growth
To understand the fast changing, diverse world in which we live
To encourage intellectual and physical development
To learn about and live out our Christian Faith
To promote mutual respect and responsibility
And to wholeheartedly play our part, whether that part is to learn, to lead, to teach or to support others

I enjoy every bit of RE and I like learning about Jesus and God Year 5

Mission Statement for Religious Education

The curriculum that is provided is rich, varied and creative ensuring that all of our children acquire a deep understanding of the Christian faith through which beliefs, practices and values are understood and linked to Biblical texts. The RE Curriculum is linked to the school values through which spiritual, moral and cultural developments are made, these values are also being taught and developed through Collective Worship. Together with the RE curriculum, these values underpin all that we do, shape who we are becoming and enable each and every pupil to flourish.

Underpinning all aspects of RE within the school is the teaching and understanding of God’s Big Story which is displayed in each classroom and frequently referred to. The management of Religious Education is an important responsibility of the role of the headteacher and the governors and is provided by the following of the BDDE’s syllabus for RE and also by the endorsement of the RE Statement of Entitlement 2019. https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-

02/RE%20Statement%20of%20Entitlement%20for%20Church%20Schools.pdf

Religious Education teaching makes up at least 5% of teaching time during which time Christianity is taught 80% of the time and other world faiths, 20%.

I think RE is great because we learn about God and Jesus Year 6

At John Cross we aim to ensure that pupils understand Christianity to be a living faith which is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago, both in the community in Bilsborrow and throughout the world. We expect pupils to gain a growing understanding of how Christianity has shaped British culture over the years. Through the teaching of the curriculum, pupils gain an understanding and respect for the other major world religions and views and are able to compare and contrast their understanding of Christianity with these, thus providing the children with a greater understanding of the world and the society in which they are growing up. This also enables them to see the faith of others in relationship to their own which ultimately builds harmonious relations within communities and promotes tolerance and inclusion.

RE is a really important subject because we're learning about the world. Year 6

Our teaching is based on a ‘Questful’ approach which means that the children search for the answers to their questions or questions generated through the curriculum by exploring Biblical texts, peer discussions, visits from external sources and by questioning our skilled and knowledgeable teachers. This approach plays a central role in the development of pupil’s spiritual and philosophical understandings by enabling an exploration of their own beliefs and values through respectful listening and consideration of the opinions of others.

RE teaching in our school is distinctive because it:
•   Enables the children to reflect on the truth claims of Christian belief;
•   Explains how the truths of Christianity are relevant today
•   Develops the children’s skills to handle Biblical text;
•   Enables the children to recognise that faith is a particular way of understanding God and the world;
• Gives the children an understanding of how the Christian faith can be absorbed and lived out;
• Encourages the children to respond in terms of beliefs, commitments, ways of living, ethical decisions and choices affecting their own and others’ lives;
• Helps the children to develop a sense of themselves as significant, unique and precious;
•   Enables the children to experience the breadth and variety of the Christian community by inviting visitors into school, engaging with church events in the community attending church services.
• Enables the children to engage in respectful and thoughtful dialogue with other faiths and traditions;
•   Teaches the children to become active citizens, serving their neighbour;

Helps the children to begin to develop their own commitments, beliefs and values;
Encourages the children to reflect theologically and explore the ultimate questions and challenges of life in today’s society;
Helps the children to understand the challenges faced by Christians in today’s world.
Enables the children to find a reason for hope in a troubled world
Shows the children how religious faith can sustain them in difficult circumstances and in the face of opposition.

As a church school there are opportunities for children to grow in the understanding of their own faith.
School maintains good links with the local parish, wider community and global community involving them in the delivery of the subject where appropriate. Children’s work is displayed in the church from time to time. In addition, all pupils will have a safe place to explore, freely discuss and express their personal opinions about the the deep questions and challenges of life whilst gaining age appropriate knowledge and understanding of Christianity.

Our Rolling Programmes: