As a Church of England School, it is important to us that everyone visiting our school can see our vision being lived out and that our Christian character is embedded in our Religious & non-religious worldview curriculum. Through our activities, we enable our British Value of ‘freedom of choice’ to become a reality in an age appropriate manner, laying the foundations for life. Being given a safe place and a designated time to explore, question and discuss in an atmosphere of respect and inclusion, enables everyone to feel valued, supported and to flourish.

Religious Education

Religious education in a Church of England school enables every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness. (John 10:10). In our school, where pupils and staff come from all faiths and none, religious education (RE) is a highly valued academic subject that enables understanding of how religion and beliefs affect our lives. At the heart of RE is the teaching of Christianity and pupils also learn about other faiths and worldviews. In addition, the RE curriculum contributes to British values and spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development. In line with the 'Religious Education in Church of England Schools - Statement of Entitlement', at least one hour per week of dedicated curriculum time, meeting explicitly RE objectives, is committed to the delivery of RE in Key Stage 1. We have included the ‘Understanding Christianity’ material which is a substantial resource to support the teaching of Christianity in religious education.

Parents/Carers may withdraw their child from Religious Education. Please talk to the Head Teacher so she can ensure arrangements are in place.

Assessment of Religious Education

Assessment comes from the Latin word ‘assidere’, meaning ‘to sit beside’. What a privilege it is to be able to 'sit beside’ our pupils and to help them develop holistically; to prepare them for life in modern Britain; to give them the opportunity to engage with religious material, to interrogate it and to formulate their own opinions. Understanding develops over time and our progressive curriculum follows the child throughout their time from nursery to the end of KS1, building on prior experiences and nurturing their religious literacy. We foster respect and openness which enables our pupils to comment and reflect on the materials they encounter whilst being rooted proudly in our Christian heritage where we can truly say we are “feeding body, mind and soul.”

Collective Worship

Collective worship plays a central role in our school; it models our Christian ethos, vision and values and proclaims our Church school identity. Arrangements for collective worship in a church school are the responsibility of the foundation governors in consultation with the Head Teacher. Worship is collective in that it involves meeting, exploring, questioning and responding to others and, for some, to God. At Boyne Hill we share an act of invitational collective worship every day which offers all pupils and adults the opportunity to encounter faith. It is always welcoming, inclusive and embraces the principles of Christian hospitality. We recognise that many pupils and staff in our school come from homes of different faith backgrounds as well as of no faith background so flexibility in our provision of collective worship enables all pupils and adults to benefit without compromising their own personal beliefs. Pupils are given the opportunity to think and ask questions, to participate or to stand back and consider. Our approach seeks to meet the needs of all, wherever they may be on their journey of faith and belief.

The Church of England recognises the right of withdrawal from collective worship for those parents/carers who wish to exercise this option. Please talk to the Head Teacher so she can ensure arrangements are in place.

2023-2024