Religious Education
At Woods, we use Understanding Christianity and the NATRE (National Association of Teachers of Religious Education) scheme to help us deliver the content of the Nottinghamshire Agreed Syllabus. These resources support our teachers in helping children develop their own thinking and understanding of Christianity, as well as exploring a wide range of other faiths and worldviews. We want our pupils to leave school with a clear understanding of Christian beliefs and practices, and to see how these fit within a wider picture of religion, culture and the world around them.
Our RE lessons give children lots of opportunities to explore ‘big questions’, find out what different faith communities believe, and think about what matters to them personally. We make sure learning isn’t just about listening to facts — it’s about creativity, discussion and active learning. We want every child to feel confident asking questions, sharing their thoughts, and understanding that while we may not all believe the same things, everyone’s ideas are respected and valued.
Vision
At Woods we ‘grow together’ following Jesus’ example to ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’ (Matthew 22:37-39) because through love for one another, we can build a strong learning community ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to flourish. Religious Education has an important part to play in helping pupils to do this by promoting the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural and intellectual development. It also helps them to gain a greater understanding of themselves and an awareness of the needs of others. This enables pupils to be better equipped to cope with the responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
With this in mind, we believe that the teaching of R.E. should be a child centred, exciting journey. Children will learn to understand the world and their place in it, know that all members of the school community show respect and tolerance for others, and develop a better cultural awareness. Children will have the opportunity to reflect and develop their spiritual awareness. Thinking skills will be developed through child-led philosophical discussions.
