Religious Education

'Religious Education encourages students to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions, while exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning. It challenges students to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses. Religious Education encourages students to develop their sense of identity and belonging. It enables them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society and global community. Religious Education has an important role in preparing students for adult life, employment and lifelong learning. It enables students to develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own. It promotes discernment and enables students to combat prejudice.'

^{Dr K Mackay-Roberts, Head of Religious Education}

Our RE curriculum challenges students to ask perceptive questions, analyse beliefs and meanings and articulate arguments from a variety of perspectives. It allows for a deep exploration of Christian faith as well as engaging extensively with other world religions and contemporary issues. We believe that a high-quality Religious Education should ensure that all students acquire a core knowledge and understanding of the beliefs and practises of the religions and world views which not only shape their history and culture, but which guide their own development. Students learn to understand the origins of people’s beliefs, how to diligently show respect to the diverse range of religious beliefs they encounter and become confident in knowing their own identity.

The Howden School curriculum for religious education aims to ensure that all students:

• Continually deepen their religious and theological understanding and effectively communicate this;
• Present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching so that pupils can make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society;
• Raise awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them
• Relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum

Key Stage 3 Curriculum

Key Stage 4 Curriculum