RE INTENT

At The Hollybrook Schools, we believe that Religious Education (RE) in its broadest sense embraces the whole way of life of the school. 

We believe that each member of the school community should feel that they are valued and important. Our school includes children and families from a variety of backgrounds and faiths, we celebrate this diversity and offer a welcoming environment for all of our pupils.

Children at Hollybrook are encouraged to learn the importance of respect when finding out about other people’s faiths and ways of life. 

Our curriculum follows the Hampshire model laid out in our locally agreed syllabus, Living Difference IV. At The Hollybrook Schools we use this syllabus as it confirms our commitment to an education that allows children to recognise the importance of exploring their own lives in relation to what it can mean to live with a religious outlook on life and other ways of life, including those informed by a non-religious perspective.

https://www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/hias/curriculum-support/living-difference-re-syllabus

This emphasises a 5 stage process of enquiry into concepts. Children have the opportunity to respond from their own experience before being introduced to the way others appreciate things.

Children are also given the opportunity to evaluate; that is to make a judgement about why something is important for someone else as well as to discern what may be important for themselves.

A range of strategies are used to bring RE lessons to life and to engage and inspire children, stimulating enquiry:

• Visits to places of worship,
• Representatives of religious traditions visiting to talk to the class
• The use of artefacts, books, stories, posters, artwork
• The use of drama and role play
• Development of empathy, respect and consideration through circle time discussions