We are very proud of our distinctive Christian ethos and our relationship with St Bartholomew’s Church. We encourage spirituality and develop caring, loving children who have a growing understanding of Christian values. 

We follow the Guildford Diocesan Framework for Religious Education and teach discreet RE lessons once every week. Pupils learn about the Old and New Testaments, the teachings of Jesus and what it means to be a Christian. Children also explore the main beliefs and traditions of Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

Religious Education at St Bartholomew’s CofE (Aided) Primary School

At St Bartholomew’s it is our intent, through the teaching of Religious Education (RE) to engage, inspire, challenge and encourage pupils to develop morally and spiritually as well as academically; enabling them as individuals to flourish in a diverse, ever changing world.

The subject aims to equip our children with the attitudes and values necessary for living in a multi-faith and multi-racial society by developing an understanding of and respect for people of different beliefs, practices, races and cultures, including those who have no faith.  As a Church of England school we focus in depth on the Christian faith, using the teachings of Jesus to compare key values and teachings with other principal religions.  The school follows the Guildford Diocesan guidelines for religious study.  Religions studied include Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism.

Long Term Plan for Religious Education

We believe the teaching of RE makes a distinctive contribution to the school curriculum as it allows pupils to explore, understand and express their own response to spiritual and religious approaches to life. It raises the questions about meaning and purpose in life from beginning to end and provides time for children to question and individually reflect upon their own spiritual journey;  providing them with the knowledge and skills to answer challenging questions.  Religious Education does not seek to urge religious beliefs on children or to compromise the integrity of their own beliefs by promoting one religion over another.

As a school, we explore how the values and teachings of the world religions affect our society today.  As the children progress through our school, RE identifies the realities of injustice and suffering in the world today and it provides children with a vision for how the core values of religions can have an impact on the way we chose to live our lives. It challenges pupils to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.