World Religions?
‘All children need to acquire core knowledge and understanding of the beliefs and practices of the religions and worldviews which not only shape their history and culture but which guide their own development. The modern world needs young people who are sufficiently confident in their own beliefs and values that they can respect the religious and cultural differences of others, and contribute to a cohesive and compassionate society.’
The Right Hon, Michael Gove, former Secretary of State for Education, 2013 RE Review and new 'non-statutory' National Curriculum Framework for RE
All children at Braywood receive Religious Education and our curriculum covers a range of faiths. We call this area of learning World Religions and it is subject to the same scrutiny and ambition of all other curriculum areas. Our aim is that the teaching is engaging, interesting and has an impact. Messages from all faiths echo good moral values to help children understand how to be a tolerant and respectful individual. We call this Religious Character.
All children receive an education on our main world religions as laid down in the Berkshire Agreed Syllabus. This subject promotes the spiritual, social, moral and cultural development of pupils, enriching a reflective approach to living, through their study of faith. It is about asking big questions, practicing philosophy and discovering more about religious text and practices. The children enjoy all forms of religious education and we aim to explore the subject through visit to places of worship, inviting visitors into school, exploring artefacts and through electronic devises.
We have a diverse community at Braywood with a fundamental 'family' atmosphere which is reflective of the good relationships which exist between parents, staff and the children. Care is taken to respect the distinct personality of each child and to encourage attitudes favourable to a mutually respectful learning environment.
Although we are a Church of England controlled school, we welcome all children irrespective of their parents’ beliefs and respect all religions. All these areas of our curriculum come together to form the Christian ethos and distinctness of our school. We are inclusive, nurturing and our children are not discriminative because they have religious character - they respect all faiths and children with no faith.