Our School Vision
Let Your Light Shine
“Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and. glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16
We are committed to creating a positive, safe and nurturing Christian environment, where all members of the school and wider community will be respected and valued.
Within God’s love, we will support and encourage one another to grow and flourish…to be the very best we can be.
Please click here to view our long term yearly plan for RE
Intent
What do we aspire for our children?
As a Church of England School, the Christian faith is the foundations of everything that we do at Staunton and Corse Academy. In all learning and life experiences, we aim to fulfil our school vision (as above). We promote an environment where all children feel known, accepted, and valued as individuals, within a caring community, where our Christian faith affects not only what we teach, but also how we teach. We believe that it is fundamental for the children to belong to a safe and nurturing community, founded on strong Christian values where children will develop an array of skills that will enable them to make their own positive contribution to our global society.
Our aims for all the children in RE are:
- To provoke challenging questions about the ultimate meaning of life, beliefs about God, the nature of reality and morality.
- To develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal world religions, religious traditions and world-views, which offer answers to ultimate questions.
- To encourage pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging, in order to flourish within communities, as responsible citizens in society and global communities.
- To teach pupils to develop respect for others and their beliefs and helps to challenge prejudice.
- To prompt pupils to consider their responsibilities to themselves and to others, and to explore how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society encouraging empathy, generosity and compassion.
Implementation
How will we deliver the curriculum?
Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be.
The statement of entitlements lays out the entitlement of all children to receive a high quality Religious Education which supports them in all aspects of their learning.
We use Understanding Christianity and the new Gloucestershire RE syllabus.
Impact
How do we know our RE curriculum is effective?
- Ask and offer possible answers to challenging questions about the meaning of life, beliefs, nature of reality and morality.
- Have a secure understanding and knowledge of the religions studied and be confident to answer ultimate questions.
- Have the ability to ask significant and reflective questions about religion and demonstrate a good understanding of issues relating to the nature, truth and value of religion.
- Have a sense of self, identity and belonging to flourish within the community and be responsible citizens.
- Show respect, tolerance and understanding of all religions and beliefs.
- Have a strong understanding of how the beliefs, values, practices and ways of life within any religion come together.
- The ability to link the study of religion and belief to personal reflections on meaning and purpose.
- The ability to exemplify the School’s Christian values in all aspects of life that are rooted in the teachings of the Bible.
Open the Book 
Every other week, our Open the Book team visit and introduce us to Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments. The stories are narrated and acted out each week. Our children take part in the short dramas and story telling which is great fun and many of the children enjoy the experience enormously.
We are encouraged in Psalm 78 to ‘tell the next generation about our wonderful God so that in turn they will tell the following generations‘. ‘Then they will put their trust in God‘.
The Right of Withdrawal from Religious Education:
Religion and belief have become more visible in public life in recent years, making it important that all pupils should have an opportunity to engage in RE. However, the parent of a pupil at a community, foundation, or voluntary school (or pupils themselves if they are aged 18 or over) may request that they be excused from all or part of the religious education (RE) provided.
Parents who wish to withdraw their children from RE should be aware of its aims and what is covered in the RE curriculum and that they are given the opportunity to discuss this if they wish. It should be made clear whether the withdrawal is from the whole RE curriculum or specific parts of it. No reasons need to be given
Important: limitations to withdraw
- If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching. A pupil may be required to work in another area of the school, such as the library or break-out area.
- Whilst parents or carers have a right to withdraw children from RE, they should note that children may also encounter religions and beliefs and wider aspects of faith in other areas of the curriculum from which there is no right of withdrawal.
- On occasion, spontaneous questions about religious matters are raised by pupils or issues related to religion arise in other curriculum subjects such as history or citizenship (PSHE). For example, schools promote community cohesion and help pupils to understand ideas about identity and diversity, feelings, and emotions within both religious and non-religious contexts.
Managing the Right of Withdrawal
If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching or to incur extra cost. Pupils will remain on school premises where it is feasible and appropriate.
Where a request for withdrawal is made, the school must comply and excuse the pupil until the request is rescinded. Though not legally required, it is good practice for a head teacher to invite parents to discuss their written request.
(Section 71(3), School Standards and Framework Act 1998).
