It is a statutory requirement to teach Religious Education and at Britannia we take our responsibility very seriously. Throughout the school, our pupils learn about Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Humanism. We are not a church school and do not promote any one religion over another; we are sensitive to the broad range of traditions and beliefs reflected in our school community. However, more emphasis is placed on the teaching of Christianity since this is a statutory requirement and the Christian faith forms the fundamental basis of law and traditional culture in Britain, although Christianity is not promoted as superior to other faiths.

There are three areas of focus for the pupils at Britannia in Religious Education. They learn about theology and the clear, appropriate terminology and vocabulary across the faiths. They consider what it is to be a believer and how this can impact the way people of faith lead their lives. Our pupils are then encouraged to consider where they stand in relation to what they have learned, thinking philosophically about the greater issues that affect them and others around them, considering deeper, ‘big thinking’ questions. Our programme of study shows a progression of skills and knowledge through our Curriculum Concepts for Religious Education.

Legal Requirements for Religious Education:

In accordance with the law, we provide religious education for all pupils registered at the school. R.E. is taught as part of our block curriculum.

Parents have the right to withdraw their pupils from religious education. Parents who choose to withdraw their children from Religious Education lessons are required to state this in writing annually to the Principal. 

We believe that it is the responsibility of the parents who have chosen to withdraw their children from school R.E. to provide acceptable alternative religious education work for their children to do during RE lessons. We expect that this work will be discussed with the class teacher so that these children can be fully included, and their alternative work linked to what the rest of the class is learning.