At Gunthorpe Primary School, it is our intent for the Religious Education elements of our school curriculum to engage and inspire pupils; equipping them with the knowledge and skills to investigate and discover faiths and world views.

We want to develop children’s curiosity to ask challenging questions. We want them to be good communicators and be able to describe, explain and analyse the beliefs and practices of a range of religions and world views. We hope they will be both resilient and ambitious as they learn about sad, unfair and sometimes controversial issues in the world.

We want to give children opportunities to reflect on their learning and to develop empathy as they mature and grow up as young people. They will be encouraged to be creative in their response to what they learn.

Through their RE learning, we want children to be able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world, recognising the diversity which exists and accepting the differences and valuing the views and traditions of our multicultural society. We also want children to treat all religious and non-religious beliefs or world views with respect and to prepare them for adult life, relationships with others, employment and life-long learning.

In accordance with the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, parents and carers have the legal right to withdraw their child, either wholly or partly, from receiving Religious Education (RE) that is provided as part of the school's curriculum. This right also extends to attendance at religious worship conducted in the school. 

Parents and carers are not required to provide a reason for their decision to withdraw their child from RE. However, we encourage open dialogue to ensure they are fully informed about the RE curriculum, which is designed to respect and accommodate the diverse beliefs of all pupils.

When a pupil is withdrawn from RE, the school has a duty to supervise the child but is not required to provide alternative teaching or incur additional costs. However, arrangements can be made to provide RE of the kind the parent wishes for their child, either within the school or through external means.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss the curriculum further, please feel free to contact the school.