Religious Education

Religious Education enables pupils to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions asked by people.  Religion and belief inform our values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave.  At St Mark’s School we develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the major world faiths and we provoke challenging fundamental questions such as what it means to be human.

RE also contributes to pupils’ personal development and well-being and to community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. RE can also make important contributions to other parts of the school curriculum such as citizenship, personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE education), geography and history. It offers opportunities for deep personal reflection and spiritual development, deepening the understanding of the significance of religion in the lives of others-individually, communally and cross-culturally.

At St Mark’s we enable children to develop a sound knowledge not only of Christianity but also of other world religions, especially those that are the faiths of children within our school.  Children reflect on what it means to have a faith and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding.  We help the children learn from religions as well as about religions. We follow the Lancashire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (Revised 2016). Other principle religions studied throughout the school include Buddhism, Islam, Hindu Dharma, Judaism and Sikh Dharma.

Parental Right of Withdrawal Parents have a legal right to withdraw their child/children from part or the whole of the RE curriculum provided by the school. 

St Mark’s School teaches open minded religious education, and is inclusive: all pupils develop their own beliefs and values through RE.  So any parent considering exercising the right of withdrawal and removing their child from the subject is invited to make an appointment with staff to discuss the approach we take to RE. 

'Teaching and learning in RE adds immeasurably to the spiritual and cultural development of the pupils.'

SIAMS Inspection Report February 2019