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At The Cheadle Academy, we recognise the vital role that Religious Education (RE) plays in fostering pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development. Our RE curriculum promotes respect and open-mindedness towards individuals with diverse faiths and beliefs, encouraging pupils to cultivate their sense of identity and belonging through self-awareness and reflection. The primary aim of our RE program is to engage pupils in an enquiry-based approach, allowing them to develop an understanding and appreciation of the expression of beliefs, cultural practices, and the influence of principal religions and worldviews within the local, national, and global communities. Our curriculum reflects the fact that, while the religious traditions in Great Britain are primarily Christian, it also includes the teachings and practices of other major religions represented in the country. Religious Education is an essential component of a broad and balanced curriculum, providing pupils with the tools they need to flourish in a diverse and dynamic world.
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Name |
Position |
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| Mrs L Allsopp | Subject Leader | lallsopp@thecheadleacademy.co.uk |
| Mr B Harris | Teacher of RE | bharris@thecheadleacademy.co.uk |
| Mrs S Halden-Evans |
Teacher of RE | shalden-evans@thecheadleacademy.co.uk |
| Mrs R Rowe | Teacher of RE | rrowe@thecheadleacademy.co.uk |
We aim to broaden our students understanding of our increasingly diverse society, both religiously and culturally. At KS3 students visit the Manchester Jewish Museum to engage with Jewish stories and society.
Withdrawal from RE at The Cheadle Academy
RE is for all pupils and every pupil is legally entitled to Religious Education as part of a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum. RE must be provided for all registered pupils in state funded schools in England (this includes sixth form pupils) unless they are withdrawn by their parents or have withdrawn themselves once reaching 18 years of age or older). However, the law gives parents/carers the right to withdraw their child(ren) from collective acts of worship and/or Religious Education lessons, in accordance with the 1988 Education Reform Act. At The Cheadle Academy we respect that right.
RE is locally determined, not nationally. The Cheadle Academy follows the Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus, as recommended by SACRE. Our RE curriculum takes account of world faiths and non-religious world views so that students can learn about and from religious traditions without being inducted into those traditions. In the UK, parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to provide their own RE. This RE provision will be the parents’ responsibility.
Handling Requests for the Withdrawal of RE
- If a parent chooses to withdraw their child from RE, they need to inform the school of their request for their child(ren) to be withdrawn from RE and/or ‘religious assembly’ and whether they intend partial or total withdrawal for their child(ren). This should be in writing to the Head Teacher.
- An opportunity to discuss the request with a member of the Senior Leadership Team. This meeting should include parental reasons for the wishing to withdraw their child, including objections.
It is good practice to reassure parents by allowing them to observe a lessons they object to. If the parents do visit to see a lesson, talk to them afterwards about whether:
- There are particular aspects of the lesson that they object to, and
- They would be happy for their child to be involved in other aspects
* Parents can still withdraw their child, even without an explanation.
- A meeting to discuss the practical implications of withdrawal from RE. The school has a duty of care to look after them, but not to provide an alternative education. Any arrangements must not incur extra costs for the school and cannot be used to support extra teaching in other subject areas.
- Parents/carers of withdrawn children will be asked to provide suitable alternative work of a religious nature for their child(ren) to be completed at the time of the RE lesson. It will not be the responsibility of the teacher either to set or mark alternative work. Students who have been withdrawn will be allocated to different classes or a specified place on an independent basis in order to ensure suitable supervision. These arrangements may need to change from week to week.
- If a student is only to be partially withdrawn from RE lessons that discuss a specific religion or issue, it cannot be guaranteed that reference to these religions or issues will not be made in more general lessons
- A review meeting once a year.
Whilst The Cheadle Academy respects the rights of the parents/carers to withdraw their child(ren) from RE, these rights do not apply to a parent’s/carer’s request to withdraw their child from a non-RE subject that may teach about religion or religious beliefs, e.g. History or English.