The County Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education is followed at Hopelands. Children at KS1 are taught about the stories, festivals and events that help to provide the patterns and meaning of their lives. They are encouraged to talk and write about the variety of ceremonies, buildings and people in Christianity and other religions. Our children have the confidence to put forward their own ideas and reflect on the beliefs and values of others.
At KS2 the pupils continue to develop their knowledge, beliefs and teachings of the religions they have studied and make comparisons between religions, to study further the beliefs and practices of Judaism, Islam and examine the life and teachings of Jesus. The pupils are encouraged to ask questions about aspects of life, moral and religious issues. The aim is to teach pupils toleration and respect for the beliefs of other religions.
Assemblies are held weekly and led by class teachers and the Head. All the children from Fox Cubs to Year 6 have the opportunity to take part in a class assembly where parents and members of their family are invited to watch. The Christmas play, performed by the pre-school to Year 2 always has the Christian theme of the Nativity as a focal point, and is supported by the juniors’ carol singing.
Personal, Social and Health Education (PHSE) and Citizenship
At Hopelands we provide an interesting and varied programme to help the children develop the independence, self-confidence and maturity, to recognise their own and peers achievements.
We aim to enable the children to share and discuss the views of those around them; be encouraged to think about their own health and well-being, their own rights, duties and responsibilities and also the rights and responsibilities of others. The pupils are further encouraged to set themselves goals, try to achieve them and think about the choices they make and how these can affect other people. The children are given the opportunity to consider the different groups in society and to respect and value the diversity of our world. Pupils are given special responsibilities, e.g. Head of House or monitor duties. A specialist teacher in Year 6 teaches sex and drugs education in Science.
