We are all anthropologists and theologians
Anthropology is the study of people throughout the world, how they behave, communicate and socialise with one another. The anthropology of religion involves the study of religious institutions in relation to other social institutions, and the comparison of religious beliefs and practices across cultures.
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine - God and other deities - and, more broadly, of religious belief.
At St Michael’s, our RE curriculum is taught to enable all of our children to become anthropologists and theologians. We learn about religion, but also from religion. Meaningful and thought-provoking Religious Education makes a distinctive contribution to the school curriculum; we aim to give children knowledge of the key concepts that underpin religions and beliefs and how these impact individuals, culture, behaviour and national life.
RE at St Michael's
We follow the locally-agreed AMV syllabus - Awareness, Mystery and Value - which identifies the core beliefs of four major world religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. We also discuss viewpoints of non-religious groups. At St Michael’s, we use different approaches to teaching RE to build bridges between the traditions of religion and belief and our pupils’ own ideas, interests and experiences. We also use it to discuss and make relevant our own core values and beliefs, as well as making links with other areas of the curriculum and events.
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Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
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Year 3 |
Unit 1: What do Jewish people believe about God and the Covenant and Torah? |
Unit 5: What do Christians believe about God & Incarnation? |
Unit 2: What do Muslim people believe about Islam and Iman? |
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Year 4 |
Unit 4: What do Christians believe about Salvation? |
Unit 3: What do Hindu people believe about Dharma, Deity and Atman? |
Unit 6: What do Christians believe about Agape? |
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Year 5 |
Unit 7: What do Jewish people believe about God and the Covenant and Torah? |
Unit 11: What do Christians believe about God & Incarnation? |
Unit 8: What do Muslim people believe about Islam and Iman? |
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Year 6 |
Unit 12: What do Christians believe about Agape? |
Unit 10: What do Christians believe about Salvation? |
Unit 9: What do Hindu people believe about Dharma, Deity and Atman? |
Celebrations and Visitors
We are lucky to have St Michael's Church right across the road from us, and the whole school visits at Harvest, Christmas and Easter to celebrate these major Christian festivals with them. The church also kindly hosts our end of year service, and Reverend Elizabeth visits us frequently throughout the year, helping to deliver our own Core Values as well as discussing elements of Christianity with the children. Through our studies of other religions, children are exposed to other major religious festivals such as Passover, Diwali and Ramadan. We welcome visitors to the school in order for children to gain a greater understanding of different religions and beliefs.