New Religious Education syllabus launched for Southend schools

January 9, 2019 by Leigh-on-sea.com

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is pleased to launch the new agreed syllabus for Religious Education (RE) which will be used in schools from now until 2023.

It is required by law that RE be taught in schools, but it is not - as a subject - part of the national curriculum, instead it is a local responsibility.

The syllabus, which is being launched today, has taken two years to develop. It has been reviewed and recommended by many local teachers and is approved by the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE). SACREs are set up within Local Education Authorities across the UK to ensure that RE in schools is multicultural and covers areas of education that could otherwise be overlooked.

The new syllabus will enable teachers to introduce their students to the richness and diversity of faiths; not only as represented within the borough of Southend-on-Sea, but within the United Kingdom and across the world. The Local Authority is providing the syllabus to all schools in the borough – both local authority schools and academies. All schools were invited to the launch as well as members of Southend SACRE. 

Cllr Helen Boyd, cabinet member for children and learning, said: “The syllabus supports Southend’s teachers in exploring, developing and fostering a greater understanding of religion and belief in their students. This will enable them to have a greater and deeper appreciation as we continue to face future challenges in the 21st century within this culturally diverse borough.”

“Through this syllabus, pupils will have the chance to gain an increasingly sophisticated understanding and express their developing ideas about the nature of religions, beliefs and worldviews.

“We are very grateful to the many people who have contributed to the development of the new syllabus including local teachers, the members of SACRE and the Agreed Syllabus Conference, as well as the schools who have contributed artwork for it.”