John 10:10 We have come so that they may live life and live it to the full.
Oliver Tomkins Voluntary Aided C of E Schools are schools with a Christian foundation, which seeks to express their Christian character by serving families in the local community and by providing a Christian ethos where children and their families can feel valued and affirmed. There is an opportunity to experience the meaning of the Christian faith in the welcome that is offered to all and in the relationships of love and care that characterise the shared life of the school.
Oliver Tomkins School is a place where children can develop as an individual, spiritually and morally and where they are provided with a secure and firm foundation for the choices they will make and the life experiences they will develop as they grow. The school embodies the truth that children learn and grow best in a context of firm principles and values and the staff seek to offer an education and curriculum of the highest quality that takes account of the development, skills and experiences that enrich and develop the whole child
RE at Oliver Tomkins
The school has adopted the RE syllabus produced by Swindon Sacre alongside the scheme ‘Understanding Christianity’.
Following Diocesan guidelines, the proportion of the curriculum time to be allocated to RE should be approximately 5%.
Within that, the balance of time allocated to Christianity should be 80% and to other faiths 20%.
Non-Christian faiths should be drawn on when studying the syllabus units to develop and deepen understanding.
Elements of the RE syllabus may be reinforced through Collective Worship within the school, (reference being made to the Collective Worship Policy).
Particular attention should be made to celebrate festivals from all the religions studied within Collective Worship. Links with St. Mary’s at Lydiard Church are to be fostered where appropriate, as there are opportunities to develop relationships with holy places of other faiths in the community.
As Voluntary Aided Schools, the management of RE is a distinctive role of the Governors and Headteacher.
The RE co-ordinator is responsible for implementation/co-ordination of the policy.
RE will be in accordance with the schools trust deed and ethos statement.
The curriculum will take account of the following documents
Locally Agreed Syllabus
Diocesan Guidelines
Understanding Christianity