Religious Education (RE) is a statutory part of the curriculum in all state funded schools in England, but parents have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE or collective worship.
We follow the Gloucestershire RE Syllabus.
This has recently been re-designed and teachers are currently being trained, with a view to having the new Gloucestershire RE Syllabus in place by September 2026.
Our aims in teaching Religious Education are to:
- Promote spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of pupils
- Encourage understanding of and respect for the beliefs and practices of diverse religious
- Contribute to social cohesion and mutual respect in modern Britain
We are proud of our diverse school community and want our pupils to learn about their own and others religions. This enables our pupils to be respectful and explore their own faith and spirituality, as they develop and grow.
As a school, we respect all cultural diversity and parental decisions about this subject.
Parents’ Right to Withdraw
Legal provisions allow parents/carers to withdraw their children entirely or partially, as well as from collective worship assemblies.
Legal provisions allow parents/carers to withdraw their children entirely or partially, as well as from collective worship assemblies. drts to withdraw their children from RE entirely or parially, as well as from collective acts of worship
www.gov.uk+2
Key points include:
- Age considerations: Children aged 16 and over may decide for themselves whether to attend collective worship, but withdrawal from RE subjects generally requires parental consent until the pupil reaches 18
- Procedure: Parents should submit a request in writing to the headteacher or governing body, which should be recorded, reviewed annually, and may involve a meeting to inform parents about the curriculum and any practical implications of withdrawal
- Partial withdrawal: Parents can request withdrawal from specific parts of the RE curriculum (e.g., a particular religion or a visit to a place of worship), though schools may explain the educational signficance of those elements
- Alternative arrangements: Pupils withdrawn from RE remain under the supervision of the school; aternative arrangements for learning are not the responsibility of the school unless agreed upon and should not impose extra costs
External arrangements are rare but can be made if they do not interfere with regular school attendance
Practical Considerations
- The school must continue to provide inclusive and broad RE for other students, respecting diverse religious beliefs
- Schools handle withdrawals with sensitivity, balancing legal rights with educational objectives, and often provide information to parents on the currculum to help them make informed decisions
- Withdrawal rights do not extend to other curriculum areas, even if religion is discussed incidentally within subjects like History or Art
