Good Practice in Primary Religious Education

The Education Reform Act of 1988 has caused a revolution in the educational system of England and Wales. The educational tradition and practice of more than 100 years was swept away and schools found that the system of which they were part and which had been one of the most decentralized in Europe was now one of the most centralized. A National Curriculum emerged with profile components, attainment targets, programmes of study and statements of attainment along with a requirement for formal assessment at the end of four key stages in a pupil's educational career. Within these new requirements were embedded a number of concerns for clearly identified skills, knowledge and understanding, for development and progression. Intended for the use of primary head teachers, class teachers and teachers in training, this book examines the requirements of the Act in respect of religious education in schools. It offers guidance on ways in which religious education can be developed successfully in the primary school. The book assumes no particular specialist interest in religion in the reader. The contributors are all involved in the work of primary schools.