Educational need for Christian resources

The introduction to the National Curriculum for England and Wales states:

"Personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship help to give pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active, responsible citizens. Pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and experiences across and beyond the curriculum, contributing fully to the life of their school and communities. In doing so they learn to recognise their own worth, work well with others and become increasingly responsible for their own learning.

They reflect on their experiences and understand how they are developing personally and socially, tackling many of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up. They also find out about the main political and social institutions that affect their lives and about their responsibilities, rights and duties as individuals and members of communities. They learn to understand and respect our common humanity, diversity and differences so that they can go on to form the effective, fulfilling relationships that are an essential part of life and learning."

Elsewhere it is stated that, as well as warranting its own special focus, spiritual, moral, social and cultural education should be included in other curriculum areas.

Collective worship

From the Department for Education and Skills' model policy for collective worship:

"The aim of the collective worship policy is to provide the opportunity for pupils to:

• worship God
• reflect on values that are of a broadly Christian nature and on their own beliefs
• develop a community spirit, a common ethos and shared values
• consider spiritual and moral issues
• respond to the worship offered.

Daily collective worship must be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character.  The precise nature will depend on the family background, ages and abilities of the pupils."

Religious education

Finally Religious Education - of a mainly Christian nature - is itself a subject area included within the National Curriculum:

"Each agreed syllabus should reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking account of the teachings and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain."

The situation in Scotland is broadly similar, although it operates under its own education systems and legislation.

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