“All students are entitled to receive RE as part of a broad and balanced curriculum at school which promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development” - Religious education in English schools: Non-statutory guidance 2010. However, the law gives parents/carers the right to withdraw their child(ren) from collective acts of worship and/or Religious Education lessons, in accordance with the 1988 Education Reform Act. At Bourne Alliance Multi Academy Trust, we respect that right.

At Bourne Alliance Multi Academy Trust, we teach RE (known as religion and worldviews) as an academic subject.  Children learn about what different people believe and how they practise their religion/ worldview as well as developing a range of skills including but not limited to:  questioning, observing, describing, investigating, analysing, discussion.

Parental right to withdraw children from RWV

Parents/carers have the right to choose whether to withdraw their child from RWV without influence from the school.

As a school it is our duty to inform you of this right and also to make you aware of the educational objectives and content of the curriculum we follow.  A link to our curriculum is provided here.  (please insert link to

If a child is withdrawn from RWV, we have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching or to incur extra cost; suitable work relating to the child’s religious education should be provided by the parents/carers. Children will usually remain on school premises, unless they are lawfully receiving religious education elsewhere.

Withdrawal Procedure

If a parent chooses to withdraw their child from RWV, they need to:

• Inform the school of their request for their child(ren) to be withdrawn from RWV and/or ‘religious assembly’ and whether they intend partial or total withdrawal for their child(ren)

o This should be in writing to the Head of School; verbal communication (e.g. on the telephone, through the student or a note in a student’s books) is not an adequate method. Email details for the head of school are:

 • Parents/carers will be invited to meet with the Subject Leader for RWV and the Head of School, to discuss the request.

  • At the meeting, the Schemes of Work will be made available for the parents to read and ask questions about, should they choose to.

 • It is not envisaged that establishing the reason for withdrawal and practicalities of withdrawal from RE be either lengthy or a means to change parent’s/carer’s minds, but a meeting with the relevant staff is necessary to ensure parents/carers have all relevant and adequate information to make an informed choice.

• Parents/carers of withdrawn children will be asked to provide suitable alternative work of a religious nature for their child(ren) to be completed at the time of the RWV lesson. It will not be the responsibility of the teacher either to set or mark alternative work. Students who have been withdrawn will be allocated to different classes or a specified place on an independent basis in order to ensure suitable supervision. These arrangements may need to change from week to week.

• If a student is withdrawn from assembly, they will be allocated to different classes on an independent basis in order to ensure adequate supervision during the assembly. These arrangements may need to change from week to week.

• In addition to the above, parents/carers also have the right opt out of any visits to places of worship. Prior notification will be necessary to ensure adequate supervision is organised for the student.

• If a student is only to be partially withdrawn from RWV lessons that discuss a specific religion or issue, it cannot be guaranteed that reference to these religions or issues will not be made in more general lessons.