Session objectives:

To review previous session and check progress

of Subject Knowledge audit/presentation;
To consider the importance of RE in the
curriculum;
To explore the role of RE within education as a
teacher;
To consider What makes a good RE lesson?
To explore influences in your life which will
impact upon you as a teacher;


Remember - What is the place of
RE in the Primary School
Curriculum?
RE is not part of the National Curriculum
RE is a statutory part of the basic
curriculum
RE is locally determined following the
locally Agreed Syllabus (unless it is a faith
school) provided by the SACRE
All registered children from YR in maintained
primary schools have a statutory entitlement
to RE

http://www.natre.org.uk/explore/video.php?id=49

How have your
backgrounds/experiences and
attitudes helped to shape your
views, form your opinions and
motivate you to enter the
teaching profession?
What issues do
you think there
are in teaching
RE in Modern
Britain?
Historically and today religion and religious education are
regarded with passion and suspicion. This poses some
questions that need to be considered


1. In a modern democratic society does teaching religion
in state schools make sense or not?

2. What sort of RE can you agree with, if any, and what
could it achieve?

3. What is your view? Is religion a serious matter and an
appropriate subject for the primary curriculum or is it
something to laugh about or at least keep private?

Erricker (2011)
Knowing where you are starting from
How will your own beliefs affect your teaching?
I dont believe that!
How can you teach RE if you have no belief?
The different religious backgrounds
amongst the class
Children of different faiths can be a useful resource
but need to be handled sensitively
The fear of mishmash
Should RE be delivered discretely or in a cross-
curricular way a bit of both?

[McCreery E et al (2008) Teaching RE Ch 2]
Issues in teaching RE
Statutory role of the teacher
= enquiry into and
investigation of, the
nature of religion, its
beliefs, teachings and
ways of life, sources,
practices and forms of
expression.
= developing pupils
reflections on, and response
to, their own and others
experience in the light of
their learning about RE.
Own ideas. Qs of identity
and belonging.
Learning about
religion and belief
Learning from
religion and belief

AT1 - Learning about religion
and belief
Enquiring into, investigating
and understanding religions
and beliefs.
This includes thinking about
and interpreting religious
beliefs, teachings, sources,
practices, ways of life and
ways of expressing meaning
with reference to the
specific beliefs and religions
studied.
AT2 - Learning from religion
and belief
Questioning, exploring,
reflecting upon and
interpreting human experience
in the light of religions and
beliefs studied.
This includes communicating
reflections, responses and
evaluations about questions of
identity, belonging, diversity,
meaning, purpose, truth,
values and commitments,
making increasingly insightful
links to the specific religions
studied.
RE is at its most effective when these two
attainment targets are closely related in the
learning experience.
Northamptonshire AS
What
makes a
good RE
lesson?
Look at the
Ofsted
lesson
reports
Ofsted notes that good RE teaching
which leads to effective learning is
rooted:
In good understanding of the subject;

In high expectations;

In methods of teaching that cater well
for all pupils in the class.
The new Ofsted Long Report on RE (Religious
Education: realising the potential) was
published on 4
th
October 2013. It emphasises
that schools can learn from the best practice:
Place Enquiry at the heart of learning as a key
to improving teaching;

High-quality leadership and management in
Primary schools as a key to improvement and
raising the status of RE;

Effective RE in Special Schools adapting RE
to meet the distinctive needs of pupils who have
learning difficulties.
What is religion?
In the 1960s Professor Ninian Smart
pioneered an approach to answering
this question. This has remained a
major influence on the writing of
Agreed Syllabuses. Even though
pedagogy has moved on it is still a
useful frame work for considering
what RE encompasses.

McCreery et al, Teaching Religious Education (2008)
1. The practical and ritual dimension; the aspects of religious life
that are visible.
Daily rituals
Blessing of meals
Communal rituals like sharing of bread and wine
Yearly rituals like festivals
Rites of passage from birth to death

2. The experiential and emotional dimension; the way people feel or
sense the presence and power of God in their everyday lives.
Though this does differ in different religions

3. The narrative and mythic dimension; the religious stories of each
religion.
Creation and founders
Religious heroes
parables

4. The doctrinal and philosophical dimension; these are the basic
teachings of all religions or doctrines.

5. The ethical and legal dimension; this can be from moral law to
ritual law.
Ten commandments
Food laws
Awareness of the way each of the religions have different sects
which have different adherences to the laws

6.The social and institutional dimension; idea that religions can be
both very private and have social dimensions.
Festivals
Charity work
Social gatherings
All religions have institutional elements or they wither and die.
Pastorial
Governing bodies

7. The material dimension; all religions abound with objects.
Clothing
buildings]
Imagery
Books

Now your turn;
Using the principles and discussions points of
the session so far you are going to create a
concept map for an RE topic. You can choose
one of the following topics and in groups start
to plan how this topic would be explored with
children over a series of lessons.
Special places
Food
Clothes
Giving to others
Pray/speaking to God/god
Rites of passage

Reference:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reso
urces/religious-education-
realising-potential


Essential Reading:
McCreery E., Palmer S. & Voiels V. (2008) Achieving QTS: Teaching
Religious Education Exeter: Learning Matters
Chapters 2 and 8.

Erricker C., Lowndes J. & Bellchambers C. (2011) Primary Religious
Education A New Approach Abingdon, Routledge
Chapter 2 and 3

Further Reading

Brown, A. & Broadbent, L. (eds) (2002) Issues in Religious Education,
London, Routledgefalmer

Kirby, Dr M. & Emnet, P. (2006) Student Handbook: Religious
Education, Cambridge, Pearson Publishing
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/node/2449

Remember the Subject
Knowledge Audit/Presentation?


To help
Some Key Websites
http://subknow.reonline.org.uk/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

http://www.natre.org.uk/

Directed Tasks

Review the websites and add information to
your Blogfolio.
Continue and finalise planning for your
group presentation.
Complete the essential reading.
Develop your subject knowledge audit,
including key artefacts.
Reflect on the session and add detail to
your Blogfolio.

Subject knowledge audit...
Islam
Judaism
Buddhism
Hinduism
Sikhism
Christianity
Prepare a 5 10
minute presentation
for the rest of the
group on your allocated
religion. This should
be presented in an
electronic form for
sharing with all
members of the group.
You should include
some pictures, music, a
video clip and a key
points list.
For Presentation in Session 3
Subject knowledge...
Islam
Judaism
Buddhism
Hinduism
Sikhism
Christianity
1
4 3
2
5
6
Presentation order