RE at Excalibur
"I enjoyed finding out about different Gods"
"I actually liked it in religion when we talked about God and the blessings that he's done for us!"
"I love all the activities that we do in RE like arts and crafts".
"I enjoy the group discussions and coming up with ideas together"
Reception
What makes us special?
In the Reception, the children have explored the different ways people are special. Through stories, discussions and in creative activities, they learned about what makes themselves, people around them and in the community special. They also learned that it is good for people to have different beliefs and ideas and that some Christian people believe in God and Jesus.
What are special times?
After half term, the children discovered and compared special times of Diwali and Christmas. Using pictures, videos, and storytelling, they explored the significance of these festivals and how they are celebrated. They learned about the traditions associated with Diwali and Christmas and discussed the importance of these celebrations in bringing communities together.
Year 1
How did the world begin?
The children have explored a range of creation stories in imaginative ways, the children have presented their own ideas about creators and creation using art and language. They also considered how creation stories help some people to understand what God is like. (Christian, Jewish and Hindu worldviews.)
What do some people believe God looks like?
Year one looked at Islamic art, Hindu avatars and images of the Christmas story, they explored how different people understand God on Earth. They considered these representations when creating their own artwork and talked about why putting ideas about God into words and pictures is challenging. (Christian, Hindu and Muslim worldviews.)
Year 2
Why do we need to give thanks?
Using a range of sources including survey data, the children learned about beliefs around using offerings to show gratitude. They explored artefacts used during puja and wrote their own lyrics for a song of thanks. (Hindu, Christian and Humanist worldviews.)
What do candles mean to people?
By investigating the many ways light is used in religious and worldview contexts, the children explored different festivals through artwork and stories, focusing on candles. They used natural resources to create advent wreaths and explored different hanukkiah to develop their understanding of the symbolism of candles during Hanukkah. (Christian, Hindu and Jewish worldviews.)
Year 3
What makes us human?
Exploring ideas about spirituality, inner self and the soul, the children interpreted and used art to express beliefs about the soul and inner self. They also designed a book cover and blurb for a book called ‘What makes us human?’ (Hindu, Christian, Buddhist and Humanist worldviews.)
Where do we get our morals from?
Reflecting on why people make choices about how to live a good life, the children considered their views on what is right and wrong. They investigated how some Jewish people use a tallit to help them remember guidance and explored objects that others may use in a similar way. Year 3 wrote their own moral code mini-book inspired by their learning. (Christian/Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu and Humanist worldviews.)
Year 4
Are all religions equal?
Exploring the origins of religions, the children explored geographical and historical links and connections between some religions. They also investigated Sikh and Bahá’í beliefs and practices that reflect unity and equality to plan a poster or slide show for World Religion Day.(Bahá’í, Sikh and Hindu worldviews.)
What makes some text sacred?
Building on enquiry about the place of scripture in year 3, the children looked at different ways scriptures are used and what this shows about the value placed on them. They experienced how the Guru Granth Sahib is treated like royalty and analysed information collaboratively.(Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist and locally represented worldviews.)
Year 5
Why do people have to stand up for what they believe in?
Thinking about religious freedom, children used historical and modern-day examples of people, such as Guy Fawkes, who have fought for their beliefs. They also used debate and critical analysis activities to discuss controversial issues. (Christian, Muslim and Sikh worldviews.)
Why doesn’t Christianity always look the same?
Thinking first as geographers and historians, the children explored the spread of Christian beliefs worldwide. Through looking at artwork, history, case studies and first-hand accounts, they investigated why, when their fundamental beliefs are the same, Christian worship looks so different in the UK and across the world. They created freeze frames and breaking news articles as people from the past. (Christian worldview.)
Year 6
Why does religion look different around the world? (part 1)
Building on comparisons about the origins of the Abrahamic religions, the year 6 children discovered how some religious practices are observed. They considered how culture, tradition, migration and interpretation can affect how someone practices their religion. (Jewish, Muslim and Christian worldviews.)
Why does religion look different around the world? (part 2)
Building on their learning in part 1, the children considered how interpretation can change how people practise their religion and worldview. They thought about the influence culture, history, geography and tradition have on how religion looks in different places and challenge their perceptions. After exploring why there are different Buddhist schools, they compared a range of practices by experiencing some of them in the classroom. (Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain worldviews.)