Religious Education

RE is a non-statutory subject, however the school as referred to the Department for Education’s guidance on this and developed a curriculum for RE that aims to ensure that all pupils:

• provokes challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs, the self, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human. It develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions, and religious traditions that examine these questions, fostering personal reflection and spiritual development

• encourages pupils to explore their own beliefs (whether they are religious or non-religious), in the light of what they learn, as they examine issues of religious belief and faith and how these impact on personal, institutional and social ethics; and to express their responses. This also builds resilience to anti-democratic or extremist narratives

• enables pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging, which helps them flourish within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society

• teaches pupils to develop respect for others, including people with different faiths and beliefs, and helps to challenge prejudice

• prompts pupils to consider their responsibilities to themselves and to others, and to explore how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society. It encourages empathy, generosity and compassion.

We use RE Discovery scheme of work here at Bedford Drive. It is an enquiry based curriculum. Christianity is taught in every year group, with Christmas and Easter given new treatment each year, developing the learning in a progressive way. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism are also covered. Humanist perspectives are added when appropriate in some enquiries.

Our lessons also encompass SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) development, help our children with knowledge and understanding which can lead to tolerance and respect for others and their beliefs through British Values and also include mindfulness techniques which helps to support our children’s personal spiritual development.

We would like to share our work and learning from Summer Term 2023

Year 1

In Year 1, we have been exploring the religion of Judaism. We have looked at the key festivals of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah and how Jewish families celebrate Shabbat. We discussed traditions and the role different family members play during these occasions. We have also considered the importance of forgiveness and what we want to achieve in the future.

Year 2

In Year 2, the children have been learning about Islam. They have enjoyed finding out about the Five Pillars of Islam and what they mean to Muslim people. They thought about special journeys and associated feelings and preparations for a special journey.

Year 4

During the summer term, we revisited our knowledge of Buddhism. We consolidated our learning about the Bhudda’s teachings of how to lead a good life, with a specific focus on the Noble 8 fold path that all Bhuddists try to follow. We had many insightful discussions about how best we could lead a good life and what lessons we could learn from the teachings of the Buddha. We then revisited Christianity and discussed whether Christians need to go to church in order to show they are Christians. We also explored the importance of baptism and marriage to Christians.

Year 5

In Year 5, we have continued to explore the religion of Hinduism. We have looked at Samsara, karma and Moksha. We have learnt all about karma, samara and Moksha. We have discussed reincarnation and how people can have good and bad karma. To help us understand this we devised a Moksha game of snakes and ladders. We had to think about both positive and negative karma and what this might look like in our daily lives.

Year 6

During the summer term, Year 6 have been exploring the question: Does belief in life after death help Muslims live a better life? We began be looking at motivation and what drives us to behave in the way that we do. We then looked at what it means to lead a good life, whether everyone can lead a good life and why it might be hard for Muslims to always lead a good life. We discussed what Muslims believe will happen after they die and how their belief in life after death motivates them to live a more righteous life.

We would like to share our work and learning from Spring Term 2023

Foundation 1

This term Foundation 1 have been learning about Celebrations in R.E. The children enjoyed finding out about Holi; the festival of Spring, Love and Colours in Hinduism. They used oil pastels and powder paint to explore colour and make their own Holi artwork.

Foundation 2

During our R.E lessons Foundation 2 have been learning about people who help us in the community. We have also been learning all about Spring and new life. 

Year 1

This term Year 1 have listened to some Bible stories and thought about how we treat special people. The children also thought about what makes a special friend and they know that Jesus is a special friend to them. The children linked this to the Easter story and thought about why Jesus was treated as a King when he arrived on Palm Sunday. Year 1 enjoyed using drama, freeze frames and Art to share their understanding and opinion.

Year 2

Year 3

During Spring 1, Year 3 learnt about Jesus’ miracles and we discussed if Jesus really did heal people or if there could be another explanation. Children thought about what they do when they feel poorly and we listened to the Bible story ‘Jesus heals a sick woman’ and the story of ‘The Paralysed Man’. Our learning focussed on what is a miracle and what Christian believe happened. Children also thought about and discussed what they think happened to the poorly people in the Bible stories we heard. In Spring 2, children were asked ‘What is good about Good Friday?’ During this unit of work, children learnt about Holy Week and that Christians today often believe that the day is called Good Friday because Jesus died so that everyone could be forgiven for the things they had done wrong. This means that it's the forgiveness that's good, not Jesus's death.

Year 4

This term in RE, we began by returning to Buddhism and revisited story of the Buddha and the 8 fold path. We then learned about the Three Marks of Existence Anicca (impermanence), Dukkha (dissatisfaction) and Anatta (no soul) and how Buddhists see these in the world around them. Finally, we learned about what Buddhists believe cause suffering in the world, and how they can help alleviate it by accepting and acknowledging that greed and selfishness lead to resentment and sadness.

We then looked at Christianity, and asked whether or not it is possible for Christians to always forgive others. We learned about stories from the bible where Jesus forgave others, and how often he preached his message of forgiveness. We analysed parables, such as the ungrateful servant, and then learned the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus specifically asked his followers to forgive others so that they may be forgiven in turn.

Year 5

This term in RE we have continued to explore the Hindu religion. We investigated how we all have different sides and how different Hindu gods have different meanings.  We have looked at the many different Gods in the Hinduism as well as revisiting the Trimurti. In Spring 2 we have looked at the Easter Story and discussed whether God intended Jesus to die and as part of this topic we were able to visit the local church to take part in an Easter experience where were we able to discover more about the Easter story.

Year 6

In RE this term we have covered two units, our first unit aimed to answer the question: Is anything ever eternal? Through this work, the children explored the meaning of eternity, the role of eternity in religion and the connection between eternity and marriage. Our other unit focused answering the question: Is Christianity still a strong religion 2000 years after Jesus was on earth? During this work the children explored significant people who have influenced both themselves and the world, Christian festivals and the symbols associated with them and how Christianity is represented in a 21st Century Britain before drawing their own conclusion about whether Christianity is still relevant to a modern Britain.

We would like to share our work and learning from Autumn Term 2022

Foundation 1

Foundation 2

Year 1

During our Autumn Term Year 1 have been studying Christianity. The children have been considering the question ‘Does God want Christians to look after the world.’ The children had great fun retelling the Creation Story.

Year 2

During Autumn 1, Children looked at Christianity by asking the question ‘Is it possible to be kind to everyone all the time?’  The children discussed when they had been kind to others, The Good Samaritan and what it means to be kind and what qualities to look for in a kind friend.

During Autumn 2, children looked at Christianity by asking the question ‘Why do Christians believe God gave Jesus to the world?’ The children discussed how they can save the world and how they can show love to the world.

Year 3

During Autumn 1 children looked at Sikhism through the topic Does joining the Khalsa make a person a better Sikh? Children explored the 5 K’s of Sikhism and thought about what is important in their lives and made a bracelet to show it.

During Autumn 2 children were asked Has Christmas lost its meaning? Children explored the traditional Christian symbols of Christmas. Children listened to the Christmas Story and identified the significance of key symbols to Christianity

Year 4

During Autumn 1, Children learned about Buddhism by asking the question: ‘Can we always be happy?’ Children were introduced to the story of Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who devoted his life to helping others after he saw suffering. We learned about the 8 Step Path and the Dharma Wheel and discussed which of these steps we felt were the most important to ensuring happiness.

In Autumn 2, we looked at Christianity and enquired: ‘What is the most significant part of the nativity for Christians today?’ We began by looking at the meanings behind many of the common symbols we associate with Christmas and explored their religious significance. We then looked at the Christingle and what the represents, before we made our own. We concluded by looking at what we believe the most important part of the nativity is.

Year 5

During Autumn 1,  children learned about Hinduism by asking the question “What is the best way for a Hindu to show commitment to God.” We have learnt about Brahman and the gods of Hinduism. We have learnt about the puja and how this shows commitment to God as well as how this influences their way of life.

In Autumn 2, we looked at whether the Christmas story was true. We have looked at different Christmas art work that depict the Nativity scene. Children have used passages from the bible to investigate the different accounts to help us reinforce our understanding.

Summer Term

Foundation 1

In F1 the children have been looking at houses from around the world and thinking about what all homes need. They had fun making lots of different houses for Bertie Owl to live in.

The children have also learnt about places of worship. They talked about what a church is and shared experiences of times they had been to church. The enjoyed working in groups to make churches using different construction materials.

As part of ‘The Travelling Suitcase’ project, F1 looked at some beautiful books and artwork from our Year 6 children. They enjoyed the story ‘All are Welcome’ and talked about how we make everyone feel safe and welcome in our class.

 Foundation 2

In F2, the children looked at homes around the world and talked about their own homes. They talked about similarities and differences and whether everyone lived in the same home.

They also took part in a whole school project called ‘The Travelling suitcase’ from our local Mosque. They learnt about refugees and read a story called ‘My name is not refugee’

 Year 1

In Year 1, children have discussed how important Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are to Jewish children. They talked about favourite times and shared reasons why. They have discussed Shabbat and what Jewish children do during this time.

They also were lucky to attend our Jubilee assembly with Rev.Eunice and learnt about her life and how important the church was to her.

 Year 2

In Year 2, The children have been learning about Islam. They have enjoyed finding out about the Five Pillars of Islam and what they mean to Muslim people. They thought about special journeys and associated feelings and preparations for a special journey,

The children also took part in The Travelling Suitcase project and enjoyed sharing the welcome art designed by our Y6 children. They talked about how it would feel to be a refugee and how we could welcome people into our school.

 Year 3

In Year 3 the children have enjoyed learning about Sikhism this term. Based around the concept of sharing, the children have learnt how Sikh’s beliefs affect their way of life.  The children found out about the 5 Ks of Sikhism. They have also considered what the word commitment means and thought about if they show commitment in their everyday lives.

Year 4

In Year 4, the children have revisited Christian places of worship, discussing the features of a church and the activities that may take place there.  They considered the question of whether or not Christians needed to go to church to pray or not. They also enjoyed learning about Buddhism and what they believe is the best way to live their lives. They discussed the Noble Eightfold Path and how Buddhists follow this to know which choices are good.

Year 5

The children in Year 5 have discussed how Christians show their commitment to God and whether there is a best way. They thought of many ways this happens and tried to decide if there was a ‘best way’ and ranked the ways.  We have also looked at famous Christians who have showed their devotion to God

Year 6

This term, Year 6 have been learning about actions and how some people believe they can have consequences for our afterlife. They focused on the Muslim faith and what Muslims can do to ensure that they are 'good'. They revisited Autumn learning about the 5 pillars of Islam and then explained how these can show goodness and commitment to God. Then they debated whether or not certain actions (such as war) can ever be for a good cause. This unit promoted lots of interesting and pertinent discussions from our Year Sixes.

Spring Term

Foundation 1

Foundation have been thinking about how people celebrate this term. They talked about New Year celebrations and then learnt about Chinese New Year too. They watched videos of all the different activities and even got to be Chinese dragons!

As the seasons changed, Foundation thought about the different signs of Spring and new life. We looked for signs in our garden and even watched as our own tiny caterpillars and seeds changed and grew. This led on to thinking about Easter time and the associated symbols.

Foundation 2

Foundation 2 have been learning about Spring and the different events at Easter time. They discussed images that show Springtime such as bunnies and daffodils and learnt about the Easter story.

Year 1

The children have thought about their enquiry ‘Was it always easy for Jesus to show friendship?’ by thinking about what makes a good friend? They listened to the Bible story’s and thought about how sometimes it might be difficult to show friendship and that Jesus may have felt that way too.

Year 1 also considered why Jesus was welcomed like a King by the crowds on Palm Sunday. They used role play to explore the story and enjoyed taking on different roles. They loved waving their palm leaves to welcome Jesus!

Year 2

This term the children have thought about the importance of prayer for a Muslim and begun to think about why Muslims pray five times a day. They also thought about the word ‘commitment’ and what this means to us.

During this term, the Year 2 children have thought about Jesus’ crucifixion. They have learnt to re tell the Easter story and understand what Jesus’ resurrection means to Christians.

Year 3

The children have thought about miracles in their enquiry this term. They have talked about some things that people believe to be miracles in the world and also discussed what they would like to see happen as a miracle.

Year 3 also enjoyed a visit from our local church to think about the Easter story and discussed what is ‘good’ about Good Friday.

Year 4

In Year 4, the children have been learning about Buddhism and whether the Buddha’s teachings can make the world a better place. They discussed what Buddha taught us about change.

They also discussed ‘Is forgiveness always possible for Christians?’ They thought about how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection teaches Christians about forgiveness. The children also enjoyed a visit from our local church and listened to the Easter story.

Year 5

In Year 5, the children had an enquiry linked to Hinduism this term. They discussed how Hindus believe that Braham can be everywhere and in everything. They learnt the Hindus believe that there is one God with many different aspects. They thought about what makes them unique, what makes them special and shared this with their class.

Year 6

Year 6 really enjoyed discussing their enquiry ‘Is anything ever eternal?’ Their teachers were very impressed with their ideas and mature discussions around this idea. They looked at a range of images and tried to sort them based on what lasts forever. They discussed the meaning of eternal and the question, does love last forever?

Autumn Term

Foundation 1

In Foundation 1, the children brought in photographs of their family to share with their friends. They talked about the people who are special to them, including their new friends! The children were introduced to Jesus and learnt that he was a special friend to lots of people. They listened to the Bible story of Noah’s Ark.

Foundation 2

During Autumn Term, the children thought about special people in their lives and talked about their family. They enjoyed sharing who lives in their home and then went on to think about what makes a friend.

At Christmas, F2 thought about what ‘giving’ means and how it feels to give and receive a present. They talked about The Christmas Story together and learnt the names of the main characters. They had a visit from Reverend George who shared Christmas stories with them and they had the very important job of decorating a Christmas tree for our local Church.

Year 1:

The children began the year by looking at the enquiry ‘Does God want Christians to look after the world?’ They thought about the Creation Story and ways Christians behave towards the environment and nature. Year 1 discussed recycling and how this helps to make our world a better place.

The children also led our Harvest assembly and learnt about what Harvest means. They sang songs to share the message to our school, our parents and the wider community. They welcome Reverend Eunice and Reverend George to enjoy their assembly. They created a beautiful Harvest display in our school hall to celebrate our donations to The Wirral Foodbank charity this year.

Towards Christmas time, the children thought about The Christmas Story and what gifts would be meaningful for Jesus. They enjoyed retelling The Christmas Story by creating a collage and acting out the story in Drama.

Year 2:

Year 2 began the year with the enquiry ‘Is it possible to be kind to everyone all of the time?’ They began by thinking about the qualities of a friend. They looked at Bible stories that show kindness and thought about how Christians behave towards each other.

At Christmas time, Year 2 reflected on the Christmas story and thought about reasons for Jesus’ birth.

Year 3:

In Autumn term, Year 3 children thought about what the true meaning of Christmas is to Christians and compared this to what Christmas means to them. They thought about Christmas traditions, both Christian and Non- Christian and sorted images to help them decide.

Year 4:

The children thought about the enquiry ‘Is it possible for everyone to be happy?’ this term. They learnt about the life of the Buddha and how he tried to be happy and stay happy. They sorted and ordered the story and used a Padlet to share their learning.

They also learnt about symbolism in the Christmas Story, focusing on the Christingle.

Year 5:

During Autumn Term, the children thought about the best way for a Hindu to show commitment to God, considering if there is a best way to do this.

They then thought about the Christmas story, looking at how stories can be shown in different ways. The children used the Gospels of Luke and Matthew as sources of information to compare and contrast viewpoints. They also enjoyed a Christmas assembly with Reverend George.

Year 6:

This term Year 6 children have thought about the enquiry ‘What is the best way for a Muslim to show commitment to God?’ They produced some excellent cross curricular writing to show their findings. They also enjoyed an assembly based on Remembrance Sunday and discussed the importance of this special day with our local vicars.

At Christmas time, the children listened to The Christmas Story and used puppets to retell the story. They talked about how it felt to receive a gift and what grateful means. They sang Christmas songs and performed for a recording for their families.

There are a number of ways that you can support with your childs learning at home in RE, please click here to look at the suggestions that Mrs Smith has made for you.

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zxnygk7  Have a look at the BBC website. There are clips, games and activities for all main religions that we learn about in school.

www.topmarks.co.uk/Interactive.aspx?cat=111 A variety of stories, animations and interesting information.

www.uri.org/kids/world-religions

At Bedford Drive Primary School, we have constructed an ambitious Science curriculum, which follows the content of the EYFS statutory framework and the National Curriculum. These documents, along with our school policy, are available below.