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Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust
Proud to be a member of the
Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust

Religious Education



Religious Education Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Enter the Spirited Arts competition - this runs in July every year.
  • Challenge themselves by completing the additional homework projects available for each unit of work.
  • Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
  • Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during R.E. lessons.
  • Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
  • Try to make links to religious scripture in their class work.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of religion within any national newspapers.
  • Students could keep a 'Religion in the news' scrapbook - printing off or cutting out any stories they hear about that are related to religion.

The following texts may be of interest:

  • The Chronicles of Narnia - C S Lewis.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne.
  • The Philosophy Files - Stephen Law.
  • Read extracts from sacred texts such as The Bible, all of which can be accessed on the internet.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

www.christianaid.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/religion
www.humanism.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/education
www.amnesty.org
www.churchofengland.org

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

  • The Big Questions - Sunday mornings on BBC One.
  • See if you can identify moral/ethical/religious themes within programmes you watch such as soaps and dramas.

Watching films such as:

  • Bruce Almighty/Evan Almighty.
  • The Prince of Egypt.
  • The Chronicles of Narnia.
  • The Miracle Maker.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
  • The Golden Compass.
  • Wall-E.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to religion.
  • Discuss religious events/festivals that are taking place, e.g. discussing Christmas, Diwali, Eid.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to explain their own views on a range of philosophical/ethical issues, but also encourage them to reflect on why others may not share these views.
  • Visit places of religious interest, either locally (e.g. Grimsby Minster, Lincoln Cathedral) or further afield (Stonehenge, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, etc.).
  • When on holiday, take note of religious customs/dress/places of worship - many popular destinations have a lot to offer in terms of deepening understanding of religion.
  • Look for evidence of religion where you might not expect to find it, e.g. in an art gallery, a museum, on the football pitch, etc.

Religious Education Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

  • Attend after Academy revision sessions.
  • Challenge themselves by completing the additional homework projects available for each unit of work.
  • Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
  • Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during R.E. lessons.
  • Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
  • Develop their knowledge of religious scripture beyond the basics covered in lessons.
  • Ask teachers for access to past exam papers/sample questions and answers.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

  • Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of religion within any national newspapers.
  • Students could keep a 'Religion in the News' scrapbook - printing off or cutting out any stories they hear about that are related to religion.

The following texts may be of interest:

  • Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder.
  • The Life of Pi - Yann Martel.
  • The Philosophy Files - Stephen Law.
  • The Book Thief - Markus Zusak.
  • Religious Scripture - e.g. The Bible, Hindu scripture/stories such as the Ramayana.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

www.christianaid.org.uk
www.salvationarmy.org.uk
www.corrymeela.org
www.tearfund.org
www.cafod.org.uk
www.amnesty.org
www.bbc.co.uk/religion
www.humanism.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/education
www.religionfacts.com/hinduism
www.theguardian.com/world/religion
www.churchofengland.org
www.rsrevision.com

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

  • The Big Questions - Sunday mornings on BBC One.
  • Watch documentaries related to ethical issues, e.g. those by Robert Winston, concerning IVF, Trevor MacDonald - Life on Death Row and Life and Death Row.
  • Identify moral and ethical issues such as adultery, divorce, euthanasia, etc within soaps and dramas that you watch.
  • Use BBC iPlayer to watch programmes and documentaries about religion.

Watching films such as:

  • Selma.
  • Gandhi.
  • Jesus of Nazareth.
  • Schindler's List.
  • The Truman Show.
  • Philadelphia.
  • The Colour Purple.
  • The Help.
  • Hotel Rwanda.
  • The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
  • Gattaca.
  • Million Dollar Baby.
  • Philomena.

Additionally, follow people such as the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Dawkins, Church of England, etc. on Twitter.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

  • Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to religion, e.g. Meeting between Pope Francis and Donald Trump.
  • Discuss religious events/festivals that are taking place, e.g. discussing Christmas, Diwali, Eid.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to explain their own views on a range of philosophical/ethical issues, but also encourage them to reflect on why others may not share these views.
  • Visit places of religious interest, either locally (e.g. Grimsby Minster, Lincoln Cathedral) or further afield.
  • When on holiday, take note of religious customs/dress/places of worship - many popular destinations have a lot to offer in terms of deepening understanding of religion.
  • Look for evidence of religion where you might not expect to find it, e.g. in an art gallery, a museum, on the football pitch, etc.