This story is one of a collection of stories from RE Today. Each story is available as a one-page pdf downloadable at the point of sale, free of charge. Each story is accompanied by Key Questions for pupils, or Activities for working with the story in the classroom; main themes covered by each story are identified. THEMES: The power of Islam to change people’s lives; courage to stand up against prejudice; the call to prayer; standing up for what you believe in

This story is one of a collection of stories from RE Today. Each story is available as a one-page pdf downloadable at the point of sale, free of charge. Each story is accompanied by Key Questions for pupils, or Activities for working with the story in the classroom; main themes covered by each story are identified. THEMES: change; God; service; Sewa; Simran

Our RE Today Catalogue has gone digital! As a Secondary RE teacher, you can now access all our high-quality classroom resources and browse our best-selling online CPD courses and webinars at your fingertips, all fully indexed by major world faiths, and non-religious worldviews in RE. From best-selling RE classroom resources to new publications, our NEW digital catalogue has everything you need to support RE at your school

This story is one of a collection of stories from RE Today. Each story is available as a one-page pdf downloadable at the point of sale, free of charge. Each story is accompanied by Key Questions for pupils, or Activities for working with the story in the classroom; main themes covered by each story are identified. THEMES: generosity; charity; giving

For many years, assessment in RE was fairly settled. As with other foundation and core curriculum subjects, we used levels to assess pupils’ progress. We reflected the developments of these subjects within our agreed syllabuses and other resources, using the same terms from ‘assessment gurus’ such as Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam.1 We tried not to stand outside the crowd, so that we did not cause problems for teachers. When levels were removed by the government, RE held onto them longer than other subjects in some places and school types. Now, for most schools, the time to find alternatives to assessment using the eight-level scale is long overdue. Schools have spent the last few years trying out different systems for core and foundation subjects, a search for clarity that has been paralleled in RE. This book is designed to support head teachers, senior leaders, heads of RE, subject leaders and classroom teachers in reflecting on the different practices that are being used around the country in the search for assessment solutions in RE. It starts with a brief look at the general issues around assessment in RE before focusing on assessing RE in primary and then secondary schools. The book presents examples of legitimate and viable practice, written in the main by classroom practitioners, supplemented with a few chapters by those who work closely with schools or have trialled ideas in schools. It is not presenting one of these as the correct model. Instead, it offers you some different teacher experiences so you can consider whether aspects of these would work in your school, or perhaps provide some alternative options. Everyone who has contributed to this book has suggested their ideas or practices for perusal – without claiming they are perfect – in the hope that they might be helpful. Assessment in general, and certainly in RE, is not ‘settled’ yet. There will undoubtedly be more changes in both RE and assessment, but we think the examples represented here will offer much to the teacher now and in the future.

This compilation of over 40 vibrant, real-life examples of pupils’ achievement in RE is designed to give teachers and leaders of RE confidence in describing the impacts of their teaching and enable them to reflect on and refine their own practice. The examples are by pupils of vastly different ability, and we have taken much care to include a variety of themes and religions in the examples we have chosen. While some emphasise the development of disciplinary knowledge in RE, others are based around pupils personal engagement and creative expression. What all examples have in common is that they show how teachers can give all pupils opportunities for authentic engagement, deep thinking and genuine development of knowledge and skills in RE.

This book focuses on some of the things that are important to more than 800,000 Hindus in Britain today. Many Hindus use the term ‘Sanatan Dharma’ (‘eternal way’), to describe something of the all-encompassing nature of living a Hindu way of life. Hinduism is probably the oldest world religion, with its roots in the Indus Valley civilisation. Diversity plays a major part within Hinduism. Therefore, beliefs and practices vary according to the believer’s geographical links, cultural traditions, philosophy and foci for devotion. We open with ‘Ready Steady RE’, offering starter ideas on a variety of subjects, ranging from Hindu beliefs about a supreme being to festivals and charity. It includes a signpost to other units in our publications that might be of use. The units in this book begin with concrete learning on Aum or Om, the first sound of the universe according to Hindus. Next we look at rita, the concept of the natural order of everything in the universe. Hindus need to work out their dharma, religious duty, within this natural order. The ideas of dharma and rita are explored through story, a series of cogs and a look at environmental choices. One of our everpopular big pictures on worship at a home shrine and at a business shrine allows pupils to explore how, why and where Hindus worship. The story of Rama and Sita is often told in primary schools, but this unit looks at the multiple meanings of the epic tale and explores it from the point of view of different characters in the story, which features in two key Hindu festivals: Navratri and Diwali. Next, our oldest pupils explore Hindu ideas on the cycle of life and the purposes of life. The book ends with a progression grid on learning about Hindus. Please note that members can now download a digital copy of each unit, allowing you to save it in year-group or module files on your school’s internal electronic storage system. On the NATRE website you can now access many more resources from earlier curriculum publications using your membership log-in. Do let us know which of these activities you use in your school, as we love to see examples of pupil work

This book explores living without God, which is what millions of people in Britain do every day. In it we refer to these people as ‘non-religious’. Many of the terms used in this area are slightly awkward as some non-religious people don’t like to be referred to using a term like ‘atheist’, and don’t consider it a word that defines a way of life or worldview. We have given specific examples of practice focusing particularly on Humanists, but also use examples of people who would not categorise themselves as Humanists. The study of non-religious people often differs from the study of religions. It’s a worldview without a holy text or founding figure, with no religious festivals, compulsory rituals, places or objects of worship, prayers, hymns or structures of authority. Teaching about non-religious people means it’s important to look at philosophical questions. Some people take their non-religious views further and identify as Humanists. Many non-religious people consider their beliefs to be ‘lived beliefs’, affecting the way they live their life. The section ‘Ready Steady RE’ suggests starters, and at the end of the book we offer some dos and don’ts for teaching about non-religious worldviews. For our youngest children we look at a baby-welcoming ceremony, using photos, comments and readings from those involved, providing a unique insight into an authentic ceremony. Two stories exploring the non-religious values of rationality, courage and openheartedness form the second focus for 7-andunders. For 7–9s we use the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights to look at four non-religious charities. There are different reasons for not accepting the idea of God, and different levels of commitment to belief and nonbelief. We have provided a scale of belief and nonbelief for 8–11s, to help them see that the picture is complex. Fittingly perhaps, the book concludes with non-religious views about death, using a series of quotes and readings and strategies such as silent debate and talking circles to ensure this topic is dealt with sensitively

This book contains a wide range of teaching ideas that will develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding about Sikhs and Sikhism, the world’s fifth largest religion. ‘Sikhism’ is a Western word that is being used less frequently by British Sikhs, many of whom prefer the word ‘Sikhi’; you will find both terms used in this book. For our younger pupils there are plenty of opportunities for learning interactively about the gurdwara and finding out about the significance of the Guru Granth Sahib. Three stories about Guru Nanak are introduced with activities to help pupils focus on their meaning to Sikh people and the impact of these stories on the lives of Sikhs. Whilst most Sikhs live in India, approximately three million live in other countries, with the UK being home to the third-highest population of Sikhs in the world. In this book we have collected and shared the voices of a number of Sikh youngsters to enable pupils to think about what it means to be a Sikh in Britain today. We are aware that many teachers focus on the concept of sewa (selfless service) when teaching about Sikhs, but it can be hard to find lesson ideas above and beyond sewa in the langar (community kitchen), so we have provided you with a variety of other examples to use with older pupils. There is also a focus on what it means to become a member of the Khalsa. Our double-page spread ‘Ready Steady RE’ gives you a variety of additional ideas for teaching about Sikhs, and you will find some extra handy ‘dos and don’ts’ on the final page. This book is supported by some great eResources, so please do check them out at www.natre.org.uk/ inspiring-re/ whilst you are planning your RE lessons. We hope that this book inspires you and your class to do some great teaching and learning about Sikhs. Please do share any examples of pupils’ work with us as we always love to see them.

It is always a huge challenge to present a rich and diverse religious tradition in 33 pages. Inevitably much is omitted, and the selection has the potential to distort the reality. Here we have tried to present a broad and balanced picture of Jewish thinking and living, representative although not comprehensive, providing authentic, first-hand resources to use in the classroom. Our focus on Jews rather than Judaism seeks to avoid any essentialising of Jewish belief and practice. It enables us to show something of the diversity of voices within Jewish communities, e.g. the everyday lives of teenagers (pp. 10–13) and festival practice with representatives from Orthodox and Progressive communities (pp. 8–9 and 18–23). We deal with some essential knowledge on branches of Judaism (pp. 4–5), key texts (pp. 6–7) and prayer (pp. 8–9). It is important for students to have opportunities to consider the nuances around issues of controversy. Resources from the Jewish Museum London help teachers to identify how far students are susceptible to the myths and stereotypes around Jews and money (pp. 14–15). Students are helped to approach the political relationship between Israel and Palestine through the efforts by Jewish grandmothers to bring justice at the border wall (pp. 24–29). Our previous publication on Judaism was called Questions: Jewish people. We have considered the use of the term ‘Jew’ in the classroom context and recognise that for some it is a sensitive issue. We have decided to go with the title, Examining Religion and Belief: Jews as an attempt towards reclaiming the term for the classroom. Teachers will need to handle this with awareness and care. We hope that through encountering and engaging with Jewish voices, students can deepen their understanding of the world and reflect on how they make sense of their own place within it. This resource aims to enable personal reflection as well as to develop religious literacy

This is the third systematic book in this series, and it looks at what being a Christian really means to some of the approximately 33 million self-identified Christians* living in Britain today (59 per cent of Britons) and 2.3 billion Christians** around the world (31 per cent of the global population). The section ‘Ready Steady RE’ suggests an amazing variety of starters, resources and short ideas for teaching about Christians, involving everything from Christian diversity and the Reformation to spirited play. For our youngest children we look at the birth of Jesus and incarnation. The Lord’s Prayer is explored interactively through art, music, discussion and writing using one of our everpopular double-page pictures for 5–7s. The topic of Easter across the globe, focusing on the meaning of celebrations on three continents, provides teaching across the age range, but we come back to the UK to consider how Christians Dorothy, 10, and Jack, 8, decide how to live their lives. They focus on the Beatitudes and we see photos and snippets of their daily lives, looking at things that are important to them, such as prayer; actions that they have taken while looking after their friend; and decisions they have made, and why. For 9–11s we focus on kingdom parables, using strategies to explore three aspects of them: the world behind the stories, their text, and how they affect readers. We finish the book with a page of particular benefit for those at the beginning of their teaching about Christians: dos and don’ts. Please let us know which of these activities you use in your school; we love to see examples of pupil work. Please note that members can now download an electronic copy of each unit, allowing you to save it in year group or module files on your school’s internal electronic storage system

Inspirational people can be named as such because of their actions, the effects they have had on their locality, people or the wider world, or just because of who they are. They are often motivated by beliefs, religious or otherwise. The people featured in this book are many and varied, religious and non-religious, contemporary and from long ago. When studying inspirational people we often look at three categories. We have included people from each of these categories in our book: Religious figures (leaders, messengers or prophets) connected with the origin of the religion, such as Jesus, Guru Nanak and the Prophet Muhammad. A religious leader – past or present, local, national or international, such as a local vicar, the Queen or Rabbi Julia Neuberger. People who put their beliefs into action in the way they live, from small things such as thanking God for sporting talent to letting those beliefs affect the direction their whole life has taken. In this category we have included vignettes of contemporary people such as Jo Cox, Christine Ohuruogu and Malala Yousafzai, and longer units on others such as Dr Hany El Banna, who began the British charity Islamic Aid. The units in this book provide resources for studying people from a range of religions and non-religious worldviews, with substantial teaching suggestions for work in teaching about Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Jewish people. In our new section ‘Ready Steady RE’ we offer some starters for teaching about inspirational people, and vignettes of a variety of people you may want to share with your pupils. At the end of the book we also suggest dos and don’ts when teaching about inspirational people. In putting together this book we have tried hard to show diversity in the people we have featured. Inevitably we have not managed to represent all groups, but it is important to look at the people you are suggesting who some find to be inspirational to ensure that they are not only old, white, male and dead! Please note that members can now download an electronic copy of each unit, allowing you to save it in year group or module files on your school’s internal electronic storage system

This is the second volume of this series to explore Muslim believing, expressing and living. As with the first volume, we aim to provide authentic, first-hand resources to use in the classroom. Our focus on ‘Muslims’ rather than ‘Islam’ seeks to avoid any essentialising of Muslim belief and practice, allowing for a close examination of particular beliefs (e.g. angels, pp. 12–13) and attitudes (e.g. towards animals, pp. 14–15), and also opening up something of the diversity of Muslim voices (e.g. of teenagers, pp. 8–11; on being Sufi, pp. 6–7; and the vibrant art of Teakster, pp. 32–33). We are aware that certain topics present difficulties for students as they face examination demands. One of these areas is on the relationship between Sunni and Shi’a Islam. In the first book of this series we produced a resource on what is held in common and what is distinctively Sunni and Shi’a. In this book we have opened up the origins of the divide, rooted in the succession to Prophet Muhammad (see pp. 4–5). Each resource page offers some suggestions to get your students thinking. Two longer articles give ideas for more sustained study: examining what goes on at the mosque (for 11–14s, pp. 18–23) and how Muslims practise charity (for 14–16s, pp. 25–29). Through engaging with and encountering Muslim voices, students can deepen their understanding of the world and reflect on how they make sense of their own place within it. This resource aims to enable personal reflection as well as to develop religious literacy

I once heard Zen Buddhist Master, Thich Nhat Hahn, talking at the Houses of Parliament. The talk was followed by a ‘walking meditation’ in a small garden behind. We followed Thich Nhat Hahn (addressed as ‘Thay’ by those in his community), a few slow steps at a time: breathing in (two steps: I have arrived in the here and now) and out (three steps: I am at home in this beautiful mother Earth, gaining nourishment and restoration). Assaulted as we were by the noise and fumes of traffic from Parliament Square, and watched with bemusement by tourists and armed police on duty, it was a memorable experience. It made me reflect on how Buddhists have applied their ancient teachings and practices to the busy contemporary world. For many people, the Dharma seems well suited to address the many stresses and obstacles to happiness that occupy our twenty-first-century lives. This book is called ‘Buddhists’ rather than ‘Buddhism’, offering snapshots of Buddhist thought and practice alongside some pages that offer some context, rather than trying to present a coherent overview of a religion. It deals in particular with the interface between the Dharma and today’s world, providing original source material and contemporary voices, recognising and identifying a diversity of views, controversies and complexity. We give some resources on the core teachings and texts (pp. 4–7) and an introduction to the spread and diversity of Buddhist traditions. We have tried to enrich the encounter your students have by including interviews with lay and ordained Buddhists (pp. 8–12, 18–25), looking at the contemporary art of Gonkar Gyatso (p. 3), exploring some statistics on Buddhists in the UK and the world (pp. 16–17), inviting some top academics to give their scholarly views (pp. 13–14, 32–33) and preparing your students for examination study on the complexities of the arhat and Bodhisattva paths (pp. 23–31). Thoughtful activities accompany these resources. They are intended to encourage you to make flexible use of them, helping your students deepen their understanding of the Buddha’s path and Buddhist practices, and to get them thinking for themselves about the relationship between suffering, happiness and the modern world

For many years, RE teachers have included non-religious voices within the classroom, not least because many of the students we teach have no particular religious background or affiliation. More recently, the need to see non-religious beliefs as a focus of study has increased. The wider context includes a significant increase of ‘nones’ (those identifying with no religion); the ‘spiritual but not religious’; those signing up as humanists; and those who are indifferent to religion. This book offers ways of examining non-religious beliefs in the classroom. The book reflects on ways in which atheism is delineated by things in which atheists do not believe (see pp. 18–29). While there have probably been sceptical, naturalistic attitudes to religious beliefs throughout history, this ‘negative atheism’ has largely arisen as a reaction against traditional Western theism. However, the book also explores some of the positive ways of living that are embraced by people living ‘post-Christian’ or post-religious lives, such as those who are active humanists (pp. 12–15). The borders between different voices are not clear, however (pp. 2–3 and 4–5). There are religious people who would see themselves as both secular (not wishing to see religious beliefs privileged in the public sphere) and humanist (valuing humanity, reason and making this life count). As research shows, there are many who identify themselves as atheists or non-religious who maintain beliefs that would usually be regarded as religious (e.g. in heaven or the soul). Doctor Lois Lee’s research project (see pp. 6–7) talks about ‘hybrid configurations’, where an individual holds a mixture of materialist, agnostic and religious views. Original source material and contemporary voices are accompanied by thoughtful and creative ways of using the material, in order to enable students to extend their knowledge and understanding and to reflect deeply on their own ideas and responses

This book explores the beliefs, practices, traditions, values and identities of Sikhs. It is representative rather than comprehensive, exploring a selection of key aspects of a Sikh way of life (or Gurmat – ‘the teachings of the Guru’). We use the term Sikhism, as the term commonly used in RE, although one that is sometimes contested and seen by some as a Western imposition onto the tradition. We also refer at times to Sikhi, a term preferred by many Sikhs, to show that the faith is not just a system of belief but a path to follow. The term ‘Sikh’ comes from sikhna, ‘to learn’, so a Sikh is a learner. We have sought authentic resources to introduce students to Sikhi, including voices of Sikhs in the UK today (see, for example, pp. 5, 6, 15, 27–29) and explorations of the Guru Granth Sahib – seen as the living Guru, a living voice rather than a lifeless text (e.g. pp. 8–11, 30–31). The place and identity of Sikhs in the UK have specific contexts, of course. This is examined in the art of the Singh Twins, setting their own identities within the story of their father’s (see pp. 12–13). The account of Gurinder Chadha reflects a similar story (p. 15). The difference between online perceptions of Sikhs (as turban-wearing and amritdhari – initiated, Khalsa Sikhs) and the more diverse reality is considered in a number of places (e.g. pp. 14–15, 18–23 and in the infographic on pp. 16–17). So – we offer a snapshot of Sikhs and Sikh living, presented alongside a range of creative and engaging ways to explore Sikhi in the classroom, to get your students to think hard and learn lots

Welcome to the fourth book in our curriculum series Big Questions, Big Answers. This book focuses on worship, a central activity in most religious worldviews. The theme of worship is a basis for exploration of beliefs and values. Many children will not have encountered or engaged in worship within a religious community, however they will be aware of the idea of holding something in high honour or being devoted to something. This book offers clear substantive content about the practice of worship for Christians, Jews and Muslims, and focuses on celebrations and worship in new year festivals such as Diwali and Rosh Hashanah. The units and resources focus on Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim worldviews, and we concentrate on the nonreligious celebrations at new year. For younger children we explore worship through the eyes of Grace and Imran. We were really pleased to have the support of Ellie Olmer, Rabbi Alex Chapper and the Revd Jenny Ridge to provide contemporary images of worship in a church and a synagogue. Our multidisciplinary or, touse Ofsted language, ‘ways of knowing’ unit for 8–11s reintroduces religious studies and psychology with our disciplinary experts Dr Chris Cotter and Dr Carissa Sharp. In this unit, pupils study prayer in Christianity, Islam and the Hindu Dharma, find out some data on how many people pray regularly, learn what religious traditions teach, look at some prayers from three traditions, and compare the differences between more formal, public, community prayers and the practice of personal prayer. We look through the lens of psychology at whether there are common ways of describing the nature of personal prayer across religious traditions. We continue to expand the digital offerings for our books – do go to the website and look for the many extras. We would love to see examples of pupil work to share with others – do send us some examples

This is the third in our series applying different disciplines to the content of RE. It examines theology and natural sciences, focusing on the contributions of both of those disciplines to our thinking about the natural world. The resource offers clear accounts of those two disciplines, with Investigator Files written by our experts, Dr Alexander Hall (environmental science, pp. 22–23) and Dr Simeon Zahl (theology – Resource 4.1 online). It provides case studies from four environmental charities, including secular and Sikh examples (pp. 4–7). The book includes eight perspectives on the relationship between humans and nature – voices from atheist Humanist via Buddhist and Pagan to ethical vegan (pp. 8–11 and Resource 3.3 online) The creation account in Genesis has been influential in western thought and we examine it in some detail, offering perspectives from the first to the twenty-first centuries (pp. 16–19), and exploring concepts of dominion and stewardship (pp. 14–15). Practical scenarios on rising sea levels alert students to the work of environmental science (pp. 28–31 and Resource 9.3 online). Students bring their theological learning to bear as they consider the extent that science can guide on what choices to take, once the data is in. Students use nature documentaries to analyse the potentially prophetic role of popular science and scientists (pp. 32–33) The focus on the environment is important, not least because climate change is such a pressing existential crisis, of great concern to students. This resource supports students’ learning about religious attitudes towards and responses to the environment; it offers clarity on how theological and scientific knowledge differ and relate; and it encourages students to reflect on how their own personal worldviews affect their ways of seeing and responding to the natural world.

We begin a new series as part of the Big Questions in Classrooms programme, funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. The series is called ‘Challenging Knowledge in RE’, and the purpose is to support teachers and students in investigating how knowledge is created in different disciplines, and in helping students perceive the value of different kinds of questions, methods and explanations used to understand big questions. This new series explores some of the substantive knowledge often encountered in RE, in this case around the idea of God. It looks to provide creative, thoughtful and practical ideas to enrich students’ understanding. The new focus for the series is to increase students’ disciplinary knowledge too. As we encounter the world, we can explore it using different disciplines and methods. These disciplines then generate knowledge. The knowledge we encounter depends on what we are looking for and how we look. In this volume, we are focusing on the kinds of questions, methods and findings that are opened up by the disciplines of theology and psychology. Of course, both these disciplines are complex, containing within them many other subdisciplines, so we will only be able to do some preliminary study, exploring a limited range of questions and methods. Our intention is to outline the broad processes so that students have enough disciplinary knowledge to carry out their own (rudimentary) investigations. We introduce students to our resident experts, Dr Carissa Sharp and Dr Simeon Zahl, and invite students to become investigators themselves. In so doing, they are encouraged to evaluate the methods and answers, as well as reflect on their own position and the impact it has on their understanding and responses.

This story is one of a collection of stories from RE Today. Each story is available as a one-page pdf downloadable at the point of sale, free of charge. Each story is accompanied by Key Questions for pupils, or Activities for working with the story in the classroom; main themes covered by each story are identified THEMES: feeling ashamed; saying sorry; being forgiven; changed character