In RE we should not be afraid to tackle life’s most challenging questions, even though this may mean having the courage to sit with uncertainty and feel our way through the half-light. Socrates’ famous idea that the wise man is the man who knows he knows nothing can be a comfort and a spur; acknowledging our ignorance can bring liberation and excitement for student and teacher alike! 
RE sheds light on why other people think and behave as they do. It helps children reflect upon their own ideas and how they relate to those of others. The community-of- enquiry approach (also known as Philosophy for Children) encourages the curiosity and flexibility of thinking that RE requires. Lessons begin with quiet contemplation of a chosen stimulus; this can be a picture, artefact, song … in one of my (very experienced) Year 9 classes, one student even presented themselves as the starting point! Initial responses are then shared in small groups. ‘Big questions’ are inspired by this discussion, and then one is chosen as a focus for the whole class. The children are encouraged to lead the enquiry themselves. Active listening is of the utmost importance, allowing participants to build on shared ideas and ask questions with sensitivity. At the close of the enquiry, children consider how their thinking has developed. This may be shared with the group or explored in an ‘enquiry diary.’ The journey is valued, perhaps more than any lightbulb moments. Aspects of the practice can, of course, be used in other lessons.
Festivals of light abound in the RE curriculum and can provide insight into communities and how they worship God. Once again, careful questioning is important, to check prior knowledge and encourage deeper thinking. Why is light important in these celebrations? How is it used, and why? To what extent is this similar to other festivals? It is important not to assume what children understand. For example, when examining different ways in which Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, my Year 5/6 class agreed that candles are lit on Easter Sunday because ‘Jesus is the Light of the World.’ This is a regular part of our collective worship, so it was to be expected. When asked why Jesus was called this, one child explained it was because Jesus always wore white. We talked about how accurate this might be and why artists often choose to depict Jesus in this manner. We thought about when different forms of light feature in stories about Jesus’ life and what message this could convey. I was so glad that I had not moved the lesson on too quickly.
In a time of environmental crisis, it is vital that RE illuminates not only our ways of thinking about other human beings, but also our ways of thinking about other species. In a recent scheme of work, I wanted my Year 5/6 class to consider how we should treat animals. They had looked briefly at the work of Dr Jane Goodall in their science lessons, so I decided to build upon that prior knowledge. Watching her show how chimpanzees use tools to draw out ants – a delicacy – elicited gasps from the children. They were fascinated by how mother chimps play with their babies and how this influenced Goodall’s attitude to her own son. A boy asked whether chimpanzees might be cleverer than us because they develop tools that get the job done without over- complicating things. This led a girl to wonder whether chimps might be more ‘evolved’ than human beings because they meet their needs without damaging the environment. (This, in turn, fed into our Design Technology project focusing on inventions that could improve the world. Great RE should not be confined to RE lessons!)
All this led us to look at biblical texts with fresh eyes. How might Genesis 1:26–27 be interpreted in light of Goodall’s research? Do these verses speak of dominion, stewardship or something more subtle? Exactly who might Jesus be encouraging us to love as our ‘neighbour’?
In Ephesians, Paul urges Christians ‘to walk in the light.’ For him, as for many others, illumination is not simply about basking in the light, but a call to action. At the moment, the most pressing issue for me is how insights from within the classroom might lead to meaningful change beyond it. Perhaps a way forward is to involve the wider community in our students’ learning, be that by organising events such as a community iftar or interviewing older people for homework. This is an area I am excited to explore.

Rebecca Ostler teaches at a Church of England primary school in Cambridgeshire.