For the classroom
Broadening the mind: using the Solarity philosophy and religion club resource to spark deeper RE learning
Dave Francis has edited a website of new resources to help teachers run out-of-school-hours sessions in religion and philosophy. Having produced 40 sessions for secondary-age students, he has now assembled more than...
BIG Questions about animals and God
A philosophical RE lesson is always good. Kay Pearce, from Cooper’s Edge School, Stroud, Gloucestershire, tried these lesson ideas out with pupils in Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6. The older children made clear...
What is it with donkeys?
If there is an animal close to the nation’s heart, it is surely the donkey. Those in the know reckon donkeys are good-natured, more like a dog than a horse in temperament, intelligent despite their reputation for...
Singing and learning in RE: music matters
‘Duck, bullet, vet’: helping 16–19 students to succeed
"Greg Barker and Kate Blackie have methods to help students doing A levels or Highers to ‘see’ what they can accomplish."
The ‘school gate culture war’ through the lens of worldviews
"From September 2020 relationships and health education will need to be evident on all school timetables, with ‘teaching about LGBT relationships expected in secondary schools and encouraged in primary’ (Lord...
Nelson Mandela: an example in the struggle for global justice and change
Nelson Mandela’s signed Sunday School Card quotes Mark 8:34: 'If anyone wants to follow me, they must give up themselves, pick up their cross and follow.'
Have your cake, and eat it: PSHE and RE
I have taught RE and PSHE for the past 20 (ish) years, but I perhaps should confess that my academic background is in philosophy rather than theology. I have always enjoyed teaching both subjects (and philosophy for...
FriendshipNotFear: symbols and solidarity after the Christchurch mosque attacks
A photo of Andrew Graystone standing guard outside his local mosque in response to the shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, was shared across the world. Here he reflects on the experience. Read the article with your...
Being human: do we have a problem?
Margaret O’Sullivan’s RS short-course GCSE was taken away, so she needed to devise a course made up of a single ‘pure’ RE lesson every two weeks with a focus on pupils’ spiritual and moral development.
Making worldviews visible: female bishops, the Five Ks and the hijab as examples
What is a worldview, how does it differ from or connect to
a religious belief, and how can we make this visible in RE?
Teaching jihad for 7–14s
Kate Christopher suggests practical approaches to teaching a sticky topic.