The New Rotherham Agreed Syllabus for RE

1. The New Rotherham Agreed Syllabus for RE • Why is RE important today? • For inclusion and cohesion • For knowledge and understanding • For identity and belonging • For meaning and purpose • For values • For the children

2. Religion in Rotherham, the region and the UK • RE prepares children and young people to live in a local society, but also in a region, a national community and the world as a whole. RE therefore needs to develop pupils understanding of the rich diversity of Rotherham, Yorkshire the UK and the world. • The 2001 Census showed that around 79% (197 000) of the people of Rotherham identified themselves as Christians. There were about 5 500 Muslim people. Hindus and Buddhists were numbered in their hundreds. Ten percent of Rotherham’s population were non religious. • Of course, a new census is imminent and we can trace some of the changes likely to be reflected already.

4. “We have not answered the question ‘where is God?’ But we have suggested how to go about answering the question. Seek and you will find. Goddle, however, also poses the question that finding God so easily may not be the solution to everything. If God was at the touch of a button, would you click it? ”

7. This pupil has designed a jigsaw of 6 religions. Each separate, each connected Why is the piece in the middle multi-coloured? Where is God? In different religions? What do you think?

8. Nicholas is 9

9. Allah is the Islamic word for ‘God’. In the Muslim religion, Allah cannot be pictured. This pupil (Jade, aged 9) has learned about Islamic rules for art, and then used a repeater pattern to show that Muslims believe God / Allah is in every little thing, and over all as well.

10. The working group and the SACRE have created a syllabus with these features: • Practical, useful to teachers • Challenging, likely to raise standards • Up to date, for the next 5 years not the last 5! • Balanced, likely to develop respectful attitudes in pupils • Deep, likely to promote interest and enthusiasm for the study of religions and beliefs

11. Practical help for higher standards in the syllabus Example: Better planning can raise standards • Continuity with the previous syllabus for religions taught • Clear and concise statement of requirements for each age group • Recommended long term planning outline (but flexible) • On the disc: • An example of a fully worked out planner for each year group

12. Planned units on the disc: • FS2: How and why do we celebrate special times? • Y1: What makes a place holy? Church and Synagogue • Y2: How do people say thank you for our beautiful world? • Y3: Why is Jesus an inspiration to Christians? • Y4: What matters most? Values for Christians and Humanists • Y5: What difference do the 5 Pillars of Islam make to Muslim children’s lives? • Y6: Christian Aid and Islamic Relief: can they change the world?

14. This girl has made a satin cushion. She chose the saying ‘develop love, scatter love, reap love. No religion is higher than that’ It emphasises the idea that all humans need to learn to love each other. Asma, 14

15. www.retoday.org.uk • 0121 472 4242 Lat Blaylock, RE Adviser • Join RE Today. Primary membership £48 this year. Termly mailings include magazine, books and web access to over 200 quality downloads for the classroom