Religious Education (RE) at Cotsford
At Cotsford Primary school we follow County Durham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. The children study a range of religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and the core religion of Christianity.
Please click the link for Religious Education National Curriculum Information
Summer 2
This term reception have explored special places to Christians and made a visit to St Mary’s church. Father McNeil was so happy to see the children and talked to them about lots of features of the church.
In Year 1 the children continued learning about Buddha and Buddhism and loved listening to and role-playing stories like ‘The Monkey King’, ‘Buddha and the Injured Swan’ and ‘The Angry Elephant’ to find out why being caring, kind and thoughtful is so important within Buddhism.
In Year 2 the children also continued to learn about Buddhism. They researched and created a Day in the life of a Buddhist. They began to understand the importance of the Sangha (community) to people and that the Buddhist community enjoy meeting up to have fun as well as praying. They were shocked to find that many get up very early to meditate. The children then began to identify different faiths and the various buildings people meet in to pray. They looked closely at The Kingdom Hall and the importance of this for Jehovah Witnesses. The children concluded the year by discussing the importance of respecting and tolerating all faiths and believes.
In Year 3, the children have continued to look at the unit ‘What do Hindus Believe?’. They have looked at how Hindus represent god in different ways. The children have also looked at the Hindu belief in reincarnation and how karma may have an impact on reincarnation. The children have enjoyed expressing their own views and have showed a great respect to each other when doing so.
Year 4 have had a great half term exploring different Northern Saints. They loved learning about St Aiden, St Cuthbert and Venerable Bede, who they were able to link to their previous work in History on the Anglo Saxons. The children were very impressed with Bede’s illuminated letters so they decided to make their own, as you can see below.
Year 5 have been looking at what rituals are performed in different religions, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism. They have taken time to understand the reasons for each ritual and how different religions complete the rituals. Finally, the children looked at what rituals they have every day – from always following the same ritual on Christmas Day to those they take part in in school and why these are important.
Year 6 have recapped Christianity. They have learned about the 4 concepts of RE and can explain belief in Christianity, Authority in Christianity, Expressions of belief and the impact. The children have looked at sources that help Christians with their attitudes and actions to express their beliefs through worship, symbols and ceremonies and created a poster to represent this.
Summer 1
This term reception have thought about special places to Hindu people and explored temples.
Year 1 have started to look at Buddhism and the stories that are significant, such as the story of Siddhartha and the Swan and its message of kindness, compassion and care for all living things. They have looked at the basic beliefs and teachings of Buddhism, looking at the events in the life of Buddha and have learnt about his early life as a prince. They now know what led him to change his life to become a teacher. Reception have also learnt about the effects Buddha had on people as a teacher.
In Year 2 the children have also been learning about Buddhism, understanding the Buddhism story and the true meaning of what it is all about. The children were fully engaged in creating a dharma wheel and had several discussions about the importance of each spoke. The children began to identify the main teachings of Buddha and the impact Siddhartha had on his people. In addition, the children coloured the Buddha flag and researched the significance of each colour. They had fun creating their own mandalas. Most children decided to draw their family in the middle of their design and added their hobbies, friends and decorations around the outside.
Year 3/4 have begun the unit ‘What do Hindus believe?’, which has built on knowledge from their previous Hindu topic. They have had the opportunity to take part in discussions about what Hindus believe and also their own beliefs. They have looked at the many forms of the Hindu gods and stories about how the deities are represented. This topic will be continued into the next half term.
Year 4 have been exploring the question ‘How and why do people show care for others?’ They started by looking at good deeds that the children can and have done for others, which showed how many thoughtful and caring children we have. Then, they thought about how three religions, Christianity, Judaism and Sikhism, show love and care through their stories and celebrations.
Year 5 have been looking into Jewish customs surrounding their food and home lives. It has been interesting to see them build on their knowledge from the Autumn term and great to see how much could be recalled. They also compared their understanding of Christianity with Judaism.
Spring 2
In Early Years this term the children have explored the Easter story and the main events. They talked about feelings of happy and sad too and how they felt. The children have also looked at Easter symbols and the start of Lent by making pancakes.
Year 1 have talked about the things that made Jesus special to Christians and explored his stories. They have looked at the Easter story and how it is important to Christians because Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday but was resurrected on Easter Sunday and have retold and sequenced the story. The children have also looked at Easter traditions, why we have them and how they link to Christian beliefs and have designed their own Easter Garden. They then thought about what makes them happy because Christians see Easter Day as a joyful day because Jesus came back to life.
In Year 2 the children have also been learning all about Easter. Understanding the Easter story and the true meaning of what it is all about. The children were fully engaged in the story and at times were very fascinated with what Jesus did. The children began to identify the signs and symbols of Easter along with learning the vocabulary associated with it, such as; Good Friday and Easter Sunday. At the end of the topic the children could confidently explain what happened on each of the days over Easter and how Christians celebrate Easter. In addition, the children shared their experiences of Easter discussing in small groups what they did around Easter time. Some of the children celebrated with a family gathering and having a lovely meal, going on Easter egg hunts and eating lots of chocolate eggs.
The children in Year 3/4 started this half term with a walk to the local church, where they learned about Christian worship and beliefs. They were able to see how Christians worship God and some of the traditions and rituals that are practised. The children then learned about Palm Sunday and what Christians do in the lead up to Easter.
In Year 4 RE has focussed on the lead-up to Easter and in particular Lent. They have described some of the ways Christians keep Lent today and have listened to the story of Jesus in the desert and the temptations that he faced. The children even thought about the times that they have faced temptations and how they could deal with them. You can enjoy the Bible story here…
Year 5 have looked at how Christians see God as the beginning and the end. This led to some great debates about where a life cycle starts! They then moved on to looking at the Easter story. They focused on Holy Week and what happened on each day. Finally, the children thought about how different people involved in the Easter story felt and what they thought during the week.
Year 6 have developed their skills of investigation and enquiry. They have compared three religious traditions and learned how they view the environment. Increasing their awareness of how the global world teaches through different beliefs has allowed the children to answer the question, ‘Why should people with a religious faith care about the environment?’
Spring 1
In EYFS the children have had fun exploring Chinese New Year and learning how to say ‘Kung Hei Fat Choy’. They have made dancing dragons and also tiger pictures for the year of the tiger.
In Year 1, the children have looked at ‘Why Jesus is special to Christians’. The children explored different stories featuring Jesus. They shared Zacchaeus and the idea of forgiveness, thinking about a time when they made a bad choice and were shown forgiveness by others. They also looked at Jesus as a healer and thought about why this was special so they could begin to understand why Jesus is special to Christians.
Year 2 pupils have been learning all about Christianity. The children have focused on understanding the term ‘belonging’ and the importance of ‘belonging’ to a particular group or community. In addition, they have been learning about Baptism. understanding why Christians are baptised, what happens at the service, what special objects are used and what happens after the service. Year 2 showed great interest in this topic and shared some fantastic personal experiences.
The children in Y3/4 have looked at the importance of churches to the Christian religion. The children have explored different types of churches and have compared similarities and differences in what they could see. They have looked inside churches and have discussed the meanings behind some of the symbols and colours that they could see. The children have also compared how Christians worship, to other religions.
Year 4 have been looking at the question, ‘What do Christians believe about Jesus?’ They started by looking at artefacts and symbols that are associated with Christianity, then they created a timeline to show the important events in Jesus’s life. The children enjoyed listening to more Bible stories, their favorite was Jesus at 12. They used the story of Matthew the Tax Collector to show the importance of the 12 disciples and used this to think about friends (Article 31).
Year 5 have looked at what Christians believe about God, focusing on the three parts of the Trinity and how Christians use these to help guide their lives. It has been interesting to see how the Trinity is represented in words and images and how these link to all of our lives.
Year 6 have been learning about how the world was created and the beliefs of different religions. They have studied the Creation story and The Gospels from The Bible. They have also used stories from other religions such as ‘Siddhartha and the Swan’ from Buddhism to develop an understanding of other religions and how they use their faith in daily life.
Autumn 2
In Early Years the children have explored Diwali and how people celebrate this festival of light. They have thoroughly enjoyed learning about Rama and Sita and using the characters in the small world area to create their world.
As EYFS have moved through the term, they have learnt the true story of Christmas. The children have completed actions for the story and used figures in the ‘desert’ sand tray to recreate the story and authentic set up. Wow, what fun they’ve had!
Year 1 have looked at ‘Why gifts are given at Christmas’. They discussed their own experiences of both giving and receiving presents and have found out about the birth of Jesus. The children talked about the gifts he received from the three wise men and about gifts we could give to baby Jesus if he was born now. The children also thought about presents that cannot be seen like kindness, friendship and love and the significance of these invisible presents.
The children in Year 2 were inspired by St Cuthbert. They enjoyed researching his life, stories and how he spread the word of God. They looked closely at the shrine dedicated to him at Durham Cathedral and the statues at Holy Island. Year 2’s best topic was Christmas! Their focus was on the light at Christmas time. They talked about how they feel in the dark and how this differs in the light. The children discussed the main parts of the Christmas Story where light is used. The children had fun making a Christingle!
In Year 3/4, the children have been looking at Advent. They have looked at why Advent is important to Christians and also what traditions and rituals it involves. The children have also had the chance to reflect on how they prepare for Christmas and have made their own Advent Calendar.
During the topic ‘Why Christian’s believe Jesus is the light of the world’, Year 4 have discussed the good (the light) and the bad (the darkness) of the world today. The children discussed current topics in the news and thought about messages they would like to give to the world to solve some of these problems and bring ‘the light’. They were also very excited to talk about the lead up to Christmas, advent and the symbolisation of the advent wreath.
Year 4 also took part in an online workshop about Diwali. They listened to a presentation and were able to ask questions.
Year 5 have been looking at the importance of the Wise Men and their gifts. Many different cultures give gifts and they linked this idea with their development as kind people. They have looked at the symbolism of the gifts and even thought about what gifts we would give people and why. They have also thought about how important the free gifts are, such as love, respect and kindness.
In Year 6, the children have studied ‘The Gospels’. They have learned that 4 versions, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John look at things in a similar way, yet we can identify the differences between them. They have also developed an understanding of how people interpret things in many ways.
Autumn 1
In EYFS this term the children have been exploring people in their own families and people who are important to them. They have been discussing how we are all unique and special!
The children in Year 2 have loved exploring the different children’s Bibles this half term. They have enjoyed listening to a range of stories from Noah’s Ark to the Creation Story. They have discussed the importance of the Bible to Christians and how it is used and looked after in church. The children explored the Christian belief of God being the Father and the Creator. From this they looked at the festival of Harvest and why Christians are thankful to God.
In Year 3, the children have been learning about Hinduism. They have looked at the Hindu gods and goddesses. They have talked about worshipping and beliefs. The children have also listened to the Hindu story Rama and Sita and discussed the morals behind the story. You can listen to the story here, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRpNNF4fB4g
Year 4 have been looking at the question, ‘What do we know about the Bible and why is it important to Christians?’ They listened to a range of Bible stories and thought about how Christians use the Bible to worship and live their life. You can enjoy Year 4’s favourite Bible story too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfm2xdKau4
Year 5 have been looking at Judaism. They started by finding out about important symbols, items and what happens in a Synagogue. The children found it fascinating to link their learning to our rights and how we respect, and tolerate, the beliefs of others and different religions. They found out about the significance of Moses to Jewish people and about the 10 commandments. The children had a brilliant time taking part in drama activities to help them understand Moses’s life.
Year 6 have studied the religion of Islam. They have developed an understanding of their beliefs and how and why they pray. The children have used drama to act out the five main pillars of Islam and know that these beliefs are the strongholds of the religion. They know that there are many religions around the world and that everyone has the right to their own beliefs. Year 6 also understand that they have the responsibility to respect each other’s views.
