Slough SACRE Winter Term Newsletter 2023

This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council on behalf of RE advisor to SACRE, David Rees, for the attention of All Schools.

As the new western calendar year starts, we want to wish you all the best with the new term and offer some support to RE teachers and leaders.

SACRE wishes to send out a sincere thank you to all teachers and schools for the way in which you have shown and will undoubtedly continue to show dedication to children and education during the upcoming months. We recognise the challenges you have faced and want you to know that we are here to support you with your RE wherever possible.

SACRE wishes RE teachers to know that support is available. One of the ways SACREs can support teachers is by running virtual RE network meetings and producing newsletters designed to inform you of some or all of the following

  • Local and national RE developments
  • Free classroom resources
  • Upcoming CPD opportunities
  • News from faith communities – national and local

We are aware that RE co-ordinators sometimes change so we kindly request that if you have a new RE co-ordinator or leader please could you let the SACRE RE adviser know so that support can be offered, we usually like to send RE newsletters and information concerning networks and free resource ideas directly to the RE lead. Please send details including their school email address to David Rees on david@reesuk.onmicrosoft.com

Networks

SACRE is supporting RE by running virtual RE networks as twilight sessions each term – these are run by the RE Adviser to SACRE David Rees. If you would like to attend any of these or receive information about support for RE, please email David on the above email

The first primary RE network meeting will be on Tuesday 7th February 4-5pm and will be held online. If you would like to attend, please email David to book a place

The other network date for the Autumn term

  • Wednesday 22nd March 4-5pm

Pan Berkshire Hub update

The Pan Berkshire Hub (a group consisting of members of 6 Berkshire SACRES) continues to meet and work together to help provide support and resources to help Berkshire teachers. The Hub produced some excellent free teaching resources in the form of video clips and support notes. 

The ‘Real People, Real Faith project’ Key Stage 1-3 classroom resources have been available for teachers to use since April 2021. The project set out to ask believers from different places of worship and religion and worldview communities questions about their faith and how it impacts on daily life – these were professionally filmed and edited with the classroom in mind. Teacher notes were also developed to accompany each video clip.

The Questions asked were

KS1

What Symbols are important to you?

What stories are important to you?

KS2

How special is your relationship with God

How does your belief in God affect your daily life?

KS3

In what ways do science, belief and religion interact and what difference might this make?

Why might it matter that sacred texts are open to interpretation?

The clips filmed so far include the following worldviews

Church of England

Hindu tradition (Sanatana Dharma)

Judaism - Orthodox

 

Baptist

Islam – Shi’a

Judaism - reform

Roman Catholic 

Islam - Sunni

Sikhi

A Humanism clip is currently in the process of being uploaded.

The clips are currently housed on the NATRE website – please access these by clicking the link below

https://www.natre.org.uk/about-natre/projects/real-people-real-faith/

SACRE would love to hear how these clips are being used so if you have any thoughts or information please contact the SACRE adviser David Rees and he will pass this on to SACRE.

Plans are afoot for more clips to be made focussing on diversity within traditions.

Each film has a page of notes outlining the key questions and concepts, with a brief summary of the answers and some suggested follow-on activities. Many of the clips will help schools address some of the big questions suggested in the locally agreed syllabus.

The resources are kindly hosted on the NATRE website and can be accessed by following the link below.

https://www.natre.org.uk/about-natre/projects/real-people-real-faith/  

They can also be found on the Pan Berkshire blog page - https://berkshiresacrehub.blogspot.com/

Please use these to help your teaching and feel free to feedback comments or suggestions to David. If any of you have developed teaching activities to link these further to the agreed syllabus questions then we would love to hear from you.

CREative and REinspiring Annual RE Conference – Tuesday 21st March (8.45 -3pm)

This CRE-ative, RE-inspiring Conference is hosted by Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education and created by a Working Party including members of Wiltshire, Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole SACRES. Content is suitable for all teachers and leaders of RE no matter where your school is based in the UK.

This is the third conference we have run in this virtual format. It is high-quality training with a focus on practical, usable classroom ideas and resources valuable to teachers of RE from EYFS to KS4.

The 2023 conference will build on your understanding of the Worldview approach to RE and will focus on how we can include 'lived-diversity' in our teaching - including exemplification across the curriculum, but particularly that which supports teaching of the Hindu Worldview Tradition.

The conference is hosted on Zoom and is made up of:

  • A Keynote and two other 'whole conference' inputs for all.
  • Morning and Afternoon Workshops - a choice of 3 topics in each session. (These are recorded so that you can watch any other workshop you have missed, after the event.)
  • A resource area free to access for a year.

The Conference Brochure has full details - coming out soon! Here is a taste of what is planned so far:

We are delighted to have Lat Blaylock as our Keynote Speaker. We know he will inspire you with his energy!

Workshop input from

  • the RE Today team including Adam Robertson;
  • RE Advisers/Jan Lever Group Consultants, David Rees and Alison Harris;
  • Hub Lead Practitioners who teach RE and lead Local RE Networks including Steph Rann;
  • Special Guests

This year's content will feature:

  • Sanatana Dharma/Hindu worldview tradition - Some imaginative classroom ideas and resources to try out and input to deepen your subject knowledge and understanding of core concepts.
  • Diversity within Christianity - exploring this global, organised, religious worldview.
  • Exploring Justice and Courageous Advocacy through RE.
  • How to provide great RE in the EYFS without breaking the bank!
  • What does a strong school RE Curriculum look like and how is this evidenced in day-to-day teaching?
  • How to enrich RE in your school through the effective use of trips and visitors (virtual and in-person)
  • A conversation with people of faith who will share a 5-minute think-piece about their beliefs.

This is a virtual session being held at: 09:00 - 15:00,

Please follow this link to book:  https://sdbe-onlinelearning.thinkific.com/courses/REConference-March23

Holocaust Memorial Day 2023

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) encourages remembrance in a world scarred by genocide. They promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) – the international day on 27 January to remember the victims of genocide past and present recognising that genocide must still be resisted every day. In the UK, prejudice and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all.

HMD is for everyone. Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn more about the past and take action to create a safer future. We know they learn more, empathise more and do more.

Ordinary People is the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2023.

Genocide is facilitated by ordinary people. Ordinary people turn a blind eye, believe propaganda, join murderous regimes. And those who are persecuted, oppressed and murdered in genocide aren’t persecuted because of crimes they’ve committed – they are persecuted simply because they are ordinary people who belong to a particular group (e.g., Roma, Jewish community, Tutsi).

Ordinary people were involved in all aspects of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution of other groups, and in the genocides that took place in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Ordinary people were perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers, witnesses – and ordinary people were victims.

Please check the website for information on classroom resources and regional activities

https://www.hmd.org.uk/

Strictly RE 2023 Online RE Conference - (Not free but still excellent)

Hosted by NATRE, Strictly RE has become a key date in the diary for the RE community. With 400+ people taking part in over 25 online sessions, this event is a great place for RE professionals to come together to share ideas, gain new knowledge and further boost your confidence when teaching RE, as you will leave armed with lots of downloads, presentations and ready-to-use resources in the classroom. There will be something for everyone, from Headteachers and Senior Leaders to Primary Teachers and ITEs.

Strictly RE 2023 conference themes:

  • Depth
  • Diversity
  • Abrahamic Worldviews

There are also a range of seminars on a wide variety of topics and across all key stages including:

  • Thinking out loud- joining the dots to help children think more critically (Primary)
  • Introducing Philosophy and Philosophers to the Primary Classroom (Primary)
  • Dharmic Lenses on Climate Crisis (Secondary)
  • Creating a core RE Programme for KS4 (Secondary)
  • Interfaith conversations - exploring creative projects that deepen pupils understanding in RE (Crossphase)
  • Special RE​ (Crossphase)
  • Championing and advocating for RE with parents (for SLT’s)

Saturday 28 January AND Sunday 29 January 2023 (PLUS additional weekday twilight seminars leading up to Strictly!)  – booking can be made from the following link https://www.natre.org.uk/courses-events/strictlyRE-2023/

News from RE Online

Telling My Worldview Story - https://www.reonline.org.uk/resources/telling-my-worldview-story/

  • The aim behind this series is to encourage people to share their own worldview story. The series recognises that our own worldview journey is personal and will be shaped by our own individual background, family, and cultural influences.

Our ability to understand and respect stories like these can lead to a greater understanding of how people arrive at their current beliefs and practices, as well as showing how our worldviews can change over time. The pieces add layers of understanding about what people believe and how they live their lives. They also help us to recognise and reflect on our own personal knowledge.

This new series complements an animation entitled ‘Nobody Stands Nowhere’ produced by the Theos Think Tank which aims to unpack the idea of worldview and invites the viewer to consider how their own unique view of the world might co–exist with other, sometimes quite different, vantage points held by those around them.

Resource of the Month - January 2023 - Subject Knowledge for Teachers – Islam

  • RE Online are delighted to kick off 2023 with a new book by popular author, teacher and adviser Dr Chris Hewer. For years Chris has researched, written and taught around the idea of ‘Christian-Muslim relations’, and the theological interaction between Islam and Christianity. Chris has gained a rich expertise in understanding Islam which makes him a valuable source of subject knowledge for teachers.

Chris’s new book is of great benefit for teachers of Islam, especially at GCSE. The GCSE specification requires a knowledge of the differences between Sunni and Shi’a practices and subtle differences in belief, as well as an understanding of how these differences developed. However, these distinctions are important for teachers of Islam of all age groups.

Main website: https://chrishewer.org/

GCSE guidance: https://chrishewer.org/g-c-s-e/

Chris’ materials are an excellent resource for those wishing to deepen their understanding of Islam

  • Developing a multidisciplinary curriculum through the use of knowledge organisers - an innovative project developed by Katy McKay and colleagues at Dereham Primary School, developing a multidisciplinary curriculum through the use of knowledge organisers. Katy reports on the many positives she and colleagues found when introducing thinking and questions drawn from Theology, Philosophy and the human and social sciences

https://www.reonline.org.uk/leadership/resource-of-the-month/resource-of-the-month-archive/developing-a-multidisciplinary-curriculum-through-the-use-of-knowledge-organisers/

Promotional film collection

  • Culham St Gabriel’s are delighted to have commissioned a series of short films to promote an education in religion and worldviews across many areas of public life. Individuals from a range of different perspectives and from different walks of life explain why an education in religion and worldviews matters to them. The films are freely available for all to use to show the importance of religion and worldview literacy in a multi religious, multi secular world.
  • https://www.cstg.org.uk/campaigns/promoting-an-education-in-rwv/promotional-film-collection/

Resources round up

  • The Shap working party festivals calendar is available on the RE Online website – here you will find upcoming festivals with information and links to some articles and activities which may be useful - https://www.reonline.org.uk/festival-calendar/
  • Humanists UK – visit their website for free downloadable resources, including lesson plans, classroom activities, presentations, videos, and humanist perspectives on a range of topics discussed in school, see our website Understanding Humanism. Teachers can also find guidance and information about CPD opportunities. You can also request a visit from a free humanist school speaker

There are also two free online courses to develop your subject knowledge.

Visit these pages for all of the above information https://humanists.uk/education/teachers/ and https://understandinghumanism.org.uk/

  • New Look True Tube! - True Tube is an award-winning website for schools that provides free short films, lesson plans and assembly scripts for RE, PSHE and Citizenship at Key Stages 3 and 4, with more resources for Key Stages 1 and 2 on the way. Recently the website has been refreshed and new content added. If you have never visited True Tube, it is a great resource for teachers of all ages of Religion and Worldviews, PSHE and Citizenship. Find out more at https://www.truetube.co.uk/ It is free to sign up.

SACRE hopes that there will be some useful items in the newsletter. Hopefully many of you will be able to attend the new syllabus launch – there will be networks to follow this so please keep an eye open for these dates (which should have been sent separately along with news about the syllabus.