Religious Education
“Differences were not meant to divide, but enrich”
J H Oldham
Please click the link below to find out how we teach Religious Education at Mersey Park.
RE at Mersey Park Primary School
(Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of our Religious Education lessons. Please see Ms L White if you would like to discuss the content of our Religious Education curriculum further.)
Religious Education Report to Governors
PSHE Subject Leaders Report July 2024
Long Term Overview
Religious Education at Mersey Park
Autumn Term
Foundation 1
In Foundation 1 the children begin to appreciate the differences between people and are encouraged to develop positive attitudes. They look at each other and talk about what is the same and different about themselves. They also look at each other’s family photographs which are displayed in the classroom and in a class-book. Children play with resources such as small world figures and dolls which reflect diversity.
Foundation 2
In Foundation 2 children develop their understanding of the differences between people and begin to learn that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways. The children learn about the festival of Diwali and make their own diva lamps. They also use henna to create mehndi patterns on each other’s hands. They visit St. Catherine’s church and learn that it is a special place to some people.
Year 1
In Year 1 the children learn about the story of creation in different religions and begin to retell the stories themselves. The children also explore some of the festivals celebrated across religions such as Diwali and the Christmas Story and begin to sequence and retell these.
Year 2
In Year 2 the children learn about empathy and look through glasses with empathetic eyes. They create a kindness tree and acknowledge different acts of kindness.
Year 3
In Year 3 the children learn about the story of Moses and why he is an important figure in the bible. The children also look into the importance of Angels and Cherubs and their significance within religion. They look at why Angel Gabriel is one of the most important Angels and the impact angels have at Christmas.
Year 4
Year 4 read parables together and learn about their wider meanings. They learn how parables were used by Jesus to show people how to live and behave. The children also learn the 5Ks of Sikhism and how they are used in the Gurdwara. They learn about Gurus and the importance of their stories. The children also make birthday cards for Guru Nanak.
Year 5
In Year 5 the children will learn about the differences between Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians. They then learn about the life of Martin Luther and how he split the church into Catholics and Protestants. They also learn the difference between the key symbols of different faiths.
Year 6
In Year 6 the children learn about what a spirit or soul is and how someone can look after it. They learn about the concept of Mother Earth and learn about Solstice celebrations. They also find out about Buddhist meditation.
Spring Term
Foundation 1
In Foundation 1 the children learn about how Christians celebrate Easter. They go on an Easter hunt in the outdoor area.
Foundation 2
Year 1
In Year 1 the children learn all about Water in the Bible. They explore different bible stories and the theme of morals. They learn about Noah’s Ark and Baptism. The children also enjoy regular trips to St Catherine’s Church to help consolidate the learning, for example, the Easter story and how Baptisms occur.
Year 2
In Year 2 the children look at specific events in the Easter story and make palm leaves. They look at the Last Supper, Palm Sunday, Lent, Maundy Thursday and Shrove Tuesday.
Year 3
In Year 3 the children learn about a number of different faiths and beliefs including; Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The children learn about how different religions live their lives through following The 5Ks and The Wheel of Dharma.
Year 4
This term, Year 4 enjoy learning all about the practices and religion of the Ancient Celts. They look at some of our well known saints, such as St Cuthbert and St Patrick and their special days.
Year 5
In R.E the children look at symbols in different religions, their meanings, origins and how important they are to their faith. They design their own symbols to express their own characters strengths.
Year 6
In Year 6 the children revise lent and fasting and the importance of self-sacrifice in different religions. They look at the sacrifices different people make both religious and non-religious and the symbolism behind it. They also look at how religious figures in the past tackled hardship and fasting.
Spring Term
Foundation 1
In Foundation 1 the children continue to develop their positive attitudes about the difference between people. They look carefully at themselves and their friends and describe how they are all different.
Foundation 2
In Foundation 2 the children use litter pickers to collect rubbish which has been left in their outdoor area. They find out about how to care for their environment and think about people in the community who help to keep everywhere tidy. They enjoy a visit to St. Catherine’s church where they listen to the story of creation from the Bible. They are fascinated by the church building and what they see inside.
Year 1
In Year 1 the children learn key facts about Judaisim. They learn about Christian Sunday’s of the past and compare them to what they will learn about Shabbat. They learn about Jewish rituals, candles and Challah bread. They listen to Jewish prayer and consider Jewish food blessings and compare these to Christian Grace. They are introduced to the concept of hidden meanings (morals) within stories. They learn three Bible stories, the moral behind them and how this moral can be applied to daily modern life for Christians.
Year 2
In Year 2 the children learn about Islam and compare it what they know about Christianity. They learn about rules to live by in different settings of their lives including the ten commandments and the five pillars of Islam.
Year 3
In Year 3 the children understand the importance of pilgrimages. In Hinduism the children describe the features of Ganesh.
Year 4
In Year 4 the children look at images and videos of both Bishops and Arch Bishops, and together they create posters which show the importance of what they wear and why.
Year 5
In Year 5 the children learn what a rabbi and a chief rabbi are and what they do and revise the purpose and symbolism of Jewish artefacts. They learn what a synagogue is and its features and revise some important events in some Jews lives. They move onto Christians and learn how they treat their dead and what happens at funerals and compare to other religions.
Year 6
In Year 6 the children look at different religious sites and beliefs. They research the various temples of Koh Ker, Borobudur and Ellora Caves. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism are the main focus of the research.
Links with the local community
- Harvest
- Christmas Service
- Easter Service
- Trips to St Catherine’s Church and Tranmere Methodist Church
- Assemblies led by St Catherine’s Church
- Bible club run by St Catherine’s Church
