Religious Observance Template in Action.
Jen Robertson, a member of the RO Project Advisory group reports on her
experience of using the template.
In my work as a youth and schools worker for the Cambuslang and Rutherglen
Reachout Trust, I am regularly involved with planning, preparing and leading of
Religious Observance events in primary and secondary schools. I am a member of
the chaplaincy team in the Stonelaw High School learning community.
I have implemented the Religious Observance template in my planning and
preparation. This has been strategically significant and has been useful in creating
more streamlined and focussed events.
The first four elements of the template (aims, objectives, title, and rationale) have
enabled me to be more directed on the purpose and reason for the event. Developing
this planning process and fully thinking through these four elements, helps the RO
event to maintain focus.
To establish the link with AcfE (5-14 curriculum) is an important task. It enables the
SMT, staff and chaplains to be informed as to how the event will impact the wider life
and curriculum of the school. Using the template, and providing the SMT/HT with it
before the event, has increased the sense of teamwork between myself as a
chaplain, and the school staff.
The final parts of the template (introduction, stimulus, guided reflection, working out
the implications) are the most “practical” components of the template and have
ensured that my RO events are in line with the RO guidelines. They give time for
pupils to reflect on what they have been involved in and give them opportunities to be
actively involved in the event.
The Template in Action: Greenock High School
As part of the development of Religious Observance within the school, the chaplaincy
team began to plan a series of 50 minute assemblies for year groups.
The
chaplaincy team was comprised of two local parish ministers: Liz Crumlish and Alan
MacIntyre, the LTScotland Development officer and the Headteacher, Cathy
Sorenson. A year group was extracted for a period for the assembly
The assembly here was on the theme of Respect and was for first year pupils but
included some senior pupils who had been invited to facilitate groups and help run
the assembly.
Introduction
The assembly began with a dry speech from the headteacher which began to be
interrupted by the senior pupils talking, shouting, and throwing paper aeroplanes
around.
Stimuli
On of the chaplains showed a series of pictures of faces and pupils had to write down
on a sheet who was the doctor, who was the disabled person, who was the plumber,
who was asylum seeker etc. The answers were given at the end of this exercise.
Pupils were then arbitrarily divided up by a series of coloured dots into groups round
tables at the rear of the assembly hall. Senior pupils worked with the groups. Each
group, except one were given fun tasks to do with sweets. The single group were
given maths problems to solve, no sweets and were severely disciplined for any in
attention.
[Perhaps surprisingly during this exercise, many pupils in the other groups
commented on how unfair this was and began to pass their sweets to the group who
had none]
Guided reflection
Pupils were drawn together in their larger year group and the examples of disrespect
and feelings engendered by the examples they had seen were explored.
Response
Pupils were then invited to acknowledge their own individuality and uniqueness along
with acknowledging the same for others through a power point presentation and
Fischy Music song “I’m the only I” Fischy Music resources can be found at
http://www.fischy.com/
Pupils were invited to consider the result of attitudes and actions of disrespect
through a short talk given with PowerPoint of a sixth year pupils who had been on a
visit to Auschwitz. (Auschwitz PowerPoint attached)
Pupils were asked to consider why they should stand up for others who could not
stand up for themselves through listening to the quote from Pastor Neimoller.
Rationale
Pupils and staff within a school community often suffer disrespect but
also know the benefits of positive respect. This assembly intends to
explore these themes and affirm the value of positive respect for
each unique individual and the importance of standing up for others
Title
Respect
Aim
To show and experience examples of disrespect and indicate the
possible consequences of disrespect, contrasted with the positive
benefits of respect.
Objectives
At the end of this pupils will have experienced challenge
At the end of this pupils will be able to (use words such as describe,
list, state, explain, evaluate… not words such as understand...)
Link with 514 or ACfE

Describe the feelings of disrespect

Evaluate their own attitudes

State why they should stand up for and respect others
5-14 PS level E: demonstrate the ability to understand and apply
principles of fairness, justice, tolerance etc.
ACfE Responsible Citizens: respect for others
Is this part
of a series
To be followed by assembly in June led by Nil By Mouth
Introduction by headteacher
Stimulus/
stimuli
Picture exercise, Dotty exercise,
Guided
Reflection
Issues and feeling of disrespect teased out interactively with pupils
Response
Consideration of the uniqueness and worth of the individual and what
happened when that is not given though Fischy Music song, Report
on Auschwitz and the challenge of Neimoller quote.
Evaluation
(a)
How will we know the objectives have been achieved>
Evaluation
(b)
Of the event will happen by post assembly chaplains meeting.
Discussion with pupils
Part 2: Running Order
Running
Time
Minutes
Activity
Personnel
Requires
Actio
n
0-3
3
Intro, Cathy S
speech to be
interrupted by 6thyrs
CS. Senior
pupils
3-13
10
Stereotype Pictures
by Liz
LC
Pictures
LC
13-28
15
Dotty Exercise and
sweets.
discrimination
CS, KTC, LC,
AM
Dots, sweets,
alternative work
CS
28-31
3
Teasing out the
issues
KTC
31-34
3
Song: I’m the only I
34-39
5
Presentation by
Jaclyn Malloy on
Auschwitz
39-42
3
Neimoller quote
CS
KTC
Music, PowerPoint
LC
JM
PowerPoint
JM
AM
PowerPoint
AM