Skills in Religious Education
RE Skills
Enquire – this includes the ability to:
 Ask relevant questions
 Pose and define problems
 Plan what to do and how to research
 Predict outcomes and anticipate
responses
 Draw / test conclusions and improve
ideas
Examples of teaching and learning
activities for FS, KS1 and KS2
 Agree on lines of enquiry by
identifying key questions e.g. Who or
what created the world? What might
have caused the world to begin?
 Use P4C materials and thinking skills
strategies
 Concept cartoons
 Discussion structures e.g. pair and
share, jigsaw discussion, snowball
discussion
 Start from first-hand experience –
visits, visitors, artefacts – children to
pose questions – what are they curious
about?
 Encourage home / school community
links as a starting point e.g. how did I
get my name? Photographs of key
family events
Investigate – this includes the ability to:
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 Ask relevant questions
 Gather and research information from
a variety of sources
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 Know what may be appropriate
information
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Interpret – this includes the ability to:
 Draw meaning from artefacts,
symbols, stories, works of art and
poetry
 Interpret and understand religious
language
 Derive and understand meanings of
religious texts
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Prepare and select questions e.g. in
order to interview a visitor / conduct a
survey etc.
Identify and highlight important
information
Gather, select and organise
information using a range of sources
e.g. multimedia presentation, represent
using maths e.g. Venn diagram
Watch, listen and make notes from a
presentation
Child’s Eye Media films – to explore
festivals from the point of view of the
child (KS1)
Use artefacts, works of art, extracts
from religious texts as a starting point
to stimulate response and enquiry
Give children opportunities to
interpret religious ideas and language
by beginning with their own
experiences
Create role play to show meaning of
teachings from religious texts
including parables
Use puppets to understand religious
language and ideas
Reflect – this includes the ability to:
 Ponder on feelings, relationships,
ultimate questions, beliefs and
practices
 Think and speak sensitively about
values, religious and spiritual topics
 Use quiet time effectively e.g. stilling
activities
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Empathise – this includes the ability to:
 Consider the thoughts , feelings,
experiences, beliefs and values of
others
 See the world through the eyes of
others and appreciate issues from
their point of view
 Develop the power of imagination to
identify feelings such as love,
forgiveness, sorrow, joy, compassion
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Analyse – this includes the ability to:
 Distinguish between essential ideas,
opinions, belief and fact
 Distinguish between key features of
different faiths and belief systems
 Identify similarities and differences
Synthesise – this includes the ability to:
 Recognise similarities and differences
 Link coherently feature(s) of religious
groups / belief systems
 Make links between religion and human
experience
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Non-denominational sacred space
available for the children to use e.g.
labyrinth, spiritual trail, sensory
garden
Communicate feelings in a reflective
poem or prayer e.g. prayer tree
Create an atmosphere for reflection
e.g. massage in schools, tai chi, yoga
Visit places in the local community to
use the senses in a way which evokes a
sense of spiritual space
Use natural habitats within the school
grounds and the locality to develop a
sense of awe and wonder
Provide opportunities for the children
to be part of councils and be proactive
in the work of both their community
and the global community e.g. a peace
council, response to an international
disaster, Eco Council
Use of Peace Mala project
(www.peacemala.org.uk)
Feelings graph or emotions fans from
SEAL resources e.g. tracking the
feelings of a character in a faith
story
Guided visualisations e.g. Relax Kids
CDs, Buddhism stilling exercises (Clear
Vision Trust)
De Bono’s thinking hats
Use puppets to express feelings
Play odd one out games
Use sorting diagrams e.g. using a
matrix, Carroll diagrams, Diamond 9
Explore why the “Golden Rule” is a key
teaching of all faiths and non-faiths.
Use a thematic approach to explore
ideas e.g. rites of passage, symbols
across a range of faiths
Use children’s own learning /
experiences to make sense of religious
ideas and draw conclusions
Express – this includes the ability to:
 Communicate and explain concepts,
rituals and practices
 Respond to ultimate questions and
religious issues through a variety of
media
 Demonstrate critical awareness and
respect for different faiths and belief
systems
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Apply – this includes the ability to:
 Apply what has been learnt from a
religion or belief system to a new
situation
 Apply their own beliefs and values to
situations and concepts in their own
and other people’s lives
Evaluate – this includes the ability to:
 Justify a viewpoint relating to ultimate
questions and religious issues
 Debate issues of religious significance
with reference to experience, evidence
and argument
 Draw conclusions by reference to
experience, evidence, individual belief
and argument
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Creative – drama, role-play, mime,
dance, add percussion or actions to
religious story or song; make a game,
create a special place
Visual – use of collage, colour, charts,
diagrams , video, photos, multimedia
presentations
Oral – use of recording or presentation
or debate
Written – poetry, reflective diary,
letter, e-mail, story, newspaper report
etc.
Hold a celebration for the class or the
school
Design games, rules for life, symbols
e.g. snakes and ladders representation
of karma
Use of role play and drama to show the
meaning of a faith story or teaching
Use of learning journals
Respond to points of view on a scale of
1 – 10
Courtroom debate
Order using a hierarchy
Peer assessment
Thinking Wall - What do I want to
know next?