Ark Franklin Primary Academy

RE Curriculum

RE Overview Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2

All year groups

Hinduism

Christianity

Judaism

Buddhism

Islam

One Love Day / Great British

Values

Description and Expectations

One day each half term is dedicated to learning about one of the 5 main religions, with a whole school theme.

RE is taught as a carousel across each phase, with each teacher planning one session to deliver to each class within the phase throughout the scheduled RE day.

The RE curriculum is designed to ensure a progression of subject knowledge and taught content as pupils progress within the school. Each year group will explore different stories and key principles to avoid repetition.

Lesson content is varied across the 6 lessons, targeting specific elements of the RE curriculum including key features (core content), festivals and celebrations, values and beliefs, links to the local area and an art activity.

Each year group will attend a trip to a religious building, providing pupils with the opportunity to experience 5 different places of worship throughout their time at Ark Franklin.

Autumn 1: Hinduism

Core Content Festival / Celebration Values and Beliefs Links to Local Area Art and Craft Activities

Year 1 & 2

Places of worship / religious buildings

What are the key

features of a Mandir?

Similarities and differences across the

globe

Priests and ceremonies

Religious symbols

Aum Swastika

Aum: the 3 worlds of

earth, atmosphere and heaven

Swastika: being happy,

good fortune, movement

Raksha Bandhan Festival for brothers and

sisters

Protection of one another

Family values and relationships

Sweets and rakhis

exchanged – pupils might sample some traditional

Hindu delicacies

Family life Family tree

Role of each member of

the family

Hindu marriage

Sacred thread – 10 year old boys receive from the

priest

Religious buildings in the local area

Research the Shri

Swaminarayan Mandir

Who attends the mandir?

What features does the Mandir have that relate to

Hindusim?

What role does the Mandir play in the

community?

Rakhi Create a rakhi to share with a sibling / family

member

Year 3 & 4

Beginning / Creation Story: The Hindu

Creation Story

Beginnings traced back to 2500BC in India

Hindu: named after those living near the

Indus River

Gods / deities God: Para Brahman

Different incarnations

of Para Brahman – deities

Each deity plays a

different role

Diwali Story: Ram and Sita

Poem: Ramayana

Victory of light over darkness / good over evil

Fireworks and feasts

Lamps lit to celebrate Rama’s home-coming

Celebration Why do we celebrate?

How do different cultures

celebrate differently?

Which other cultures use light to celebrate?

Why might light be a

symbol of hope / good?

Diwali celebrations in London

How is Diwali celebrated in London?

Images / videos (eg. Diwali in London)

Dancing, music,

traditional clothing, food

Diwali fireworks

Gods / deities

Year 5 & 6

Traditions Traditional clothing,

jewellery (saris, punjabi suits, kurta pyjama)

Dancing

Traditional foods – vegetarian - pupils might taste some traditional Hindu

delicacies

Sacred texts / Scriptures

Poem: Mahabharata – war between rival

families

Vedas – oldest texts – collection of hymns, prayers and magic

spells, 3500 years old Upanishads – 800BCE

– sacred lessons taught by gurus

Holi (Spring festival) Story: The Legend of Prahalad and Holika

Moral: the triumph of good

over evil

God: Vishnu – saves the world from evil

Bonfires lit in celebration

Food choices Vegetarianism Sacred animals

Debate – is it right to eat

animals?

Which animals should be sacred and which should

not?

How do animal contribute to our daily lives?

Examples of traditions in the local area

Impact of Hindu society on shops and restaurants

Why do British Hindus not

all wear traditional clothing? When might

they wear this?

Dancing fusion blending Indian and Western styles

– bhangra / chutney

Traditional clothing design

Patterns / embellishment

Trip Year 3: Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden Autumn 2: Christianity

Core Content Festival / Celebration Values and Beliefs Links to Local Area Art and Craft Activities

Year 1 & 2

Places of worship / religious buildings

What are the different

places of worship?

What are the features of a Church, Cathedral,

Abbey?

Similarities and differences across the

globe

Priests and ceremonies

Religious symbols

Crucifix: a symbol of

suffering and sacrifice

Ichthus: image of the fish. A secret code to

communicate

Christmas Story: Nativity

Christians believe God came into the world as a person

The birth of Jesus Christ – the role that Jesus Christ

plays in Christian teaching

How/when do families celebrate Christmas?

Family values and

relationships

Protection and being a good person

Story: Noah’s Ark

Protection of the environment and all of the

creatures within it

Conservation: debate a world without animals?

How do animals

contribute to our society and livelihoods?

Religious buildings in the local area

Research local church /

Westminster Abbey

Who attends the abbey?

What features does the abbey have that relate to

Christianity? What role does the abbey play in the community?

Stained glass windows Use of coloured

transparent plastic

Christingle

Year 3 & 4

Beginning / Creation Story: Creation Story

Equality between all

living organisms

Does equality for all exist in our current

society?

How do we protect the world around us?

God / prayer Text: The Lord’s

prayer

What do Christians declare to God?

How do Christians

hope to live their lives?

How can this be seen in society? Values

Easter Story: Easter Story / Last

Supper

Link to the crucifix symbol and sacrifice

Last Supper / forgiveness

Resurrection

Lent: modern day links to chocolate eggs / new life

Temptation Story: Adam and Eve

Why do you think they game into temptation?

Consequence of actions

Making own informed

choices

Local environment In what ways do we

protect our local environment?

How could we ensure we sustain the environment

for the future?

How could we promote care for the environment amongst the community?

Boiled egg decoration

Shoebox lid: creation of

new world?

Year 5 & 6

Traditions Music and song – how has this been used to

worship? Hymns / psalms

Choir – gospel music

Organ music

Bread and wine Incense Holy oils

Sacred texts / Scriptures

Bible: stories passed down for 2000 years

Gospels: 4 different

versions – why might these exist?

Compare 2 stories

How has this adapted over time? How might stories have changed?

Saints and Saint Days Saint study (eg. Saint

Patrick/Christopher/David)

Why was this person declared to be a saint?

Miracles performed

through their relationship with God

What change did they make? How did this impact society?

Community and care Story: Good Samaritan

Debate – who should we

care for in society?

Debate - are there people in society who deserve / earn more respect / care

than others?

When would you walk on by? When would you help?

Care in the local community

Who receives care? Why? Explore the different levels of care that are

offered?

How can we show care in the community?

Examples of London

communities ‘coming together’ in times of need

Saint emblems / badges

Symbol or motif

associated with their life – the changes they

made/impact they had

Trip Year 1: Local Church / Westminster Abbey Spring 1: Judaism

Core Content Festival / Celebration Values and Beliefs Links to Local Area Art and Craft Activities

Year 1 & 2

Places of worship / religious buildings

What are the different

places of worship?

What are the features of the synagogue?

Similarities and

differences across the globe

Rabbis and ceremonies

Religious symbols

Story: David & Goliath Star of David: thought to be the shield/emblem

of King David

Links to the ‘Seal of Solomon’ – King

Solomon

Shape – equilateral triangles – how many?

Passover (pesach) Story: Passover

Pharoahs and slavery

The ten plagues

Moses – leading Jews to

freedom Matzah bread, bitter herbs,

charoset – pupils might sample some traditional

Jewish delicacies

Heroism Story: David & Goliath

Moses & Passover

Comparison to modern day heroes

How do people make sacrifices for others?

How do we celebrate our

heroes today?

Religious buildings in the local area

Research local synagogue

Who attends the synagogue?

What features does the

synagogue have that relate to Judaism?

What role does the

synagogue play in the community?

Shape / geometry Patterns and symbols

using interlaced shapes/outlines and

tessellation

Pharaoh’s headdress

Year 3 & 4

Beginning / Creation Story: The Story of

Abraham (and Sarah)

Dating back to Bronze Age times (topic link)

Devotion to one god /

faithful

Sacrifice and gratitude

Prayer / Shabbat Day of rest -worries and activities set aside - 39

forbidden activities Lighting candles, meals,

songs, prayers and Torah Havdalah ceremony Spice

boxes – refresh the soul

Challah – pupils might sample traditional Jewish

delicacies

(C)Hanukkah Story: Hanukkah story 8-day festival of lights

Difference between the hanukiah and menorah

Maccabees – rebellion and standing up for ones beliefs

Potato latkes – pupils might

sample traditional Jewish delicacies

Rebellion / protest / democracy

Story: Hanukkah story

Explore the different ways in which people may stand up for /express

their own beliefs

Significant figures: Martin Luther King / Emmeline Pankhurst – impact on

current society

Degrees of poverty Story:Overcrowded House / It’s Too Crowded in Here

Feeling grateful and

content for what we have

Consideration for how things could be worse

Consideration for those

less fortunate than ourselves

Challah bread – create dough knots (pupils

take home with instructions to bake)

Handprint hanukiah

Year 5 & 6

Traditions Bar Mitzvah / Bat Mitzvah: Kiddush reception in the

synagogue, festival meal at home

Marriage – chuppah

(canopy), veil, broken glass, wedding music

(cantor/choir, klezmer)

Sacred texts / Scriptures

Torah – five books of Moses

Mounted in a wooden

case – handwritten using quill pen -

parchment paper/thread from a

kosher animal

Hebrew alphabet

Pilgrim Festivals Pesach – Passover

Shavuot – Feast of Weeks Sukkot – Festival of Booths

/ Harvest

Historically Jews travel to the ancient Temple in

Jerusalem

Community uniting to reaffirm commitments to

God – creating unity

Good overcoming evil Story: Purim

Heroic female character

Rattle / noisemakers

traditionally used to blot out villains name

Hamantashen (Purim

cookies) – pupils might sample traditional Jewish

delicacies

Food in the local community

Explore the role of food in religious celebration and

forbidden/restricted foods

Judaism: kosher / kashrut Islam: halal foods

Hinduism: vegetarianism

Link to local supermarkets / providing for a multicultural society

Making a quill pen, writing Hebrew

alphabet

Trip Year 4: St John’s Wood Synagogue / Central Synagogue London

Spring 2: Buddhism

Core Content Festival / Celebration Values and Beliefs Links to Local Area Art and Craft Activities

Year 1 & 2

Places of worship / religious buildings

What are the features of

o Buddhist temple?

Similarities and differences across the

globe Bodhi tree – where the

Buddha received enlightenment – planted

in every holy place

Religious symbols

Dharma Wheel: eight

ways to clarity

Eternal Knot: everything is

connected

Lotus flower: rising up from sufferings to

reach enlightenment, beauty and clarity

Festival of the Tooth / Peharera

Temple built in Kandy, Sri Lanka to house the

Buddha’s tooth

Tooth kept inside caskets

Procession: role of elephant, carrying pagoda,

painting/clothed elephants

Dancers & fire swallowers Fireworks

Consequence / choice Story: Buddha’s First Teaching / Setting in

Motion the Wheel of Law

Image of a wheel – existence is like a never

ending circle

Taught to look at the results of own actions,

impact on quality of life

Religious buildings in the local area

Research local temple

Who attends the temple?

What features does the temple have that relate to

Buddhist?

What role does the synagogue play in the

community / what services do they offer?

Lotus flower origami / tissue paper

Colouring using pattern

Year 3 & 4

Beginning / Creation Story: The Story of

Siddhartha

Preached against war and class division

People should receive

help whether rich / poor

Truth / Buddha = the enlightened one

Mantra / no god Comparison to other

religions who worship particular gods.

Buddhists - reality behind all appearance, called Emptiness/The

Void

Comparison of prayer, mantra & meditation –

painting mandala

Wesak/ Vesak Celebrate the birth,

enlightenment and death of Buddha

Flower garlands, sand

spread in temple courtyard, cleaning and polishing f

Buddha statues, candle/oil lamps, scented water

Encircling the Buddha with

light (comparison)

Love and loyalty, companionship

Story: The Elephant and the Dog

Link to the role of the

elephant in Vesak

Relationship between the dog and elephant –

explore how friendships are built on mutual

exchange

Equality / inequality Buddha taught that

people should receive help whether rich or poor

How equal is the spread of

help and support in the local community

How do citizens receive support / contribute to

the community?

Mandala painting / design

Flower garlands

Year 5 & 6

Traditions – taking the bodhisattva vow

11 year old boys: 4 vows taken towards

becoming a monk for the rest of life

Study, meditation and

practice

Competition and debating knowledge

Sacred texts / Scriptures

Tipitaka (3 baskets): 1.Rules for monks.

2.Buddha’s teachings and stories.

3.Explain his teaching

Dhammapada: collection of Buddha’s

sayings

Pilgrimage Bodh Gaya – Buddha

enlightenment

Sarnath – Buddha preached first sermon

Adam’s Peak – Buddha’s

footprint

Dalai Lama’s palace Padmasambhava lake

Devotion (monks/nuns) Story: The Four Sights

Lives spent teaching and meditating. Robes and shaved heads represent giving up worldly ties.

Route to happiness –

simple life, being kind & thoughtful

The five promises How do the 5 promises manifest themselves in

today’s society?

How can these values be transferred?

How does this impact the Buddhist way of life? (eg.

food)

Haiku poetry Began with Buddhist monks in Japan, using imagery from nature

Lines 1 & 3: 5 syllables

Line 2: 7 syllables Not often rhyming

Meditation

Trip Year 5: Buddhapadipa Temple, Wimbledon

Summer 1: Islam

Core Content Festival / Celebration Values and Beliefs Links to Local Area Art and Craft Activities

Year 1 & 2

Places of worship / religious buildings

Story: The First Muezzin

What are the features of the mosque?

Similarities and

differences across the globe

Minarets – adhan (call)

Prayer rooms / mats

Religious symbols

Star and crescent

Position at the top of mosques, national

flags of Turkey/Pakistan

Ottoman Empire –

Osman’s dream

Eid Milad-an-Nabi Story: Muhammad’s First Revelation / birth of the

Prophet Muhammad

Parades, celebrations can last a whole month.

Remember Muhammad’s sufferings and struggles

Not all Muslims choose to

celebrate

Justice / care for all Allah’s creatures

Story: The Crying Camel

Link to animal care and the environment

Mistreatment of animals and the environment – what impact can/does this have on our local

community?

Religious buildings in the local area

Research local mosque

Who attends the mosque?

What features does the mosque have that relate

to Islam?

What role does the mosque play in the

community?

Moon and star mobile

Year 3 & 4

Beginning / Creation Story: The Story of

Muhammad / Muhammad’s First

Revelation

Born in Mecca, Arabia (link to pilgrimage)

Visited by Angel Gabriel,

messages from God became the Qur’an

City of Medina

5 Pillars of Islam Allah is the only God

and Muhammad is His true Messenger

Belief – statement of

faith (shahadah) Prayer (salaah) Alms (zakaat) Fasting (saum)

Pilgramage (Hajj)

Ramadan (fasting) Month when Gabriel visited Muhammad (Lailatul Qadr

– Night of Power)

Meal before dawn, (suhur), fast ends at sunset (itfar)

for 1 month

Call from minaret breaks fast – Muslims traditionally eat a date / drinking water

Eid al-Fitr marks the end

Encouraging words vs discouraging words Story: The Tale of Two

Frogs

Never giving up and standing by your friends

Motivation and loyalty

Charity Research the work of

Muslim Aid and Islamic Relief UK and the impact

these have locally and globally

2 Frogs origami

5 pillars scroll

Year 5 & 6

Prayer (salat) Link to 5-pillars of Islam

Story: Lailat al-Miraj

Prayer 5 times a day facing towards the

Ka’ba in Mecca

Preparing for prayer, kneeling and bowing

Prayer mat

Sacred texts The Qur’an – words

God spoke through the Angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad

Treated with care and respect – wrapped in

fine cloth, kept on high shelf, clean hands

Written in Arabic (use Arabic writing)

Eid al-Adha Story: The Story of Abraham Month of Hajj (pilgrimage)

Sacrifice of animal to God,

covered with a special cloth

Animal divided into 3 parts: 1. Given to the poor

2. Friends and relatives 3. Eaten at home (family)

3-day holiday

Foods / clothing Clothing – pilgrimage (2 lengths of unsewn white

cloth, long robe) Rich and poor look alike

in eyes of God

Hijab and beliefs around modesty

Halal and Haram foods

(link to local community)

Right to Education / Girl’s education

Story: Malala’s Story

Malala – education activist – 2011 Pakistan’s 1st National Youth Peace

Prize

Malala fund – getting girls into education

www.malala.org

Arabic alphabet

Prayer mat designs – shapes and pattern

Trip Year 2: London Central Mosque, Regents Park / Imam Khoeli Islamic Centre, Brondesbury Park