Introduction

This chapter provides an approach for teaching religious education which has proved to be effective in a large number of schools. It focuses on an enquiry into concepts or ‘key ideas’, and employs a particular cycle of learning which can be applied to a locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Religious education has a legacy of developing learning through exploring religious material such as important figures, festivals and celebrations, stories, beliefs and practices. The focus has often been on acquisition of knowledge. The approach in this book recommends that teachers should focus on one of several potential concepts or key ideas that underpin the religious material that has been selected. Within Key Stage (KS) 2, teachers often engage the pupils with familiar territory and then extend their experience and understanding. The cycle of learning is a particular methodology which provides a structure which enables children to focus on and enquire into a concept.