At Malvern we celebrate difference as an opportunity to learn and grow. This means we embrace opportunities to explore and understand different cultures and beliefs from all over the world. Colleagues believe is it important for pupils to have a well-rounded understanding of different world religions, as well as the opportunity to meet people of different faiths and visit local places of worship. In doing this, we believe that we are preparing pupils for a future where technological advances will make the world a ‘smaller place’.
Our RE lessons provided creative and meaningful experiences that bring stories of faith to life, and give our pupils the opportunity to question their own beliefs and values. Our creative RE curriculum incorporates drama, art, music, food-tasting and a number of trips and visits, to really make Religious Education come alive for our pupils!
Reception
Reception have enjoyed celebrating Diwali and Chinese New Year. Their favourite part was trying lots of new foods! The children were eager to use their knowledge of the festivals to make rangoli patterns, dragon masks and chinese lanterns.
Year 1
The children have been learning about key beliefs, stories, and celebrations from Christianity and Hinduism. They explored the significance of Christmas by singing songs and celebrating the birth of Jesus, learned the Easter story, which focuses on Jesus’ death and resurrection, and reflected on his teachings about forgiveness through parables such as “The Lost Son.” In Hinduism, they discovered who Krishna is and why he is important to Hindus, as well as the story of Rama and Sita, which teaches values such as bravery and the triumph of good over evil, particularly during Diwali. Through these lessons, the children have developed an understanding of these religions and reflected on important values such as love, forgiveness, and courage.
Year 2 Trip to Liverpool Ganesh Temple
Year 2 enjoyed a trip to Liverpool Ganesh Temple as part of their RE work on Hinduism. They enjoyed exploring the temple, taking part in prayer, and learning all about the different Hindu Gods. They also had the chance to have Kum Kum powder applied to their foreheads. Kum Kum powder is a powder used for social and religious markings in India.
Year 2 trip to Bethel Church
Last week, Year 2 children visited Bethel church to enjoy a wonderful ‘Christmas Journey’ experience. The interactive story was an exciting way of retelling the stories of Jesus and got us all in the festive spirit. A big thank you and Merry Christmas to Josh and the team and Bethel church.
Year 3 Sikh workshop
As part of their RE learning, Year 3 children have been understanding all about the Sikh religion. To celebrate this, the children took part in a Sikh workshop where they were got to experience the use of drums, the five Ks, dressing up in exotic, majestic and religious costumes, as well as having beautiful and symbolic face paint. Throughout this whole experience, the children were immersed in a full display of Sikh template artefacts symbols. It was such an exciting and wonderful opportunity and experience for the children.
Year 4 Buddhism Workshop
Year 4 had a fantastic Buddhism experience day, where they got to speak to someone who had lived as a Buddhist monk! They dressed up as characters from the Buddha’s life, and acted out his sacred story from Prince to holy man.
The children were invited to have Buddhist symbols painted on their faces, and got to see and handle various Buddhist artefacts from a real Vihara.
Year 5 Synagogue Visit
Throughout the spring term, Year 5 were learning all about the Jewish faith. To enhance their learning, Year 5 were lucky to visit to Childwall Synagogue. Here, children deepened their understanding on Judaism and the celebrations of Passover and Hanukkah. Children also explored the differences in celebrations at New Year and Christmas.
Year 6 trip to the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
On Tuesday, year 6 visited Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. This extraordinary church is the largest Catholic cathedral in England, and plays an important part in the life of the City of Liverpool. The children explored the church’s art, history, music and Christmas decorations by completing a treasure trail, solving clues to reveal a secret message! The children were fantastic role models for our school and had and had a brilliant time.
Year 6 Abdullah Quilliam Mosque Visit
Year 6 had a fascinating visit to the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool as they enhanced the understanding of Islam. They found out that it is Britain’s first mosque, Established in 1887 by Liverpool solicitor William Henry Quilliam., it was the first mosque to be built in the UK.
Children learnt how William had embraced Islam, adopted the Muslim name of Abdullah and set up the very first mosque in Britain. It was fascinating to learn all about his extraordinary life and get an insight into the fabulous charitable work he did at the mosque.
During the visit, Year 6 were shown to the prayer hall and were introduced to the five pillars of Islam, experiencing a calling to prayers, understanding the prayers completed by the Muslim community. The children were also shown how before worship, Muslims would perform wudu (ritual washing). They were also pleased to learn about the work done by the Muslim community to support those in need through the importance if community and peace in the Islamic faith.
Finally, Year 6 were taken on a tour of the Victorian Islam centre and were able to get a glimpse of the artefacts that they are beginning to collect, ready for the museum’s completion.
