RE and assessment: 5-7 Oldham SACRE Guidance... · Web viewTeachers need to spend preparatory time reading the tasks and thinking about how they will best work for pupils in your

© Oldham SACRE 2013 / RE Today

RE and assessment in Oldham: Six sample tasksMany teachers, especially in the primary schools, have asked Oldham SACRE for more practical help with assessing RE. Here SACRE provides teachers in this paper with six tasks which illustrate good assessment practice in RE. They are tried and tested and ready to use. They connect directly to some of the most commonly taught topics in the syllabus, and are transferable to use with other religious materials, as well as the specific example here. Generally, most pupils in Key Stage 1 work between levels 1 and 3. In Key Stage Two a big majority work between levels 2 and 5. In Key Stage Three a large proportion of learners work between levels 3 and 6, with some gifted or talented pupils showing achievement at levels seven and eight.

Each of the tasks centres on a single level of achievement in the RE eight level scale from Levels 1-6. The emphasis is on RE achievements (not merely literacy). The tasks are usually easy to differentiate up a level, or down a level, matching work to pupils’ learning needs in a mixed ability setting. Of course they are not endlessly ‘stretchable’ – pupils with special needs, or gifted and talented pupils for example, will need further differentiation by task. There are suggestions in each task about how to add the challenge of ‘one level up’ to the tasks.

Teachers need to spend preparatory time reading the tasks and thinking about how they will best work for pupils in your school. Taken as a whole, the tasks balance different religions appropriately, but we recognise they are exemplars, and a small sample. Please use them flexibly.

The Agreed Syllabus in Oldham recommends a light touch approach to assessment for learning in RE, and these tasks are not to be seen as a requirement: they illustrate good practice and we hope they will be useful in developing assessment practice. They are emphatically not SATs for RE!

The six examples here are: Sequencing The Easter Story for work at Level 1 The Christmas Story: Sensitive thoughts for work at Level 2 Learning from Judaism: How does Jewish Passover link to my life? A task

for work at Level 3 Understanding and comparing ideas about God creatively for work at

Level 4 Explaining my views of religious issues in the community for work at

Level 5 Interpreting and explaining sacred texts and moral codes for work at

Level 6

These all connect to different teaching units in the Oldham RE syllabus. They might each be used as learning and assessment activities. Teachers do not have to use them – they are just examples of possible practice.

Oldham Council working in partnership with 1Oldham SACRE 2014 - 2019


Task A: Level 1: The Easter StorySkills: Recognise religious material, recall the outline of a religious story, talk about the story.

Give pupils this set of pictures, cut out onto cards. After hearing the story of Holy Week and Easter, the last days of Jesus’ life, can they put the pictures in order?

Can pupils sequence these seven pictures from hearing the story? If so, they can recall the outline of the story – a skill for Level 1.

Can pupils talk about the story? Which one in the pictures is Jesus? What is he doing? How do the people in the picture feel? They talk about religious story. Another skill at Level 1


© Oldham SACRE 2013 / RE TodayHow to use the task: Tell the story of the last days of Jesus’ life in an engaging way. Give a pupil the seven pictures on separate cards. Can the child put them in the right

order? The heart of the task is for pupils to sequence the pictures, talking about what they

are doing (Level 1 – retell the outline of the story, talk about it). To facilitate learning, the teacher might ask them to recognise some key characters. How many times is there a picture of Jesus, for example? Who do they recognise in the pictures, from the story?

To extend the learning, ask them which picture shows an exciting moment, a sad moment, an angry moment, a puzzling moment or a friendly moment in the story (there is more than one answer to each of these). Here you are looking for work at level 2: respond sensitively to religious materials.

Ask the pupils to draw a picture for what the story says happened when the stone was rolled away, and tell someone about their art work. Level 2: suggest a meaning in a story.

This is a flexible task. Pupils might:o Sequence pictures of a different story: Rama and Sita at Divali, Moses, the

bulrushes, the burning bush and the parting of the seas, Jesus’ story of the Lost Sheep.

o Identify religious people in images or pictures and talk about them.



Task B Level 2 - The Christmas StorySkills: retelling a religious story, identifying aspects of a story, responding sensitively to the story, suggesting meaning in a story

Pupils are often familiar with the Christmas story from nativity plays, but good approaches to the story identify that it is from the Bible and make opportunities for pupils to understand and respond for themselves. Preliminary work for this task might include telling the story, watching video of the story and using text-related literacy approaches to it.

A Christmas card sorting activity where pupils select the cards that have to do with the Jesus story (setting aside robins, Victorian snow scenes and Santa), and then put six such cards in order as they tell the story (e.g. annunciation, journey to Bethlehem, no room at the inn, the manger, the shepherds, the Magi). This asks for the skill of ‘recalling an outline of a story’ (Level 1).

The framework for the Level 2 task is given on the next page. Use the thinking frame to ask pupils how they think it felt to be the characters in this most famous story. You could provide a word list of enriching vocabulary for them to use: excited / tired / puzzled / ashamed / thankful / fearful / relieved / grateful / amazed.

Good responses will write about the different points of view in the four bubbles and will refer to the story in ways that show children are responding sensitively to the text.

A follow up activity might ask pupils to think about what happened next: Could they choose one character and suggest how they would look back on the story a whole year later?

Development, looking for higher levels: Speech bubble activities are too factual to elicit Level two responses alone, but the

strategy of speech and though bubbles attached to a picture is a very good one. Picture Noah at the beginning, middle and end of his story, the Good Samaritan,

the Return of the Prodigal Son, Guru Nanak’s followers from a Sikh story or Hindu people going to worship at a Mandir. What are they thinking?

Children can be given key vocabulary to use, and the task elicits level three work if they make links between belief and character, or between the story and their own experiences, or if they use the right words to describe religious practice.




The shepherd thinks:Joseph thinks:

Mary thinks:

The wise man thinks:


Task C Level 3: Learning from the Jewish PassoverSkills: Describing religious practice, making meaningful links to my own life, using symbolism to reflect on meaning.Tell pupils the Jewish story of Exodus, the escape of slaves from Egypt under Pharaoh’s cruelty. Moses led the people through the Red Sea to safety after they all sacrificed a lamb. Ask pupils how they think this is remembered. Teach them that it is celebrated every year in a Jewish family festival: 3400 years have hallowed the practice. Learn about the seven kinds of food and drink on the Seder plate, and what they each symbolise. Test if they can remember the symbols and their meanings, and describe how each item is connected to the story of slaves set free. Ask pupils to describe what is happening by labelling a photograph of a family Seder Pesach meal in the Jewish home. This is all good AT 1 work.To assess what pupils might be learning from Pesach, point out to the pupils that we have not experienced this story – but it does have links to our lives: ‘I’ve never been a slave, but there are things that tie me down sometimes...’ Use the outline on the page below to gather evidence of achievement in making links to pupils’ own experience. Can they draw seven pictures to show things that make them laugh and cry, things that tie them down and set them free, things that are signs of hope and new life. Is there a person who makes sacrifices for them, sometimes?Ask pupils to write about their seven drawings, making simple links from their own lives to the Jewish celebration.

For pupils who may be able to achieve at a higher level, this task can be expanded. Teachers might ask pupils to use a writing frame to explain different ideas


© Oldham SACRE 2013 / RE Todayabout the symbolism of the Seder, and explain their own views of the connections people make between Judaism and their own lives.

Task D: Level 4 Understanding Ideas about God CreativelySkills: Using key concepts to understand a range of ideas. Applying ideas for myself.

The context of this task could be a study of worship in any religion or a study of beliefs about God and humanity. This task uses four different expressions of ideas about God as a stimulus to pupils’ own thinking. The ideas come from a Muslim, a Christian, an Atheist and an Agnostic. Three are works of art, and the fourth is a poem.

Copy the following page for pupils as a stimulus sheet.

Ask pupils to respond to these questions:

If you were selecting a ‘winner’ from these competition entries, which would you go for and why?

What does a Christian, a Muslim, an Atheist and an Agnostic believe about God? What do two of these pieces of work have in common? What do the painters

and/or poets agree about? Use the words: believer / doubt / evidence / opinion / faith in a 75 word account of

your own views about whether God is real and what God is like.

Level 4 work is characterised by understanding and ideas in action (application of ideas). Answers to these questions that are merely descriptive will be at Level 3

Syllabus Connection: Year 6 or 7. What do different people believe about God? How do they express their beliefs creatively? Similar activities could be used in relation to other religions and beliefs – this one refers to Atheism, Agnosticism, Christianity and Islam.

For pupils who may be able to achieve at a higher level, this task can be expanded. Teachers might ask pupils to explain their own views of similarities and differences in how people express beliefs about God: why do some people claim to know the truth about - God, when others say they believe, or have faith in God? What’s the difference and why does it matter? Do we get our beliefs from our families?



Inayah is a 15 year old Muslim. “People who do not see the evidence of God's work in creation and design of the world need to open their eyes wider to see the sheer beauty of the world and the plain evidence that God does exist. Stars and the sky, nature, our own nervous, circulatory and digestive systems show God's remarkable skill. The painting shows that there is evidence of God in absolutely everything. All we need to do to see it is to open our eyes wider.”

Ian is 12. He is an atheist. “Where is God? In the skip. The model shows that people who have tried to find God may have drawn pictures to understand him but have got frustrated and thrown the pictures away. If God does exist, then he is impossible to find!”

Agnostic Acrostic(An agnostic is someone who is not sure about God) Calvin is 12.

Am not sure about God.Go and find him in heaven.Never seen him before.Only find out when I’m dead.Some believe, some don’t.Time to find out if he’s real!Is he real or is he not?Calvin doesn’t know.

Becca is a 15 year old Christian. “Where is God? Seek and you will find him. I depict a girl looking at her shadow. Newspaper cuttings in the shadow speak about the everyday: terror, murder, death. Jesus stands behind her, surrounded by light and colour. I put cuttings from newspapers in the

shadow, to do with what you see and hear about on the news every day: terror, murder, death, tension, crisis. It's easy to focus on the shadow in life, as it's presented so frequently. If you think of God, it's in the situations when good things happen. But in the shadow, God is there. In war torn areas people's lives can be transformed because of him. The image of Jesus behind the girl and the colour that surrounds them both illustrates that even where things look dark, God is working there. There is light even in


© Oldham SACRE 2013 / RE Todaythe shadow.”

Task E: Level 5: Explaining my views of religious issuesSkills: Explaining similarities and differences between beliefs and values, explaining the impact of religion in individuals and communities, expressing my views in the light of religious teaching.

This assessment activity uses case studies of community cohesion to enable pupils to explore their views about religions living together. The case studies are all British examples, so may be a useful challenge to any pupils who have not got to grips with our plural nation.

Should Hindus have a day off work or school at Divali time?

Can a mosque make a public call to prayer on a Friday? Is that like church bells ringing?

Should Christian Easter mean a holiday for everyone, or just for Christians?

When Sikhs wear the 5Ks, should this be respected whatever their work or school uniform might be?

Introduce this work by telling pupils about the key skills of RE: disagreeing respectfully, using reasons to explain similarities and differences, expressing thoughtful views. What is the best thing to do when people disagree about religion? What will make for harmony?

Using these case studies with older children in the primary school or with pupils in Key Stage 3 will give them the opportunity to investigate, explain similarities and differences, express views explaining why they hold them, and explain the impact of religion in individual and community life. These are all Key RE skills characteristic of Level 5 that also allow children to understand the issues surrounding religious difference. This exercise therefore is clearly supportive of practical community cohesion.

Further information can be collected to support this approach by collecting cutting from children’s newspapers such as First News or searching the archives of the CBBC Newsround website.

The Sikh 5Ks: always to be respected? Muslim call to prayer:

When is it publicly acceptable?



The following strategies could be used to explore the four religious dilemmas on the next page

Agenda setting

Devise an agenda of questions for small group discussions. The questions could be devised by the teacher or worked out as a class. Provide either a newspaper article or write your own case study exploring a set of issues. Ask each group to look at the article or case study considering what it is like for the real people in the situation.

The following questions are a suggested selection: What is the problem? Who is affected? Where does it happen? Why is this a sensitive issue? How could it be tackled? What is the best way forward? Who will take action?

Whole class discussion could focus on: Have you ever experienced a similar conflict in your own life? Who has to take action to solve the conflict?

Pros and Cons listing:

Get pupils to clearly say what the alternatives are, and to list good and bad points for each alternative.

The actual assessment activity could ask pupils to write a balanced argument about one of the dilemmas and a persuasive text about another one.

Syllabus Connection: Year 6, 7 or 8. How do people express their ideas about social problems connected to religion? Similar activities could be used in relation to other religions and beliefs.


© Oldham SACRE 2013 / RE TodayShould Hindus have a day off work or school at Divali time?In some areas of the country, schools arrange a closure day for the festival of Divali. Headteachers have asked that they are allowed to decide which days for religious festivals they choose to mark.Many schools allow Hindu and Sikh children and staff to have a religious absence day for Divali.Christians have both Easter and Christmas as Holiday if they work in jobs where they don’t have to work shifts. Should everyone be

allowed two days off work or school each year to celebrate their religious festivals? What holidays should atheists have?

What do you think? List ‘for and against’ reasons.

Can a mosque make a public call to prayer on a Friday?In a large British city, plans for the call to prayer to be broadcast have caused opposition from local residents.

The Mosque elders would like to broadcast a two minute long call to prayer three times a day. Local residents have said their main objection is about a loudspeaker being used, they don’t object to the Imam shouting the call to prayer. Mosque elders have said if they cannot broadcast the call three times a day they would at least like to be able to broadcast for Fridays Jummah prayer.

Some have said that the call to prayer is like church bells but others have said the call to prayer is different because it states Muslim beliefs.

Does giving the Muslim community the same rights as the Christian community make a more respectful society?

Should the daily prayer call be allowed by the local council? What do you think? List ‘for and against’ reasons.

When Sikhs wear the 5Ks, should this be respected whatever their work or school uniform might be?

Sarika Singh, 14, has been excluded from her school in Wales for wearing a Sikh bracelet, called a kara, which she says is important for her religion. Her school has rules about jewellery and only allows pupils to wear a watch and a pair of stud earrings. Sarika has taken her case to the High Court claiming that the school is discriminating against her. When the school asked Sarika to remove her bangle, she refused and so in November last year, she was excluded.

Sikhs in the army and police are allowed to wear their turbans for many duties but must wear suitable protective headgear when in battle or on some police duties. Some people say it’s good that the army and police are working to create a turban

Should Christian Easter mean a holiday for everyone?

As more time is spent thinking what the best length of terms to help children’s learning, has the time come to stop giving everybody Easter as a holiday?

Committed Christians could request a religious absence day for Maundy Thursday and we could even consider moving the Good Friday or Easter Monday bank holiday to give an extra break in October. But do shared holidays make a nation stronger? Should the Christian history of Britain make Easter (and Christmas) days off for everyone,


© Oldham SACRE 2013 / RE Todaysuitable for wearing in violent situations.A Sikh in London has been allegedly excluded for wearing the kirpan (small sword). The Criminal Justice Act 1988 safeguards the rights of Sikhs to carry the kirpan as it is deemed a necessary part of their religion.

Should Sikh people get special treatment because of the Five Ks that they wear?

Does this show respect for all or favoritism? What do you think? List ‘for and against’ reasons.

not just Christians?

Should the law allow everyone two days off at Easter, or just Christians?

What do you think? List ‘for and against’ reasons.



Level 6: Interpreting and explaining sacred texts

Skills: giving informed accounts of diversity, interpretation of sources, beliefs and practices, developing and expressing insight into questions of meaning and value, considering the challenges of a range of ideas from religion and belief, developing argumentative skills

Using extracts from the Qur’an, the Bible and a Humanist source, pupils interpret different moral visions and seek insight into their own views of good and evil, right and wrong.

Aims: pupils can show if they can: Interpret two different religious perspectives on moral questions, relating these to

my own views. Use a wide vocabulary to account for differences between moral codes Express insights of my own into the strengths (and any possible weaknesses) of

living by a moral code from a religion.

Setting up the task: Give pupils the resource sheet from the next page and read it together, making sure

any new vocabulary is understood, and beginning to explore similarities and differences between the three moral codes.

Ask students to work with a partner at first, using three coloured highlighters. In green, highlight any places where two or all three of the moral codes agree.

Use a blue highlighter to notice any aspects of the moral codes that students think are not good ideas – they will have to explain why.

Use a yellow highlighter to pick out aspects from each moral code that are ‘common in Britain’ – a kind of shared ethics in our national life?



Six questions for level 6Set pupils these questions in a test environment, using material they have prepared earlier if you wish. The questions are all aimed at aspects of level 6, but a student does not have to deliver all six to achieve the level, so they might select three or four to answer in depth.

A. Christians, Muslims and Humanists share some ideas about what it means to be good.

Give your account of three examples of ideas they share.

Why do you think this agreement is so wide?

B. Christians, Muslims and Humanists disagree about some aspects of what is right and wrong, good and evil.

Give an informed account of what is distinctive about each group.

C. Christians and Muslims agree that trying to follow God / Allah helps people live good lives. This idea is questioned by Humanists. Give arguments from both sides and express your own insights on the questions: Is belief in God necessary to live a good life? Does belief in God help a person to live a good life?

D. What are the challenges of following each of the three moral codes?

Which do you think is hardest to keep?

E. The three codes are different. Select the one that is closest to your own moral vision and consider: What would change in the town you live in if everyone did follow one of these codes?

Interpret the code in the light of the challenges your community faces today.

F. Some people say we all have our own internal moral code, a conscience. From all your reading and thinking about moral codes, can you create one of your own? Up to ten principles for goodness that you mean to follow, with a commentary that says why you have chosen them and the impact they will have on your life.


© Oldham SACRE 2013 / RE TodayTen Commandments fromThe Holy Qur’anSurah 6. Al-An-am:Ayat 151-1531. You should not set up

anything as Partner with Allah.

2. You should treat your parents kindly.

3. You should not kill your children for fear of poverty, for we provide sustenance for you and for them.

4. You should not go near indecent things, whether they be open or hidden.

5. Do not take life which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law.

6. You should not go near the property of an orphan, except to improve it, until he / she reaches maturity.

7. You should use a full measure and a just balance.

8. Whatever you say should be just, even though it is concerning your own relatives.

9. You should fulfil your covenant with Allah.

10. Allah also enjoins: ‘this way alone is my right way.’ Therefore you should follow this way and should not follow other ways lest they lead you astray from His way.

These commandments are not parallel to the Judaeo – Christian

From the Humanists:Ten Non-Commandments1. Respect authority, but

think for yourself.2. Base your conduct on

simple, humane principles.

3. Strive to eliminate poverty.

4. Strive to eliminate war.5. Do not be a snob ~

always respect other people.

6. Always think of the consequences for others before you act.

7. Take the care necessary to enjoy family life and marriage.

8. Respect the law.9. Commit yourself to

active citizenship.10. Have confidence in

the modern world and your powers to improve it.

Five Humanist SlogansOne local group of humanists in Bromley have produced a set of posters to promote humanist ideas. They have the five following slogans on them:

Good without God

Morals without religion

Rites without religion

Ceremonies without

Christian Bible, from Saint Paul, Romans Chapter 12: Advice to believers9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.20 On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. 21Do not be overcome by


© Oldham SACRE 2013 / RE Todaydecalogue. They come from the Holy Qu’ran.

superstitionEthical atheism

(This means living for the wellbeing of all without

referring to God or religion)

evil, but overcome evil with good.

Lat Blaylock, RE Today / Oldham SACRE © 2013


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RE and assessment: 5-7 Oldham SACRE Guidance... · Web viewTeachers need to spend preparatory time reading the tasks and thinking about how they will best work for pupils in your