Creativity in RE

Opportunities for Creativity in RE

Religious learning is at the heart of the curriculum at Pope Paul School.  We plan our teaching to be creative, inspiring and to actively engage our pupils in their learning. Teachers use a variety of teaching strategies to match pupil’s learning needs

Why should we teach Religious Learning Creativity?

Creative RE energises pupil’s thinking, gives them time and the opportunity to develop and express ideas and enables teamwork to flourish.

There are many benefits to teaching creativity:

• Celebrating dignity to all
• High levels of enjoyment and more memorable
• Higher level thinking
• Develops resilience
• Develops social skills
• Fun and affirming

Examples of how we teach Creativity in RE

Drama/Role Play

Use of Art for Religious Interpretation

“Religious Education exists to explore the human answers to the fundamental or ultimate questions that life throws up.

Art exists to explore the human answers to the fundamental or ultimate questions that life throws up.” (Lat Blaylock)

Art work is used to inspire children’s thinking/questioning in the classroom.

Children in year 5 and 6 examined this painting by Dinah Roe Kendall and thought about a suitable title for it.

They came up with “The Garden of Shame”, “The Evening of Darkness” and “The Betrayal.”

The children examined Luke’s retelling of the story and discussed whether the thought the artist’s interpretation matched the scripture.

Inspiration was taken from the works of the Stations of the Cross by the Benedictan Sisters of Turvey Abbey in Bedfordshire.

Use of Poetry

‘Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.’ Robert Frost

KS2 used the writing of Poetry to help children reflect before and after receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  A framework was given for children to use to write their thoughts about ‘what is sin and what is forgiveness?’

Forgiveness by Alex year 6

Forgiveness can be like rain.

The clouds let out sweet droplets of forgiveness,

Making everyone’s lives better.

Forgiveness can be like the wind.

Soaring through the sky and coming down to people filling them with the courage to forgive.

Forgiveness can be like birds.

Flying through the sky, feeding the young,

chirping the melody of forgiveness.

Forgiveness can be like leaves.

Everytime you forgive, you grow and feel more refreshed as your stem extends.

Forgiveness is the golden staircase to heaven.

Every step of the way, the people you’ve have relieved, the crowds you have spread joy to.

Forgiveness, the powerful sacrament of God.

Use of ICT

Computing is used to develop and creativity and learning in RE.

Year 5 and 6 wrote podcast scripts about comparing the need for the Sacrament of Reconciliation which they broadcast?

These are a few examples of how we teach religious knowledge to our children to ensure that our pupils find RE learning to be exciting and challenging.