Promoting ‘Deep Learning’ in Religious Education

1. Promoting ‘Deep Learning’ in Religious Education

2. Have a quick discussion with the person next to you … • Think of the lessons you have observed in Religious Education at your school recently. • What does outstanding RE teaching look like in your school at the moment? • Are your pupils immersed in ‘deep learning’? • How do you know? • What evidence would you be looking for to support that they are?

3. What is ‘Deeper Learning?’ In classrooms where deeper learning is the focus, you find students who are: • Engaged, motivated and challenged • Developing an ability to direct their own learning • Transferring learned skills from one subject area to another • Thinking critically, analytically, and creatively • Showing perseverance and resilience when tackling new ideas • Able to articulate how the work they are doing in class relates to real life.

4. How can we ensure ‘Deeper Learning’ is taking place? Through outstanding teaching where: • Teaching enthuses pupils • Rapid progress is taking place • Teaching communicates high expectations • Teachers show a high level of confidence and subject knowledge • Teachers carefully observe and skilfully question ensuring excellent learning is taking place • Teachers plan for focused learning and include challenge, based on previous assessment – using Driver Words • Fine tuned differentiation ensures the needs of all pupils are addressed • Marking and constructive feedback are frequent and of consistently high quality • Pupils understand what they need to do to improve their work and are given an opportunity to do so • Pupils engage in self –evaluating their work giving them confidence in their ability and how well they achieve

5. How do you know that purposeful and fine-tuned differentiation is taking place in your classrooms? • How would you describe differentiation in RE to a new teacher in your school ? • What would you expect to see if a lesson was clearly differentiated taking into account the needs of all groups of pupils?

6. 2. Spring Term (AT 1iii)Level 1 to Level 2 • A move from labelling • …to describing. • What is added at level 2? • A description as well as a name. • A description includes, for example: • The constituent parts of a thing • The steps involved in an action • Definitions, examples and meanings

7. 2. Spring Term (AT 1iii)Level 1 to Level 2 So we go From: • ‘During Lent people can change and make a new start.’

8. 2. Autumn Term (AT 1iii)Level 1 to Level 2 • …to: • ‘During Lent people can make a new start bybecoming kinder and more helpful. For example, we can raise money for CAFOD and do something good for people who do not have as much as us.’

9. 2. Spring Term (AT 1iii)Level 2 to Level 3 • A move from labelling • …to describing • …to giving reasons for behaviours, actions and symbols What is added at level 3? Reasons for actions or particular symbolic meanings. Descriptions answer the question: What? Reasons answer the question: Why?

10. 2. Spring Term (AT 1iii)Level 2 to Level 3 • …to: • During Lent people can make a new start bybecoming kinder and more helpful. For example, we can raise money for CAFOD and do something good for people who do not have as much as us.’ ‘We do this because giving to others helps us to become more like Jesus. Another reason is because Jesus told us to help those in need and in Lent we try especially hard to do as Jesus asks.

11. 2. Spring Term (AT 1iii)Level 3 to Level 4 • A move from labelling…to describing • …to giving reasons for behaviours, actions and symbols • …showing an understanding of the multiple ways in which religion shapes life What is added at level 4? At Level 4, pupils are still answering the question “Why?” but with an understanding of how belief shapes the whole of a person’s life. The reasons for action now become more complex. They will begin to include a description of the multiple ways in which a believer’s life is affected by many different aspects of belief.

12. 2. Spring Term (AT 1iii)Level 3 to Level 4 • … ‘We do this because giving to others helps us to become more like Jesus. Another reason is because Jesus told us to help those in need and in Lent we try especially hard to do as Jesus asks. Lent has always been an opportunity for Christians to give to charities. Lent is a time that reminds Christians that they are making a new start by giving themselves to God and others through prayer, giving up things and doing good things for others. We do this because we are following the example of Jesus. During Lent too, Christians hear the words of Jesus in His teaching called ‘The Beatitudes’ He calls us to a new way of living and encourages us to repent of our sins through reconciliation. We also hear through the Gospels at Mass how we should be generous, gentle, forgiving, patient, kind and show peace to all.

13. 2. Spring Term (AT 1iii)Level 4 to Level 5 What is added at level 5? At Level 5, pupils are still showing an understandingof how belief shapes the whole of a person’s lifeand the reasons for action now become more complex. They will include a description of the multiple ways in which a believer’s life is affected by many different aspects of belief. They will Identify and explain similarities and differences between peoples’ responses to social and moral issues because of their beliefs. They will be able to draw on multiple sources. Identify and explain

14. 2. Spring Term (AT 1iii)Level 4 to Level 5 • … Lent is time of year in the Church’s calendar when Christians remember the suffering and death of Jesus. Lent is traditionally 40 days and 40 nights in memory of Jesus’ time spent in the desert as written in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark & Luke. Jesus showed us that we should spend time in prayer, penance and sacrifice during this period before Easter. Traditionally Christians fast during Lent, just like Jesus did. Christians try to be more like Jesus in order to live a good life, a new life. In Church Christians begin Lent with a service on Ash Wednesday. We are blessed with a cross from ashes on our foreheads, these are made form old palms, a reminder of when Jesus came into Jerusalem and everyone was waving branches at him. this reminds us that we should be sorry for our sins that God will forgive us if we believe in the Gospel. We are reminded to turn away from sin and start a new life, just like Jesus turned away from the temptations of the Devil. It is a special time to go to reconciliation. In Church we sing special Hymns, like ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ that remind us of the suffering Jesus encountered on Good Friday. Etc……

15. Scripture When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites Matthew 6:16-26 – Gospel for Ash Wednesday Sacraments Reconciliation Christian Beliefs Salvation Created by God – ‘you are dust and to dust you shall return’ Reconciliation/Forgiveness/ Conversion/Repentance Hymns Freely Freely Down on my Knees Again – Vineyard Kids Prayers/Tradition Ash Wednesday Service Lent Lenten calendar YEAR 6 Eucharist –Lent/Easter GIVING LF1 Lent – a time to remember the suffering and death of Jesus Christian Life; Beliefs and Values Living a virtuous life – Witness Sacrifice Change for the better Charity Prayer, fasting and penance Experiences, feelings and ideas Have you ever experienced ‘dying in order to live’ or made a fresh start? How did it make you feel? How can you bear witness to the Gospel? Idea – start a Lenten journal or use a Lenten calendar Art/Images/Artefacts Ashes on forehead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday#mediaviewer/File:Crossofashes.jpg The Gospel – ‘repent and believe the good news’

16. Marking? • What does good marking in RE look like?

17. Setting clear learning objectives that your pupils understand • make sure children know the success criteria from the onset • I Can or Can I statements... • the big question

19. Make the marking count! Explore Section • boost self-esteem – affirmative marking • relate to objective set • questions are used to challenge thinking

20. Make the marking count! Reveal Section • relate to the objective set • questions are used to challenge thinking and can ‘up-level’ work • next steps set using Driver Words

21. Other ways to mark work • verbal feedback (VF) • self assessment • peer assessment

22. Year 2 You retold the story of the Last Supper very well Laura. Can you describe how the disciples felt? Simply use the driver word from your objective in your marking... Next time try and make a link to what Fr. John says in Church during Mass, to the Last Supper. Use a different coloured pen to ask a question which requires a response... Give me a reason why you choose those words?

23. Year 3 Emma you have begun to make links between what Jesus said and how Christians should live. Can you give me a reason why we should try to live like this?

24. Year 4 Can you describewhat is happening in your role play? Oliver, can you give me a reason for what you are doing?

25. Year 6 Wow! What a fabulous design Althea. I can clearly recognise some Christian symbols that you have used. Can you give reasons or an explanation for your choices to show you understand how Christians are united and show me the sources you have used to inform your design.

26. As well as carefully reviewing our conditions for ‘conscious’ learning, we also need to be aware of the unconscious learning in our classes:

27. Good quality RE displays in our classrooms can contribute to ‘Deeper learning’ as: • They can continue ‘unconscious learning’ beyond the discrete RE lesson • They can develop a deeper meaning to the children • They can stimulate self-motivated enquiry and set challenging tasks Some strategies to make display a part of the learning process: • Big Question of the week • Questioner of the week • ‘Working Wall’ approach • Allow children to have ownership of the display

28. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle. As you return to your schools, what will you be doing to ensure that excellence and ‘Deeper learning’ becomes not an act, but is embedded practice in your school?