Developing the teaching of other faiths
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Williamstown Primary School - Lynne Davies
With thanks to Central South Consortium for funding this place.
Williamstown Primary School is set within a small, semi-rural village in the Rhondda Valley. There are 301 pupils on role, of which 26% are entitled to Free School Meals, 10% have Additional Learning Needs and 0.04% are from families coming from outside of the UK. Almost all families have not disclosed any religion.
In Williamstown there is a supportive and thriving community and this care and compassion has fed into the warm and welcoming ethos of our school. We pride ourselves on ensuring that everyone is valued and that no one is ever left behind. We strive as a school to bring out the absolute best in every pupil, providing opportunities for all to reach their potential, often leading to transformed lives of both pupils and their families. The church has been very much a part of our school’s tradition, and we have a rich and full Christian calendar to celebrate. Our children thoroughly enjoy visiting St Illtud Church and learning the tenets of our Christian heritage and beloved Welsh culture. Williamstown, however, is not particularly diverse in faith or culture and in preparing our children to become ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world we recognised that we needed to expose our children to faiths, beliefs and viewpoints that were beyond their lived experience.
Both staff and children needed to expand upon their understanding of other faiths, beliefs and philosophical convictions, fully embracing their richness, and the beauty of diversity in all its forms. Initially we wanted to simply raise the profiles of other faiths in school as our children needed access to knowledge and information of other faiths and beliefs to become fully informed.
Why did you choose this focus?
As Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) is now set within the Humanities Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE) of the Curriculum for Wales, we wanted to ensure that it was fully integrated as part of thematic projects. We also needed to establish which areas may need to be taught as ‘standalone’ mini-projects and/or what might be delivered as one-off events or assemblies. To aid this we took the decision to weave the RVE syllabus into the fabric of the Humanities Statement of What Matters (SWM). This was something that would benefit staff in their planning and in the realisation of how much RVE they teach. This remains ongoing and very much a working document.
What changes did you make?
We held our first Interfaith Week in March 2023. We chose Belonging/Cynefin, with the sub-heading: To be seen is to belong and belonging is the foundation of community.
In Early Years, the children looked at being known and seen with the parable of The Lost Sheep – although this little sheep was one of 100, he was seen, he was known, he was missed. The children learned that no matter how small they are, to us they are valued and important. Here the children learned about the value of community and belonging.
In Years 1 - 3, the children looked at being a part of something bigger than themselves. Using the Native American story of the Rainbow Crow, they learned that in difficult circumstances, despite being different and behaving in different ways, working together we can make things better for our community. The children delved into what Christians, Muslims, Jews and Humanists said regarding how we treat each other by reading holy books and fundamental texts. They learned too that the core value of each was to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself.
In Years 4 - 6, the children looked at The Seeds of Prejudice and how we can unknowingly judge other people, reflecting on our own attitudes and the impact these may have on other people. Through the Muslim folk tale of Nasruddin and the banquet, the children questioned whether they had ‘judged’ people unfairly and how being judged would make them feel. They discovered that wearing designer clothes or cheap clothes does not make someone better or worse than someone else. What matters is the type of person they are. Looking at the words of Jo Cox: “…we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us”. The children researched what Christians, Muslims, Jews and Humanists thought about prejudice, and wonderfully discovered Jo Cox was right.
The children responded so well to the Interfaith Week that we decided to go bold. Our next exploration in October 2023 was to take the form of an RVE enquiry: What does faith and belief mean to you? This would give the children a deeper awareness of other faiths, those beyond the children’s day-to-day experience.
Our focus would now draw upon and encompass Humanities AoLe SWM 1: Enquiry, exploration and investigation inspire curiosity about the world, its past, present and future.
This area of Humanities encourages the children to enquire and discover, to challenge and be curious, to question and think critically and to reflect upon evidence. With new and creative thinking our children can gain a deeper understanding of the ideas that underpin faith and understand the experiences of others. It allows the children to think critically and draw informed conclusions, realising that some conclusions are open to different interpretations. It encourages us to reflect so we can understand ourselves and others more, building our understanding of cynefin, our sense of place, which in turn will impact on our worldview.
SWM2: Events and human experiences are complex, and are perceived, interpreted and represented in different ways. Here the children are encouraged to form their own informed viewpoints, recognise those of others and develop their self-awareness, giving them the background knowledge to make informed decisions.
Our enquiry began with Christianity. Under its umbrella we knew there were many denominations to explore. With the help of our friends at St Illtud Church in Wales, we organised an afternoon of exploring Christianity. Joined by the Salvation Army, community sisters of the Catholic Church and a pastor from a local evangelical church, the children had the opportunity to learn about the well-loved traditions of the Church in Wales as well as Christian views from the non-denominational perspective. They learned of dedication, of service and of the freedom of forgiveness from all denominations represented. The children learned not all Christian churches look, or feel, the same but the underlying message is the same.
Our enquiry continued with a visit from two Muslim community members who came to share what their faith means to them as followers of Islam in Wales today. These women of faith enraptured the children. For many, this was the first time they had met someone of South Asian descent, and the openness of these ladies surely contributed to the children’s understanding and acceptance of diversity of faith and culture. They asked relevant questions and were extremely interested in the Kabbah, unknown to them until that day. They enquired about food, festivals and celebrations and were eager to question the ladies on the role their faith plays in their day to day lives, why was one dressed traditionally and the other not, does traditional dress equate to ‘being more religious’? Why did some men have a beard when others do not and their interpretation of who Jesus was and whether or not they celebrate His birth.
To complete our investigation, we met a representative from Humanists UK. The children were intrigued to hear someone state that they live their life trusting in humanity, finding answers through science and that for them there was no God. The children heard from a gentleman whose life experiences brought him to the realisation that he was a Humanist through his granddaughter. This immediately posed the question: Can children make a difference? This reinforced that although they may be young, they have a voice and should not be afraid to use it with respect for all.
They learned of the Humanist belief that people must be allowed to practise their faith if that is their choice, as Humanists believe in freedom, human rights and equality.
The children explored how The Ten Commandments were held as an example of good ‘rules’ to live by and something on which societal laws are built on and still stand today and were totally engaged with the scientific Humanist viewpoint that we are ‘made of stardust’ and this is something many would like to explore.
What was the impact of the changes?
First-hand explanations of faith and belief made a dramatic difference to the children’s understanding and acceptance of others. Our visitors have helped open up enquiring minds and encouraged questioning. Our children have gained a deeper understanding of the Christian faith, or Christian culture in which they live. They have been able to reflect upon the subtle nuances between Christian denominations, explore the viewpoints of each denomination and note the interpretations that differ.
Although engaged with the church and our Christian visitors, it was the teachings from Islam and Humanist viewpoints that stayed with the children. They were new and exciting and have piqued the children’s interest into world faiths and world views. It is probably more important than ever that we teach our children the value of listening to one another and reflecting on what is said, to respect one another and move forward in love and peace. Learning of real lives with openness and respect, challenging what you hear, and making informed decisions will help our children become the valued, able citizens of Wales and the world that we need them to be.
Our teachers are fully supportive of the move to raise the profile of RVE, and surprisingly encouraged by the amount of RVE they cover so well without even realising it. Again, hearing first-hand from our visitors has helped develop our staff’s understanding of Islam and Humanism.
It is hoped that as the thematic approach of teaching is now underway, the profile of RVE will rise. This may be achieved by selecting an RVE learning journey (RVE Lens) to run alongside the theme/concept being taught also encouraging creativity and critical thinking. This will also provide an opportunity to ask what we want the foundation of our school to be? What kind of citizens do we want our children to become and how we will do it?
What influenced you?
Our RVE Network meetings have been hugely beneficial as the group has enriched my understanding of RVE. It has been an unbelievable inspiration in my choices moving forward. We have met regularly, witnessing first-hand the growing confidence of teachers as they creatively take RVE forward to develop their learners as independent thinkers, open to possibilities, developing compassion and understanding, and becoming well-rounded citizens of Wales and the world.
My approaches have also been influenced by the passion of the speakers, from many faiths and beliefs, that I have had the privilege of listening to. It has been challenging on a personal level too. As a person of faith, I have reflected on my own attitudes and approaches and I have learned the value of listening without prejudice as it is only by listening that we can evoke change and begin to have influence.
The National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) have provided many good articles on the teaching of RVE and the course with Lat Blaylock exploring RVE was very beneficial especially looking at the lives of people when teaching concepts, for example, using the life of Dr Hany El-Banna, the founder of Islamic Relief, when teaching the five pillars of Islam.
Reforming RE, edited by Mark Chater, was enlightening and I thank Church in Wales for gifting this.
Top three takeaways
- Nothing compares to the real thing, for example learning about Islam from a book and learning what it is like to be a Muslim living in Wales today from a real person, is vastly different. Wherever possible, speak to real people about their faith and belief. The children were so enquiring, it was a joy to see
- No matter what our faith or belief, our core values are the same, for example, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Draw on this to encourage acceptance and understanding. Reflect on what is being taught by other faiths and identify our similarities, there is so much we have in common
- Take a risk. No matter how daunting, give things a go. Run an Interfaith Week, you’ll be amazed what you’ll learn