REinspired, in Earley and East Reading, works across three local secondary schools, supporting their Religious Education teachers with the Christian element of the RE syllabus.
Our work helps develop depth in the students’ experience and understanding of this subject.
Our Secondary sessions are varied and include games, discussion, interactive storytelling, ranking and sorting activities, and drama. There is always plenty of opportunity for the students to express their thoughts, opinions, and feelings at all stages of the session.
The volunteers listen and respond to them with respect.
The students feel heard, and their contributions valued.
In one of our year 7 sessions, ‘Who do people say I am?’, we explore C.S. Lewis’ thought of whether Jesus was mad, bad, God or something else.
After the students have sorted a timeline of the life of Jesus, we turn the classroom into a courtroom and put this idea on trial. A lawyer asks three expert witnesses – Pilate, Caiaphas, and Peter – questions such as, ‘What was your part in the trial of Jesus, and why did you act as you did?’, and ‘Did Jesus really come back to life?’
Small groups of students act as juries, gathering evidence from what is said, and then sift through and analyse that evidence in their groups. They must end up with a group verdict, which can be a majority decision. They appoint a spokesperson to report this to the class and why they came to that
verdict.
Other sessions range from Religious Experience (year 8), Science and Religion (year 9), and The Problem of Evil (year 12).
Students really enjoy us running the sessions, and teacher feedback says, “The sessions are engaging and provide stimulus for some excellent discussions.”
If you would like to know more about our work, please check out our website: www.reinspired.org.uk
Carrie King, Team Leader REinspired, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Earley and East Reading
