Slide 1

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 2

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 3

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 4

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 5

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 6

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 7

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 8

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 9

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 10

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 11

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 12

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 13

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 14

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 15

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 16

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 17

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 18

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 19

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 20

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 21

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 22

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 23

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 24

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 25

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 26

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 27

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 28

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 29

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 30

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 31

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 32

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 33

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 34

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

www.natre.org.uk Check out Spirited Arts
Copyright

The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13


Slide 35

The Launch of the RE
Agreed Syllabus 2013
What’s new?
What’s good?
What can happen?

• RE, more than
before, is focused
on the questions
pupils ask about
the biggest issues
of life.
• An investigative
subject drawing
on curiosity

Questions for God
• This activity enables a close connection between AT1
and AT2
• It asks pupils for their own thoughts in mysterious
areas and deepens theological engagement (with 6
year olds and others)
• The work shows progression, range and variety. It’s
not very dependent on literacy skills
• It exemplifies the power of spiritual thinking skills
and good structures to energise RE

Questions for the all-knowing:
• If your pupils could ask ‘the person who knows
everything’ five questions, what would they ask?
How do they think the ‘all-knowing’ would reply?
This activity is an opening to wondering like no
other in RE and can be used in any age group.
• Set the process in 4 steps:
–
–

–
–

Every child make up 3+ questions
Lay them all out round the class, and each choose the
best one.
Say why it is puzzling, interesting, hard to answer
Suggest three ways in which ‘God’ might reply to the
question

This task, to ask the
questions you’d like to of
‘the person who knows
everything’ is versatile
across many levels.
Aaron is able to work at
level 2. In the RE context, he
asks questions about things
that matter to him. This is a
high achievement for
Aaron, who is in Year 1.

Why are we here?
We live to die
Why do we have
feelings?
To express our
heart
Is there such a
thing as hell?
Hell relies on your
mind
What is God?
God is the building
of our souls

The task was to suggest questions to ask of ‘the one who
knows everything’.
This piece of work shows that Duncan can work at level 3.
Duncan can ask important questions about religion and
belief.
Next steps might be to suggest answers that might come
from religions studied.

Zoe (9) gives evidence
of achievement at level
4 – suggesting a range
of answers to her
puzzling religious
questions and applying
religious ideas for
herself

Wenxin is working in one of her
additional languages. She has selected
‘the best question’ to ask God / the
omniscient, and suggested why it is a
good question, why it is hard to
answer and three things God might
say in reply. She applies ideas well to
the topic, and if you think she can
express and explain her views in the
light of religious ideas (which I do)
then you can give level 5 for this
piece.

Christopher, 11:
can he handle
questions about
meaning and
purpose in the
light of religious
beliefs he has
studied? Can he
give views and
reasons for views
that he holds,
aware of others
ideas? If so he is
working at L5.

The Indian artist Frank
Wesley’s amazing image of
Jesus healing the Leper.
Leprosy is still common in
India today.
Look at the light in the
picture – it comes from the
moment of touch. No one
usually touches lepers.
The crowd are separated
from Jesus and the miracle
by their fear.
What do you think Wesley is
trying to say in the picture?
What do you like about it?

• Place yourself on
the blob tree
• How is your RE
currently?
• What does the
school need for
every pupil to
benefit from
respectful,
enquiring, spiritual
and creative RE?

Religion in Oldham and the region

Islamic art and the
understanding of Allah
• RE teachers know that the Islamic rules for
representing Allah are to be taken seriously.
• No image of Allah could ever capture the reality of
God ~ so make no images.
• This activity and work enables the use of some
brilliant Islamic art in exploring the concept of God in
Islam
• It’s ideal and adaptable for thoughtful work in Y5 and
6
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Boy, aged 12,
answering a question
on belief about God.

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(We reproduce by kind permission)

Ahmed Moustapha’s
excellent image ‘The
attributes of Divine
Perfection’.
This image is used in this
work to support and
develop pupils’
understanding of Muslim
concepts of God. It
incorporates 99 geometric
shapes, each written with
one of the beautiful names
of Allah, thus expressing an
Islamic understanding of
the divine without making
an image.
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The Kaaba at Makkah:
empty of any image
since the time of the
Prophet, but still full,
as is the whole
universe, of the
presence of Allah.
The centre of Islamic
faith on earth: a billion
face it in prayer.

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•

“I have worked with the concept that “we
are created in the Image of God” and that
the 99 names or attributes of God are
reflected within us. So when the viewer
looks at the “99 names” s/he sees the Self
reflected in the mirror, and is reminded of
the 99 attributes within one’s own self.”
Yasmin Kathrada:

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Muslim artist Ahmed Mater
uses iron filings and a
magnet block to create the
swirling effect of this work of
art.

Is it Ahmed Moustapha, or
Yasmin Kathrada, or Ahmed
Mater, who has best
expressed the Muslim
understanding of God /
Allah?
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Allah: by the medieval Muslim theologian Al-Ghazali
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“He in his essence is one, without any partner.
Single without any similar
Eternal without any opposite.
Separate without any like
He is one, prior with nothing before him
From eternity without any beginning
Abiding in existence without any after him
To eternity without an end
Subsisting without ending
Abiding without termination
Measure does not bind him
Boundaries do not contain him.”
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The Holy Name of Allah
Jade, 8
Jade was inspired to make this by
using a repeater pattern from the
ICT equipment. Muslims are
inspired by the holy name of Allah,
Lord of the World. The painting uses
Islamic rules, and doesn’t picture
the divine.

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The three progression
pyramids relate closely to
the 8 level scale – which
will be used for the coming
5 years to picture
progressions.
Look across level 1
Look across level 5
Plan from these skills to the
classroom, and the enquiry
centre of RE will improve.

• Rainbow and Scream
Naomi & Faizah, Aged 15
• Our work is a representation
of human struggle. The face
depicts an average person
drowning in the problems of
life. 'Where are you?' is a for
help especially directed
toward God as if praying for
a miracle. The
overwhelming colours
represent the vast amount
of religions, all claiming to
be the truth. This agnostic
view represents a number
of confusing questions
about God asked by many
but answered by few; Who
are you? Where are you?
Are you even there?

Where is God today? M&Ms, Jar, Air Darcy
Aged 13
The jar is the vessel of life. It contains all the
things that affect and influence human lives.
The M&Ms represent the main ones of these.
They are:
Yellow – Births
Brown – Deaths
Green – Celebrations Red – Suffering & Evil
Blue – Individualities
Orange – Disasters
There’s a balance of good and bad
components of life in the jar. I have chosen
M&Ms because they have a sphere shape. This
means that they do not fit together in the jar.
The air is where we can find God, surrounding
each of life's events and influences, He does
not control but is never far away. I have also
included only one white M&M because I
wanted to show that sometimes God has felt
that it is not enough to be omnipresent, so he
has sent his sons and prophets to walk
amongst us.
Sometimes I have heard criticism about God
saying that if he is omnipotent, omniscient and
omni benevolent he wouldn't be allowing
human suffering to take place. I do not feel
that he has absolute control. He is however
loving and forgiving and he ensures good will
always prevail.

I am not an animal. Name Madeleine Ireton.
When I was trying to leave the zoo
The keeper said ‘’stop little “animal.’”
I said “who?”
“You.”
“I am not an animal” “I walk with two legs.”
“But a bird walks with two legs too.”
“I can sing.”
“But a bird can sing too.”
“But I can sing with words and I can chatter.”
“But a monkey can chatter too.”
“But I can chatter with words and I can play.”
“Gorillas can play too.”
“But I can play at school and I can run.”
“But a fox can run too.”
“Not as fast as me.” And I ran away.
THE END
Madeleine Ireton, Age 5

Being Human
We are all lights,
Flickering lights,
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.

Every light is different,
Brilliant in its own way,
With its own ideas and views.

Together we are strong,
A ball of light,
In a darkening world.

Even with death,
There is still heat,
And our fire will give life to new lights.

Those who seek to quench our lights
will always fail.
Our souls are impregnable
fortresses.
Soaring birds,
Unending entities.

We are all lights,
Flickering lights
Destined to go out,
Sooner or later.
Patrick McNicol, 13