Author: Woodward

TEACHING CHRISTIANITY AT KEY STAGES I AND 2

Alison Seaman
Deputy Director, National Society’s R.E. Centre, London

Many of the teachers I work with feel
they simply do not know where to
start when it comes to planning their
religious education programme, and in
particular when teaching Christianity. In each
of the National Curriculum subjects a broad
outline of content is prescribed nationally. For
religious education it is necessary to consult
the local Agreed Syllabus (or for church
schools, the Diocesan Syllabus) for some
initial guidance. Syllabuses, however, vary in
style and content, some giving much more
detailed information and support than others.
The publication of the RE model syllabuses
from SCAA marks the first attempt to provide
some national guidelines for teaching the
world’s major faiths.

If you feel at a loss as to where to begin with
teaching Christianity, the SCAA materials
provide a useful bank of information to refer
to. It is important, however, to remember that
the syllabuses are not intended for use as
teaching programmes, but they do represent a
consensus of opinion, from a wide range of
Christian groups, on the essential ingredients
of Christian belief and practice. For example,
in the Faith Communities Working Group
Report,(1) the Christian working group have
chosen five main content areas for each key
stage, under the headings: God; Jesus; The
Church; The Bible; and The Christian Way of
Life. This is by no means the only way the
content could be organised, but it does provide
a useful structure to work from.

It is a useful activity to compare your planning
documents for RE with another area of the
curriculum. For example, is Christianity taught
according to plans that ensure progression and
development throughout the key stages? It is
essential to apply the same
academic rigour to religious
education as we would in
maths, or science or history
if pupils are to deepen their
knowledge and understanding 
of Christian belief
and practice. Again, the
model syllabuses (2) (3)
provide exemplars which
illustrate a broad and
balanced range of content
organised in a way which
ensures development an
progression. They also en-
courage a move away from
a rather ‘ad hoc’ approach
to teaching Christianity; the
popular Bible stories and
Christian festivals can still
be found, but they are
placed within the context of
key Christian beliefs and
teachings.

Teachers often express
their concern about having
to teach complex Christian
ideas, that they themselves do not understand,
to young children. The model syllabuses
illustrate how Christian beliefs can be taught
in ways appropriate to the experience and 
understanding of pupils at Key Stage 1 and 2,
providing firm foundations for a development
of these ideas at later Key Stages.

In spite of all of this very positive and helpful
support from the model syllabuses, the
teaching of Christianity is still shrouded in
thick mists of misconception and misunderstanding. 
Frequently, teachers relate to
me their experiences of staff meetings where
discussions about teaching Christianity have
become highly charged arguments, leading to
no positive outcome. Teachers find it difficult
to detach themselves from the subject material
in the way they can for other areas of the
curriculum; personal feelings about religious
issues in general or Christianity in particular
can be a real obstacle to creative and enjoyable
teaching. Refuge is often found in a few
familiar Bible stories or a superficial
exploration of the major Christian festivals.
Before tackling the “what” to teach in
Christianity at Key Stages 1 and 2, it is
important to clear some of the mist
surrounding the subject. To make use of a
common analogy, we need to lay down some
of our baggage about teaching Christianity
in the primary school.

Many teachers are still unsure of the role of
Christianity in the religious education of
pupils and fear they are being asked to
convert or nurture pupils in the faith.
They can be reassured that evangelism of any
kind is inappropriate in the classroom. In
the recent Government  circular on
religious education it is stated that Agreed
Syllabuses should not be vehicles for
religious conversion, and that they should “not
urge a particular religion or religious belief on
children”(4). It is also important to emphasise
the educational justification for teaching
Christianity, not only to develop the pupils’
knowledge and understanding of the faith, but
also to give them the language to discuss
freely and informatively; to enable pupils to
make critical evaluations from an informed
standpoint.

In a group of teachers I was working with
recently, two of them expressed their fears
about influencing their impressionable young
pupils with their own beliefs, but for
diametrically opposed reasons: one because he
was a devout Christian, the other because she
was an atheist. This fear of indoctrination led
them both to avoiding teaching Christianity
whenever possible. It could be argued that this
kind of avoidance, albeit with the best
intentions, deprives children of their right to
learn about Christianity; is this not a kind of
indoctrination of ignorance?

Perhaps the most important strategy is to try to
approach teaching Christianity in the same
way as any other area of the curriculum. This
may well require stepping back or detaching
ourselves from the material we teach. Looking
at the language we use can help this process.
When teaching about Christian beliefs and
practices it is more appropriate to adopt the
position of observer; rather than talking about
“our” beliefs or “our” prayers, saying ‘this is
what a Christians believe” or “this is a prayer
that is important for Christians” It is also
worth consulting the teaching materials
produced by the RE Department at
Birmingham University called A Gift to the
Child (5) in which “entering and distancing
devices” are explored to enable pupils to be
actively involved in sharing beliefs as part of
their religious education.

Teachers need to be clear about what is
required of them when teaching Christianity. It
is important to explore ways in which it is
possible to teach about Christian beliefs while
maintaining the integrity of both teachers and
pupils. Firstly, create opportunities for
anxieties about teaching Christianity to be
aired freely. To guide your discussions and to
provide a helpful structure try the activities
suggested in Eggshells and Thunderbolts:
Teacher Resource Manual called “talking
Frankly” and “Finding a Way Forward.”(6)

Secondly, be reassured that it is not necessary
to be a practising Christian to teach
Christianity. Primary school teachers have long
been willing to tackle all subjects in the
curriculum, and it has been part of a teacher’s
professional responsibility to develop
knowledge and understanding of a curriculum
area. Teachers are not expected to be nuclear
physicists to teach the primary science
curriculum, or eminent historians to tackle
history at Key Stages 1 and 2.

Thirdly, it is easy to forget that Christianity is
a faith practised throughout the world, and one
of immense diversity. It would be impossible
to represent every style and approach but it
would not be educationally sound to reproduce
old unchallenged stereotypes. Children, in
even the most isolated parts of the country will
encounter religious diversity through
television, video, books, and often through
their own experiences when travelling on
holiday. It is important for pupils to
understand that Christians are not rigidly tied
to geographical areas or cultural groups.

When we are teaching about Christianity we
should aim to give a balanced picture which
avoids distortion and caricature. The examples
we give, the images and artefacts we use
should reflect the fact that no two groups of
Christians are alike and that there are no hard
and fast rules. Some aspects of Christianity are
flamboyant and visibly or audibly attractive,
some aspects are less obviously eye catching,
but are of no less value or importance. There is
always a temptation to present more exotic or
sensational aspects of Christian tradition
without giving due consideration to the
appropriateness of the content or the 
underlying significance and meaning for adherents.
Finally, we should always be aware that the
cultural and historical significance of
Christianity in the Western world can
sometimes lead to Christianity being seen as
merely an historical phenomenon and
something that is not relevant in the
contemporary world. However, our pupils are
entitled to know of Christianity as a living
faith which is a significant force in the lives of
many people in the world today.

1 Model Syllabuses: Faith Communities’ Working
Group Reports. SCAA ref. RE/941064

2 Model Syllabuses: Model 1 - Living Faiths Today.
SCAA ref. RE/941062

3 Model Syllabuses: Model 2 - Questions and
Teachings. SCAA ref. RE/94/063

4 DFE Circular 1/94 paragraph 32 page 15

5 A Gift to the Child. M. Grimmitt et al. Simon &
Schuster (1991)

6 Eggshells and Thunderbolts. BBC Education and
Culham College Institute.