Welcome to the Cathedral Church of Saint Barnabas, the seat of the Bishop of Nottingham and the chief Church for Roman Catholics living in the Diocese of Nottingham.
Religious Education
Religious Education
Religious education in the UK is a prime subject in secular schools, as well as church schools. Christian beliefs, doctrines and rituals are central, but teaching about other religions is also part of the syllabus, as well as reference to not having a religion at all. And some schools are allowed to teach other religions as their prime object – Judaism, Islam, Hinduism being examples.
The teaching of Religious Education can benefit from a variety of different experiences outside the classroom. Each religion has its own traditions and schools will have their own needs and wants in terms of relating each religion to the other. Teachers should be aware that religion and particularly places of worship can be sensitive and taking a large group of noisy children into such an environment will take plenty of forethought and planning.
Some ideas and tips for planning such trips include...
Before you go:
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Make initial contact: find out if you can visit and when is the best time – both for you and the faith community concerned.
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Preliminary visit: Try to visit the faith community yourself to explore learning opportunities and to discuss your needs with the person who will be involved in the visit. Share with him/her what you hope pupils will get out of the visit. Clearly planned aims help to fit the visit into a scheme of work. A general ‘look around’ is the least likely activity to be successful. If possible try to arrange for the pupils to meet some believers other than the ordained leaders. Talk about how long you will stay. As a rule of thumb, under an hour is usually too short to make the most of the learning opportunity.
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Get parental permission: Schools should send a letter home with each pupil to make clear that this is an educational visit and that pupils will observe, not participate, in worship. Invite parents and other adults to help out on the visit.
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Prepare pupils: It is likely to be a completely new situation for them. Provide guidance about appropriate attitudes and any dress requirements such as removing shoes, covering heads. Encourage pupils to ask and respond to questions during the visit. Talk over, in advance, questions they may wish to ask during the visit. Identify ways in which the visit will be followed up back in the classroom.
Some key points to remember when visiting faith communities:
- Dress: in addition to any specific requirements, modest dress is the usual guideline. Shoes are removed before entering the prayer rooms of the Mosque, Mandir, Gurdwara and Buddhist Vihara. Check specific requirements when organising the visit – the following are the usual practice: Mosque: Female: Head, legs, arms covered. Male: Heads covered during prayer time. Gurdwara: Female: Head and legs covered. Male: Head covering. No cigarettes to be taken into the Gurdwara.
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Photographs: many places of worship will allow photographs to be taken at the appropriate time but prior permission should be sought.
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Behaviour: normal good behaviour standards are appropriate. In all places of worship it would be disrespectful to chew, talk loudly, run around or touch things without invitation. In places where sitting on a carpeted floor is usual, it is disrespectful to sit with legs open facing the focal point e.g. a deity, a holy book, Qibla wall etc.
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Hospitality: a number of places of worship will show hospitality to visitors by offering food or refreshment. It is important to prepare pupils for this: Hindu: prashad – this may take the form of crystal sugar, almonds, sweets or snack food. It is not sacred and should be accepted with thanks and eaten on the spot. Gurdwara: Kara prashad – a semi-solid cold food made from butter, semolina, sugar and milk, or a cup of tea boiled with milk. This is not a sacred food and should be accepted with thanks. Kara prashad can be kept for eating later.
- Donations: places of worship do not, as a rule, charge for visits, but a donation is recommended.
It is possible to arrange visits to local churches, chapels, mosques, temples and synagogues. Most of the cathedrals have education or visitor centres and resources for schools which can be viewed on their websites.
Main organisations:
The Religious Education Council
National Association of Teachers of Religious Education
Inclusion: NASEN
Thought of visiting?
Venues for this Curriculum
The historic parish church of All Saints is a large and beautiful medieval building at the heart of Loughborough's ancient town centre.
Isleham Priory Church is the best example in England of a small Norman Benedictine priory church, surviving in a surprisingly unaltered state despite later conversion into a barn.
This small Norman chapel is the best example in the country of a small Benedictine priory church that has remained substantially unaltered.
The ruins of an 11th century and later church built within the earthworks of a Norman motte and bailey castle, with a Victorian church nearby.
The curious name of this place originates in the late 11th century, when the district of Yedeven was divided between the Loges and Ralph families, hence the present names of the parishes of Edvin Loach and Edvin Ralph.
All Saints is a Parish Church in the Church of England serving the central area of Gosforth. It is a diverse, friendly and inclusive church community of about 400 people that seeks to explore, live and share the love of God and the good news of Jesus in a variety of ways.
In a beautiful valley of the river Frome, on the border between Wiltshire and Somerset and only nine miles from Bath, stands the remains of Farleigh Hungerford Castle.
Started in the 14th century, it still has much for visitors to enjoy and provides a great day out for families to enjoy the beautiful surrounding countryside.
The Cathedral Church of St Mel is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, located in the town Irish town of Longford. Built between 1840 and 1856, with the belfry and portico as later additions, it has been considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands region, Longford's "landmark building" and "one of the finest Roman Catholic churches in Ireland".
A large Neolithic burial mound with spectacular vistas over the Severn Valley. Its internal burial chambers are uncovered for viewing.
Nympsfield long barrow stands high on the Cotswold scarp near Frocester with spectacular views over the Severn Valley.
The exact date of the building of Enniskillen Castle is not recorded.
Hugh 'the Hospitable' Maguire died in 1428 after returning to Ireland from pilgrimage in Spain. The Castle must have been built before then, sometime during the 1420s.
The earliest known reference to Enniskillen Castle occurs in the Annals of Ulster in 1439.
St John’s Cathedral, Oban, is the Mother Church of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Argyll and The Isles. Although only partly built, the Cathedral has a dignity and a presence that is quite remarkable. We welcome visitors – so please come in and look around if you are passing, or join us for a service.
The beautiful and now tranquil setting of Augustinian Lanercost Priory belies an often troubled history. Standing close to Hadrian's Wall, it suffered frequent attacks during the long Anglo-Scottish wars, once by Robert Bruce in person.
The Cathedral of The Isles and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church in the Scottish town of Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae.
Compass has been offering warm hospitality for over 40 years to schools, families and groups of all ages. We are confident that your stay with us will be an unforgettable one. Set in the Cairngorm National Park in the midst of rolling hills, clear lochs and rugged mountains,
The ruins of an Augustinian priory founded by the Bruce family, afterwards Kings of Scotland. They are dominated by the dramatic skeleton of the 14th century church's east end.
The Cathedral Church of Saint Mirin in Paisley, dedicated to Saint Mirin the patron saint of Paisley, is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Paisley and is the seat of the Bishop of Paisley.
The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid, popularly known as Motherwell Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.
The Cathedral of St Chad offers educational visits for schools that are usually preparing for Confirmation. Visits are available every weekday morning; working around a busy Cathedral diary, in which you’re invited to tour parts of the Cathedral rarely seen by the public. You will be in the company of our very knowledgeable volunteer team of guides.
Warwickshire Museum is the name for the body which operates both the Market Hall Museum and St John's Museum in Warwick. It is part of Heritage and Culture Warwickshire.
Considered to be a "storybook in stone," Warwickshire's oldest church reflects its rich history with buttresses at odd angles, Saxon windows and remnants of a tithe barn.
St. Colman’s Cathedral, overlooking Cobh, carries within its walls the traditions of thirteen centuries of the Diocese of Cloyne. It is dedicated to St. Colman who founded the diocese in 560 A.D. Colman was a poet bard to the Court of Aodh Caomh, King of Munster, at Cashel in Tipperary. Influenced by St. Brendan and St. Ita, he left Palace life to become a priest.
15th-century chapel, restored by Gilbert Scott in 1875
Tucked away in a cosy corner of the market square, discover the oldest building in Buckingham. It’s had many uses and today it’s a thriving second-hand bookshop and coffee shop. While away the time in this atmospheric and tranquil setting with a good book and a delicious locally made snack.
Jainism is an Indian religion followed by several millions of people in India and by a sizeable number of migrant Jains in Europe, East Africa and North America. The name Jain is derived from a word in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit Jina meaning 'victor' over the passions and the self.
Waterside House, Oxford Island houses a local history reference library which has a collection of books, journals, maps and photographs relating to the local area. The library also holds a collection of books from the Ulster Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and a collection relating to Methodist history in Ireland.
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Luke the Evangelist is the spiritual and community centre for Greeks from mainland Greece and Cyprus. It is one of three Orthodox Churches and the only Orthodox Cathedral in Scotland. It also serves all other Orthodox communities in Glasgow, such as Serbs, Romanians, Russians etc.
St Andrew's Cathedral, built in 1816, is seen in a new light since its restoration, completed in April 2011. Visitors remark on the brightness, the colour, the space.... a much-loved church restored to the people of Glasgow and welcoming all who come to visit.
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