Cedar Class 2024-2025

Collective Worship

Autumn 

Our Christian value this term is Thankfulness. 

Luke 22.19: Jesus broke bread and gave thanks. 

1 Chronicles 29.12: All things come from you and of your own do we give you.

 

This term, we have been thinking about all of the things that we can be thankful for. 

Thanking God for the People who help us. 

The children have been thinking about all the people who help them around school. This brought up discussions about everyone who cares for them which includes the teachers, caretaker, cleaners and kitchen staff. The children individually wrote prayers to God for these people, to say thank you for everything that they do. 

Philippians 1:3: Every time I think of you I give thanks to my God

Praising God in Creation

The children have been looking at the creation story and have thought about what they can be thankful for in its beauty. We have discussed things like being thankful to God for the trees and nature. Being thankful for the activities we enjoy doing and for the friends and family that we hold so dear. 

The children wrote a class prayer to God for these things they are thankful for, then they drew an interpretation of this in their books. 

Trusting God to Care for Us

The children have been looking at all the ways that God takes care of us and trusting him to do so. They viewed the story of Manna and Quail to demonstrate how we should trust God to provide for us despite our current situations. The children considered all the people in their lives that they trust. They then created a drawing to what trust looks like to them and showing how this connects to God. 

Celebrate the Harvest - Season 

This week, the children were celebrating the Harvest Season and reflecting on what it means. They looked at the Parable of the Sower and realised that we need to by thankful to God for the foods that grow and not to take it for granted. The children reflected on their time at church. They then created a Harvest Mosaic of all the foods of the Harvest. 

‘Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.’ Corinthians 9:10

Religious Education

Term 5: Islam 

Our Big Question this term is "What is the best way for a Muslim to show commitment to God?" 

This enquiry looks at some of the ways many Muslims show Allah that He is the most important thing to them, including the 5 pillars which are central to Muslim life.

1. Shahadah -this is a statement which is repeated many times a day ‘There is one God Allah and Muhammad is his prophet’, this is said first thing in the morning, last thing at night and during each prayer.

2. Salat - prayer, 5 times a day, these prayers show that life revolves around God,

3. Zakat - Giving 2.5% yearly savings to charity, this is usually organised through the local mosque. Zakat is seen as a duty.

4. Sawm - Fasting –During the month of Ramadan many Muslims will fast during the hours of daylight, this helps to develop self-discipline. It is challenging but this is deliberate as Muslims need to understand what it is like to be poor and hungry.

5. Hajj – Pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia once in a lifetime – this is to follow in the footsteps of the prophet Muhammad and remember some key events in the history of Islam.

The children began by answering the big question, "What is the best way for a Muslim to show commitment to God?" 

They then explored their own commitments, what it means to be committed and what they commit to. 

The children have then looked at how Mulsims show commitment to Allah (God). They first explored prayer, understanding that this happens five times a day. The children had discussions about how this affects their lives considering that two of the five prayers are before sunrise and after sunset. 

The term "Zakat" was then explored and this was understood as "giving to charity". Muslims are required to give 2.5% of their earnings to charity in order to help everyone. The children recognised that Allah sees everyone as equal and therefore this is a requirement to ensure that nobody struggles. 

 

Term 4: Christianity - Salvation

Our Big Question for the term was "What difference does the Resurrection make for Christians?"

The children began by looking at where Salvation fits into the big story of the Bible, learning how Christians believe Jesus' resurrection is central to their faith. They investigated Gospel accounts of what happened after Jesus died, considering why Christians believe in the resurrection and how these events confirm key beliefs about Incarnation, Salvation, and Hope.

Through artwork, discussions, and comparisons, they explored why the resurrection is seen as the foundation of Christianity.

The children also examined how Christians celebrate the resurrection, looking at the differences between Good Friday as a day of reflection and Easter Sunday as a day of joy. They explored how belief in the resurrection shapes Christian lives today, influencing values such as hope, forgiveness, and charity.

Finally, they reflected on how the resurrection continues to inspire faith and practice in Christian communities and considered their own responses to the big question.

Pupil Voice: 

What difference does the resurrection make for Christians?

"The resurrection shows us that if you persever, show resilience an believe in God; God will help, forgive and protect you." - Luther

"The resurrection gives Christians hope." - Frankie

"The resurrection is very important to Chrisitans as it gives them hope for life after death and it brings them closer to God." - Arran

Term 3: Christianity - Prayer and Worship

Our Big Question for the term was 'Do people need to go to Church to show that they are Christians?' Thinking about this Big Question, the children recorded what they thought at the start of the project and what they felt was a suitable answer.

To begin, they reflected on their own special places—places where they felt safe, happy, or connected to others. This helped them understand why Church is a special place for many Christians. The children learned that Church is more than just a building; it is a place where Christians come together to worship, learn, and support one another in their faith.

Through studying key Christian ceremonies such as Holy Communion and Baptism, they saw how the Church plays a vital role in welcoming believers into the Christian family and remembering Jesus’ sacrifice.

The class then considered what would happen if churches were to close. They discussed how this might affect Christians—some might feel a deep loss, as Church provides a space for community, prayer, and important traditions. However, they also recognised that faith is not limited to a building; many Christians believe they can worship and live out their faith anywhere. This led to insightful discussions about different ways Christians express their beliefs, whether through personal prayer, acts of kindness, or gathering with others in different places. Through these discussions, the children developed a deeper understanding of how faith can be both personal and communal.

Pupil Voice: 

Do people need to go to Church to show that they are Christians? 

"People may need to go to church to show that they are Christians because it helps them feel closer to God, learn more about their faith and be part of a community that worships and supports each other." - Wilf

"People do not need to go to church to show that they are Christians because they can follow Jesus' teachings and pray in every day lives." - Theo

Term 2: Christianity - Incarnation

Our Big Question this term is 'How significant is it that Mary was Jesus' mother?'. Thinking about this Big Question, the children recorded what they already know and further questions they have to allow them to design their own route and enquiry to their learning journey.

To begin our project, we reflected on the Incarnation Big Frieze panel and thought back to previous learning, determining what features of incarnation we could see. 

We thought about being chosen for something special and how this would feel. Why would we choose someone for something important? What qualities should a person have for that role? We then discussed what qualities Mary might have had to be chosen for something special and began our start of project reflections on the Big Question.

Term 1: Christianity: Creation and Science: Conflicting or Complementary? 

Our focus this term is Christianity and our key focus is 'creation'. Our Big Question is "Creation and Science: Conflicting or Complementary?"

The children have discussed the religious story of creation, and they have explored different text types. As a class we discussed how these text types were written and how sometimes, a person's beliefs or point of view can create a bias. The children then looked to rewrite some of our text types, if they were written by somebody different.

We then dove deeper into the story of Genesis 1 and explored how Christians use this to live their lives. We then compared this with the scientific theory of creation. We have looked at Christian scientist theories from people such as Isaac Newton and Francis Collins who say that the scientific theory of creation can be complementary with the Christian story of Genesis 1.

Pupil Voice

Conflicting: "I think that the relationship between science and religion is conflicting because the time is completely different - the science theory took 12 seconds but the religious theory took 6 days" Adele

Complementary: "I believe that religion and science are complementary because they have similarities. The first three days relate to the 'Big Bang Theory' and the final three days relate to Evolution." Archie