Progression in the Church Strand
Nursery
Learning objectives / Possible learning activities / Assessment opportunitiesTo experience awe and wonder when entering a church, other meeting place, school hall etc. / Before attending worship at school or at church, explain to the children the reasons why they are attending the worship and what is going to happen.
Attending a harvest/ Christmas service/ Easter service, especially when candles are lit, is particularly effective in creating a sense of awe and wonder.
Encourage the children to sit quietly and to listen to the music being played.
Encourage them to look at the focus at during different parts of the worship (e.g. the candles, the Bible, the cross etc.). / Do children respond with an appropriate sense of awe and when entering a church, school hall, other meeting place during worship?
To begin to understand that a church is a special place of worship / Talk about places that the children would think of as special (e.g. home, a relative’s house, the park, hospital, library, cinema etc.). Think and talk about why each of these places is special. Show and sort pictures of some of these places and the activities which go on in them.
Talk about different artefacts/ behaviour/ music/ clothing used in these different places. Look at and talk about pictures of the interior of the church, school hall or other place during collective worship. / Have the children begun to understand the idea of a special place of worship?
Have the children begun to understand that different artefacts, clothing, music etc. are appropriate to different places?
To nurture a sense of belonging / Use a photograph display to show a sequence of labelled photographs to illustrate the idea of belonging (e.g. family, class, school, Sunday school, church, clergy member who visits school. / Are children aware of the name of the school, church, clergy member who visits?
Progression in the Christian Life and Values Strand
Reception
Learning objectives / Possible learning activities / Assessment opportunitiesTo develop further pupils’ understanding of the church as a special place. / If possible/ appropriate, visit, and/ or show photographs of, the church in order to see some of the key features (e.g. font, altar, cross, organ, windows etc.(look at as many or as few features as you feel is appropriate) and attend a service. / Can pupils name some of the key features they have seen?
Develop pupils’ awareness of the change in liturgical colours during the year / Simply draw children’s attention to the fact that the colours on the school/ classroom altar change throughout the year. Show the cloth being changed and talk about the colour of the altar cloth currently in use. / Are pupils aware that the church colours change throughout the year?
Assessment in the Church Strand
Nursery and Reception
Most children willKnowledge / Know the name of the church and some of the features of the church.
Know that a church is a special place where people worship.
Know that there are special occasions when people go to church i.e. for the Eucharist, for a baptism, wedding, harvest festival, carol service.
Become aware of the changing colours in the clothing of the church.
Skills / Be able to explore the building and its artefacts with confidence.
Attitudes / Show a sense of awe and wonder when entering a church or other place of worship. Respond with respect and interest to aspects of the church highlighted on the visit.
Progression in the Church Strand
Year 1
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo experience the awe and wonder of a church and become more familiar with the key features of the church building / Visit a church and sit quietly for a few moments. Discuss sensory responses such as what the children can see, hear, smell and touch. Look at the different materials which have been used and relate them to the key features of the church i.e. the windows, the organ, the pews/ seats, font, pulpit, lectern etc. Discuss the reasons why the church was built i.e. for people to worship, hold special services, sing, pray, listen, etc.
To understand why reminders of Jesus are found in church / During a church visit, ask the children to find the reminders of Jesus (e.g. the cross, crucifix, icon, picture, stained glass windows, candle, Sunday school banner etc.). Discuss why they are in the church and why they remind us of Jesus.
To know that the Bible is read during church services/ services in other places / Talk about the Bible as very special book. Talk about places where we read the Bible (in church, at school, in Sunday school etc.). Draw attention to the Bible on the church/ school lectern or other place in the classroom. Explain that the Bible is there because the Bible is such a special book that it is kept in a special place. Let the children look at the shape of, and the decoration on, the lectern and see where it is situated.
To talk together about services in church and/ or at school / If possible, attend and participate in a service in church and / or at school. Talk about what is going to happen, who will take the service, why the service is taking place. Draw on previous awe and wonder aspects covered in the Reception class. Remind pupils of the need for respectful behaviour etc.
Assessment in the Church Strand
Year 1
Most pupils will / Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will / Some pupils will have progressed further and willKnowledge / Realise that the church is a special place.
Recognise and explain the purpose of some of the features of the church.
Begin to know that Jesus is represented in church in different forms. / Begin to realise that the church is a special place.
Begin to recognise some of the features of the church.
Begin to know a little about Jesus being represented in different forms / Know that church is a special place.
Recognise and explain the purpose of some of the features of the church and talk, in simple terms, about their symbolism.
Know that Jesus is represented in church in different forms.
Skills / Be able to talk about church services and their purposes. / Be able to talk about some church services. / Be able to talk in more detail about a variety of church services and their purposes.
Attitudes / Feel a sense of awe and wonder in the special atmosphere of the church and/ or other place of worship.
Progression in the Church Strand
Year 2
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo recognise prayer books (or service sheets/ leaflets appropriate to the church associated with the school). / Look at and talk about a prayer book/ service sheet or leaflet with which the children are familiar. Look at different sorts of hymn books and display them in the classroom. Find a favourite hymn (in English or Welsh) and illustrate it. Encourage the children to write their own simple prayers and present them as a class book.
To know about reminders of Jesus in church / Look at and talk about reminders of Jesus in church (e.g. pictures, icons, crosses, crucifixes, candles, stained glass windows etc.).
Focus on the stained glass windows in particular. Discuss why the windows are there ( because, traditionally, the windows were used to tell the story of Jesus to people who could not read.
In groups, encourage pupils to make their own very simple stained glass windows as a reminder of Jesus (e.g. in the shape of a candle to remind us that Jesus is the ‘Light of the world’.
To begin to appreciate the symbolism of church buildings. / Look at the inside of a church; talk about the materials of which the church features are made. Encourage the children to be ‘church detectives’ by giving them a list of church features to find. Ask them to discover what reason these features are used (e.g. the hassocks are used as kneelers, the pews are for sitting in, the pulpit is where the priest delivers the sermon etc.). Ask the pupils to note the candles, the colour of the altar cloth, the position of the font, bell tower or spire. Also ask them to suggest why the font is near the door or what the colour of the altar cloth might mean.
To know more about the special services which take place in church / Select a special service (e.g. Advent, Christmas, harvest) and talk in greater depth about its meaning as the services occur throughout the year.
To know about the early Welsh saints connected the school’s church (if applicable). Search for examples of Celtic crosses inside and/ or outside the church.
To know the church is a family and its members each have a different role. / Read and write stories about the early Welsh saints connected with saints associated with the school.
Make designs based on Celtic crosses.
Talk about families and the roles the various members of the family have. Link this with thinking about the different roles of members of the church family (e.g. the organist, church warden, bell ringer, choir members, flower arranger, cleaner etc.).
Assessment of the Church Strand
Year 2
Most pupils will / Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will / Some pupils will have progressed further and willKnowledge / Be aware that the features of a church, and the services held there have special meaning.
Be able to explain that prayers and hymns have significance in a place of worship.
Know something of the early Welsh saints associated with the school’s church (if applicable) and/ or Celtic crosses. / Begin to be aware of the special meaning of some of the features of a church and the services held there.
Begin to be able to explain that prayers and hymns have significance in a place of worship.
Begin to know something of the early Welsh saints associated with the school’s church (if applicable) and/ or Celtic crosses. / Know that features of a church, and the services held there, have a special meaning.
Be able to explain in more detail the significance of prayers and hymns in a place of worship.
Know more about the early Welsh saints associated with the school’s church (if applicable) and/ or Celtic crosses.
Skills / Be able to investigate the differences between prayer books, hymn books and the Bible.
Be able to investigate further, features in the church and create artefacts to illustrate what they have learnt. / Begin to investigate the differences between prayer books, hymn books and the Bible.
Be able to investigate some of the features in the church and begin create artefacts to illustrate what they have learnt. / Be able to investigate more about the differences between prayer books, hymn books and the Bible.
Be able to investigate more features in the church and create artefacts which illustrate in what they have learnt.
Attitudes / Realise that the church is not only a well-loved building, but also a community of people
Progression in the Church Strand
Year 3
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo learn about the site of the church building / Visit the local church and find out if it is associated with a saint.
Talk about the position of the church in relation to the town or village (is it at the centre? Is it in the oldest part of the town? Find out if the town grew up around the church or if the church was built later. Look at the earliest baptismal record in the church you visit. Look for plaques commemorating people connected with the church.
Study the land and the buildings around the church. Is there a vicarage nearby? If there is, it may suggest that there has been a clergy member resident for many years. Does this tell us anything about the place of the church in the community?
The book ‘Be a Church Detective – A Young Person’s Guide to Old Churches – Clive Fewins and Taffy Davies) is a very useful resource for this area.
To learn about the materials of which the church building is made. / Discuss when and how the church building was constructed. Who designed the church? Was it made of stone? Has the building been extended or changed over the years? Did it take a long time to build? Was there an earlier wooden construction on the site? How do buttresses work? How did the workmen get the bells into the tower? How is the church furnished? Who carved the wood or stone? Would the whole community have been involved in the building of the church? Fro where did the stone come and how was it moved? How similar is the layout of the church to other church buildings (in the shape of the cross, the congregation face east)? Use interactive CD Rom resources to compare various types of churches/ places of worship. Note the care taken by the craftsmen (i.e. carving carefully in the places which only God would see). Explain that the building of the church would have been a community effort to the glory of God.
Build on pupils’ previous knowledge of church features developed in KS1 and extend pupils understanding of the symbolism behind these features.. Give pupils a list of the things which they should be able to find in the church (e.g. font, pulpit, lectern, altar, cross, crucifix, stained glass windows, organ, bells choir stalls, vestry, nave, etc.).
To understand from where the church took its name / Talk about the saint/s after whom the church was named. Look for evidence of the saint/s to which the church is dedicated (e.g. as a figure in a stained glass window). Talk about the ways in which we remember these saints (e.g. patronal festivals and/ or special events associated with the patronal festival.
To talk about the roles of people involved in the church / Attend a service and ask the children to observe the roles which different people have in the service. Discuss these roles after the service (i.e. What does the priest do? What do the servers do etc.?).
Explore roles further through role play (e.g. ask the vicar to perform a role play baptism with the children playing the parts of the clergy/ family members and the congregation). At this point you could, in simple terms if you feel it appropriate, explain the definition of the word ‘sacrament’. Explain that, in this instance, we will be looking at the sacrament of baptism in particular.
Assessment in the Church Strand
Year 3
Most children will / Some children will not have made so much progress and will / Some children will have progressed further and willKnowledge / Begin to know the story of their church’s saint.
Know the nature and purpose of features of their church building and the role of the priests. / Begin to know something of the story of their church’s saint.
Know the nature and purpose of some of the features of their church building and the role of the priests. / Know the story of their church’s saint.
Know more about the nature and purpose of features of their church building and the role of the priests and be able to discuss them in detail
Skills / Be able to investigate the nature and history of their church using the senses and investigative skills. / Begin to be able to investigate the nature and history of their church using the senses and investigative skills. / Be able to investigate the nature and history of their church, using their senses and investigative skills, and be able to talk about them in more depth.
Attitudes / Be able to respond to the sacred nature of a church and to appreciate the skill, dedication and faith of those who constructed it, work in it, care for it and worship in it.
Progression in the Church Strand
Year 4
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo compare prayer/ service books used in the local parish church / Familiarise children with prayer/ service books; show examples of prayer/ service books used in the local parish and explore their lay out and ease of use; compare similar passages (e.g. The Lord’s Prayer, The Blessing etc.); consider the wording of the prayers; explain that instructions are given to the congregation to enable them to know when to sing, respond or kneel; explain, in simple terms, why the congregation sing, respond, kneel etc. at various points in the service.
To begin to understand vestments and liturgical colours / Look at vestments, especially the clerical collar and cassock. Invite the clergy member associated with your school to bring some vestments to school and discuss what they represent and why they are worn. Explore the different vestments worn in various services and the changing colours of the vestments throughout the year. Think about the significance of the different colours and why particular colours are worn at particular times during the year. This is an ideal opportunity to use the Godly play liturgical colour clock.
To begin to understand the church care about its community, its village, town or city / Discuss how the church operates outside the church building in humanitarian ways. Allow the children to visit and observe any work being done by the local church in the community (e.g. support for youth clubs, youth hostels, Sunday schools, play groups, charitable functions, twinned parishes, Anglican prayer calendar). Study the work of the Church Army or the Salvation Army to illustrate care for the homeless (e.g. the Paradise Run and the care for the homeless in Cardiff). A variety of local initiatives might be relevant here and you may wish to visit another church/ chapel in your community. There is also an opportunity at this point to link this work with the concept of Christian stewardship and P.S.E. work on citizenship.
Assessment in the Church Strand