Run an RE Day

Topics and themes

What kinds of issues work well in an RE Day?

The biggest question facing anyone organising an RE Day, whether they are teachers or schools workers, is what the day should be about. Finding the right topic that will get students interested, allow plenty of discussion and keep interest levels high, is vital.

In deciding what topic to cover, questions to think about include:

• is this an opportunity to cover in more depth something already that is part of the curriculum?
• is creating interest in the topic of RE as important as covering something that is within curriculum?
• what is appropriate for the age group?
• is the RE Day close to a particular festival or time of year that could give rise to a theme?
• does the topic allow different opinions to be shared and so create interesting debate and interaction?
• is the topic themed around a particular faith (Christians and justice) or a more general topic with reflections from a range of faiths (justice and religion)?

Examples from RE days held by Christian schools workers and organisations, are included below. They include the age group of the students, although it’s worth noting that many subjects can be adapted to suit younger or older students:

• Religion and the body (body theology):  How the Christian faith sees the human body, including disability, difference between the sexes and the concept of the ‘self’ (sixth form).
• Christmas: Different ideas and view about the meaning of Christmas. (keystage 1, 2 or 3)
• Evil: What is evil? Can people be evil. How does Christianity deal with evil. Can we prevent or stop evil? (keystage 4)
• Justice and the developing world: How our lives affect others. The Christian view of justice. Examples of bringing justice. Helping the developing world. (keystage 3 and 4)
• Freedom: What is personal freedom? Modern day slavery. The Christian theology of freedom. (keystage 3)
• Death: What happens after we die? Ideas about the future life. Visions of heaven and hell. Do our ideas about the future affect how we live today? (keystage 4 and sixth form)
• Purpose and meaning in life: What is the purpose of life? Does it matter? Religion and purpose? Does faith make you happier? (keystage 3)
• Peer pressure: does faith help resist peer pressure or is it the ultimate example of following the crowd? (keystage 4)
• What do we believe?: Exploring what the student group believe about faith, God and the world. Opportunities through the day allow students to debate and try to persuade others of their views.

There are obviously hundreds of potential topics. Choosing the right one will involve taking into account the needs of the curriculum, the students and the resources you have available. Some further possible topics include:

• Religion and an emotion: how does Christianity deal with anger, love or revenge, for example.
• Provocative questions that can set the scene for a range of debates and input. For example, ‘Would you rather be Katie Price or Mother Teresa?’ could be the setting for a day looking at peer pressure, celebrity, purpose in life and many other relevant topics.
• Other topics can come from films. For example, a sixth form RE Day run in Luton used the film ‘Children of Men’ to explore Christian ideas about the future. Other films used include ‘Tsotsi’, ‘Man Dancin’, and ‘Whalerider’.
• Other subjects may be linked to current events. Approaching a general election, an RE Day could look at how different faiths could or should vote. Can a Christian be a Conservative or Labour or Liberal!

In general, the more provocative and interesting the topic, the better the RE Day. Subjects like ‘what is evil’ are far more likely to engage students than an day entitled ‘Christians and forgiveness’, though they may cover some of the same material.

Further on in this guide, you will find details of where you can get other ideas and resources for RE days. Although they are limited, they will help you get started in planning. Another useful strategy is to visit organisations who are already running RE days and get the benefit of their advice and experience. Seeing another RE Day in action is a helpful way to get ideas and inspiration for your own day.

Running an RE day

Different structures for the day

How you plan an RE Day will depend not only on the topic you choose, but also on the resources and staff you have available. In the resource ‘Spiritual Engagement’ (see later in the guide on how to get hold of this essential resource), Lat Blaylock and David Skinner suggest 4 different approaches.

1. All together through the day: students stay in one room throughout the day and the activities vary between individual tasks, small group work and input from the front. All the students are engaged in the same activity at the same time. Best for smaller groups.

2. All together at the beginning and end of the day, with different activities in between: students start and end the day with a session all together, and then visit different activities/seminars/sessions in rotation. All the students cover the same material, but in a different order. Works with larger groups where a big space is not available through the day.

3. Working in two halves: the day is split into two main activities and students do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Helps manage larger groups whilst still maintaining a ‘big event’ feel.

4. Seminar style format: a general theme is covered but students can choose through the day which seminar/activity to attend. Gives maximum choice to students and works well for larger numbers.

Different types of input in RE days

RE Days can be a break from the normal timetable and normal styles of teaching. There is the opportunity to engage students in lots of different kinds of input that might not normally be possible in the confines of an RE lesson. Some of the approaches that work best include:

• Surveys: finding out what students think about a topic.
• Art: using art to explore or express spiritual ideas and themes.
• Drama: creating drama to illustrate ideas by students or inviting a professional external drama group to perform.
• Debate: opportunities for students to disagree, form opinions and have their point of view heard.
• Group work: challenges, discussion, games and other activities that can be completed in smaller groups.

Some RE Days have also used film as a way of exploring an issue. This works especially well with older groups. For example, in November 2006, a sixth form in Luton held an RE Day based on the film ‘Man Dancin’, a contemporary retelling of The Passion. A local cinema and arts centre was used as the venue and the film was shown in full at the beginning of the day. Following the screening, the day was split into 1 hour seminars and workshops taking on some of the themes from story. In this particular case, the film’s director also spoke, as a special guest.

Practical points

Planning an RE Day is a complex and challenging task and you should allow plenty of time to get things organised. Most RE days are planned at least a term in advance and many longer than that. In planning you will need to check:

• Where will the day be held? In the school or at another venue? Are there are cost implications in using somewhere outside the school?
• What rooms are available: Can the school hall and other classrooms be used through the day? Will you be disturbed by other students if the hall is also used as a ‘walkthrough’?
• What staff resources do you have? The more people available, the more activities you will be able to run simultaneously. Will school staff help in running the day or simply keep discipline among students.
• What budget do you have? Will the school cover any costs, including photocopying or art materials?
• What equipment will you need? Will the hall need amplification for speakers? Can the school provide any necessary AV equipment including projectors and screen?
• How will you staff the day? Will the school provide teachers to oversee students through the day or is your team responsible for this also? Will school staff be briefed in advance and is their role during the day clear?
• Who is responsible for health and safety during the day? Will the school carry out a risk assessment or is this your responsibility?
• How will you evaluate the day? Do students have a chance to feedback whether they found the day enjoyable and helpful?