The last few months have been a busy time for F&BF’s Education & Learning (E&L) Team, despite many challenges and changes, it has been highly productive! From successful CPDs and widespread surveys, to exciting online resources and a new team member, we thought it would be best to share updates on just what is going on!
We are so excited to see this team and it’s work grow and prosper, and we can’t wait to share more updates with you soon.
School Linking Success
- So far this term, we have laid the groundworks for 2460 students to be involved in School Linking.
- Despite teachers facing challenges across the board, and many organisations struggling to engage schools with anything not strictly curricula focussed, our recruitment for Linking this term has been a success.
- Learning from, and continuing, our flexible and sensitive approach honed last year, has ensured our numbers for Linking have skyrocketed: materials and CPDs were adapted for online learning and delivery, extra CPDs offered at different times to suit teacher schedules, and a January intake and recruitment drive has been scheduled.
- This term we have trained a total of 34 teachers in London and Birmingham to facilitate the Linking programme. Here’s some of their feedback:
“It was a pleasure to be a part of the linking programme initial stage CPD”
“Diversity is empowering… people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different”
JANUARY 2022 INTAKE FOR NEW SCHOOLS WANTING TO JOIN THE PROGRAMME!
We are delighted to release the dates for a January 2022 intake for new schools wanting to join the
School Linking Programme:
- PRIMARY CPD1 Primary 13th January, 4-6pm on Zoom
- SECONDARY CPD1 Secondary 20th January, 4-6pm on Zoom
Sign up here
Online Resources
- Our lesson plans are mapped to aid teachers in teaching RE, PSHE, Citizenship and more. Our most popular downloads have been lessons on environmentalism (related to COP26) and What is Identity? (a major element of RE curriculum).
- In the last quarter our lesson plans have been downloaded from these countries outside of the UK: Hungary, Russia, Nigeria, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia and USA.
- Find our resources here
Encountering Faith & Belief
- We are scheduled to deliver 21 workshops to an impressive 665 students!
- We’re also delighted to be trialling online group workshop delivery to multiple schools to increase our impact. This term we are scheduled to deliver workshops to 450 learners in Birmingham Primary and Secondary schools.
- Below are some quotes from primary school children who attended our newly adapted EFBs:
“I learnt not to be afraid to ask people about their lives.”
“We have a lot of things in common in our different faiths.”
Outreach, expansion & impact
- Read our latest emails to schools here
- During Inter Faith Week, the E&L team held a webinar, to advertise our open programmes to prospective teachers and partners. Following this public engagement, we saw a boost in recruitment for linking, and have been approached about new partnerships for example with projects working in diversity and science.
- When asking teachers why the sessions and workshops we run were so important, we received some of these responses:
So that children meet real people who follow a particular religion and have the opportunity to explore what they believe.
I think it is useful for the children to learn about different faiths and to be respectful of other peoples’ beliefs.
To allow children to start dialogue with people who have different beliefs and follow different lifestyles.
To improve understanding and increase respect.
Promoting the Exploration of Religion and Worldviews in Schools
- In partnership with Culham St Gabriel Trust, Inform and The Open University, we have been working on a project which explores stakeholders views of Religion and Worldviews through focus groups.
- The project involves targeted focus groups consisting of stakeholders outside the classroom (i.e. not teachers or pupils) who will explore the opportunities, barriers and challenges associated with implementing Religion and Worldviews education.
- We have successfully facilitated multiple focus groups with: parents; Policy Makers and Academics; Head Teachers, Multi Academy Trusts, and Local Authorities (6 attendees); Standing Advisory Council on Religious Educations (9 attendees); and Community Focus Groups (31 attendees).
- To collect a wider selection of data, we’ve also created surveys for stakeholders, with over 170 responses.
- In the new year, our academic partners will be compiling and presenting the research, and in the summer of 2022 we will be launching an Open Learn course on Religion and Worldviews.
New team member
- We’re excited to welcome Alejandra, our new addition to the E&L team. Joining us as a Kickstarter, Alejandra will be supporting our communications, with her background in digital marketing!
- Our team will also be growing again very soon, watch this space..
