Schools

​The Week is a great opportunity for pupils to explore inter faith issues and for schools to build relationships with faith, belief and inter faith groups in their community

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The following include ideas for in-person classroom and whole-school activities as well as ones with a virtual dimension, for example with outside speakers joining online.

St Aidan’s CE Primary learn about Judaism, Gateshead, 2021

St Aidan’s CE Primary learning about Judaism, Gateshead, 2021

Pupils at Preston Manor School, LB Brent

Pupils at Preston Manor School, LB Brent, 2022

Year 3 visit to Singers Hill Synagogue, 2022

Year 3 visit to Singers Hill Synagogue, 2022

  • Classroom learning about topics such as:
  • different faiths’ understandings of service and helping others, or another topic such as the environment
  • how people of different faiths and beliefs can live well together with respect (see below for useful resources)
  • Hold a ‘Question Time’ activity with local faith leaders, perhaps in partnership with your local inter faith group and SACRE
  • Create an Inter Faith Week artwork such as a collage on a particular Inter Faith Week related-theme
  • Make a multi-faith calendar for display in the school and on your website
  • Create an exhibition with information and objects from a range of religions and beliefs, perhaps reflecting the pattern of faith and belief diversity in your local community
  • Set up a lunch time dialogue about a relevant topic, or a show-and-tell session
  • Arrange a visit to local places of worship to explore the importance of faith in the lives of believers in your community
  • Hold an Inter Faith Week art or poetry competition
  • Hold a parent-teacher ‘faith quiz’ one evening – perhaps in collaboration with local faith communities or a local inter faith group
  • Arrange a themed week in the school cafeteria, with each day featuring foods associated with different faiths and cultures
  • Hold an activity to mark both Inter Faith Week and Mitzvah Day, such as pupils bringing items for a local foodbank or writing letters to care home residents
  • If you are a school of a religious character, link up with a school with pupils from a different faith background for a learning or a sports activity
  • Create a video or series of short videos where pupils share their Inter Faith Week activities and learning, and share this via social media

If you hold an activity, please do take a few minutes to register it on the IFW website: you can mark it as ‘closed’ and just for your school, but it helps inspire others. If you register you will also be eligible for a free pack with Inter Faith Week stickers, a poster, flyers, and a blank message card on which your pupils can share an Inter Faith Week message!

REGISTER YOUR ACTIVITY

Resources

The Inter Faith Network for the UK, which leads Inter Faith Week, has recently produced teacher resources for Primary and Secondary teachers, as well as a series of videos for use in assemblies/ collective worship. These can be found below, along with a downloadable poster about shared values and the Golden Rule, and some printable certificate templates. 

IFN's publication Connect: a youth inter faith action guide also contains relevant information, particularly for pupils at Key Stage 4 and 5 ages.

Further support may also be available locally through your RE Adviser, Lead/AST RE teachers or local SACRE. The resources below can be used to organise activities during Inter Faith Week itself, or throughout the year to support your schools' work to promote good inter faith relations within your community.


Inter Faith Week 2023 certificate template v1

Inter Faith Week 2023 certificate template v1

A printable certificate template for school use where pupils have taken part in a competition, quiz etc. linked to Inter Faith Week 2023.


Inter Faith Week 2023 certificate template v2

Inter Faith Week 2023 certificate template v2

A printable certificate template for school use where pupils have taken part in a competition, quiz etc. linked to Inter Faith Week 2023. This version of the template is plainer in design and is aimed at older ages.


School assemblies/ collective worship

School assemblies/ collective worship

A series of videos that can be used in schools’ assemblies and as part of collective worship. All of these videos focus on real people who are engaged in inter faith activity, some of whom do not profess a faith at all.


Inter Faith Activity in the UK: a teacher resource for secondary pupils aged 11-14

Inter Faith Activity in the UK: a teacher resource for secondary pupils aged 11-14

A resource designed to help increase pupils’ understanding of, and skills for, inter faith encounter, dialogue and action. It focuses on learning about real examples of inter faith engagement, including in their areas.


Learning about inter faith activity: A primary resource for pupils aged 9–11

Learning about inter faith activity: A primary resource for pupils aged 9–11

A resource designed to help increase pupils’ understanding of, and skills for, inter faith encounter, dialogue and action. It focuses on learning about real examples of inter faith engagement, including in their areas.


Shared Values: The Golden Rule

Shared Values: The Golden Rule

A printable poster showing examples of the Golden Rule from different religious traditions as an example of shared values.


Inter Faith Week activities for Primary Schools

Inter Faith Week activities for Primary Schools

This material was first produced by NATRE in 2009 and was updated in 2018. It includes both whole school and classroom RE activities. This resource is also available from the TES website.


Inter Faith Week activities for Secondary Schools

Inter Faith Week activities for Secondary Schools

This material was first produced by NATRE in 2009 and was updated in 2018. It includes both whole school and classroom RE activities. This resource is also available from the TES website.

Published 10 November 2022

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