NATRE / Hockerill Conference. Assessment: 8 levels explained and task setting exemplified. QCDA’s 8 level scale in NSC is also used by almost all the Agreed Syllabuses written since 2004, and versions for NBRIA and CE schools too.. The levels are not perfect – but they picture progression well, can drive good task setting, and give parity with Hi and Ge. The 8 level scale is over 800 words of text. Here it comes in 51 words – not a replacement for the full scale, but a useful summary New QCDA and SACRE work on Assessing Pupils’ Progress (APP) is available online from the DfE 1

Learn about religionLearn from religion 8 Analyse / contextualiseJustify balanced conclusions 7 Give coherent accounts, coherent understanding Evaluate ~ personally and critically 6 Interpret (sources, issues, viewpoints) Express insight (questions, arguments, experiences) 5 Explain (why, similarity and difference) Express views (in the light of religious learning 4 Show understandingApply ideas 3 DescribeMake links 2 RetellRespond sensitively 1 NameTalk about

3 I can describe what happens at Eid in a mosque, or at Christmas in a church. I can link this up to some feelings and experiences that I share (e.g. feeling joyful, feeling excited, feeling sad, feeling togetherness, feeling the power of memory). 4 I can show my understanding of words like ‘celebrate,’ ‘messenger’, ‘miracle’ or ‘revelation’. I can apply the idea of celebration and / or revelation to two religions and to my own life, dealing thoughtfully with questions: ‘what’s worth celebrating today?’ or ‘How do religious stories of revelation make a difference to people’s lives?’ 5 I can use the right words to explain why Eid and Christmas are similar, and explain 3 differences between them. I can express my view about whether religious people should be given a day off work for a major festival in the UK today, referring to religious teaching, giving reasons and examples. 6 I can interpret some sources and meanings of two festivals for myself, referring to sacred texts directly (e.g. Qur’an, Hadith, Gospel). I can develop and express insights into the varied impacts of faith: what could anyone could learn from the Muslims and Christians about celebration? Does everyone need to celebrate something? Why are Eid and Christmas some of the most popular occasions for members of the religion? Are religious festivals more cultural or social for the majority, or is the religious heart a vital element? 3

4 Aims and learning intentions This presentation provides for pupils to think about the life, teaching and example of Jesus, referring to the global contemporary art of the gospel narratives One theological aspect of the art of Christian communities is incarnational: Christians make art which makes their ‘far away and long ago’ sacred story happen in their own ‘here and now’. In RE, creative, thoughtful and purposeful writing can energise pupils’ motivation and learning. These tasks are supposed to demonstrate such approaches. These learning activities are adaptable. While they are demonstrated with reference to a piece of work for a particular age group, teachers can easily adjust them to be more demanding, or more accessible. The learning activities are described in ways that can be used directly with pupils, with a selection of these slides as a stimulus for their work.

Picturing Jesus: Fresh Ideas RE Today 5

6 Max Beckmann’s narrative painting of the meeting of Jesus with a woman caught in the act of adultery bristled with his contempt for the self-righteousness of her accusers, who were willing to use her to try and trap Jesus into a statement against the law of Moses (which required she be stoned). The flame-haired woman is bare breasted, and her situation might be shameful but she and Jesus painted with dignity. She kneels, resigned to her likely fate, as Jesus protects her from the stoning rabble with the help of a temple soldier. The powerful, white figure of Jesus dominates the structure and composition: he defends the woman and stops the clamour against her. His face is expressive, but ambiguous – different viewers see fury, or tenderness there. This is part of Beckmann’s skill. The painting is full of hands – some point the finger, raise a stone or make a fist. But the hands of Jesus seem to scoop up the woman, offer some protection. His deeply veined arm reaches down compassionately. Jesus’ story is sometimes seen by artists as a peaceful series of set pieces. But actually controversy raged about him. Expressionist style and busy images of the argument at the heart of this incident makes Beckmann’s view from the 20 th century seem realistic in some ways.

Calm Energetic Simple Complex Ancient Modern Detailed Sketchy Easy Difficult Accurate to the Bible Far from the Bible story Clear Mysterious Not very moving Spiritually powerful Imaginative Literal Peaceful Disturbing Rational Emotional ??? ??? Judgement tasks are a powerful part of moving learners beyond information. Use the 12 alternatives to respond with our judgements to the picture you have. Note that the time spent on this enables visual learning to be focused: Look + Think = Learn

Picturing Jesus: Fresh Ideas RE Today 8 Casting Jesus Jay, 13, considers which actor to cast as Jesus in a new movie. His work demonstrates a good grasp of features of Jesus’ life. The role of ‘casting director’ is used with literacy skills to show a clear interpretation of Jesus’ significance. The 2 nd para is as concise an interpretation of the person of Jesus as I’ve seen. Can he make an insightful interpretation of the gospel portrait of Jesus, giving examples and ideas of his own? If so, L6

Picturing Jesus: Fresh Ideas RE Today 9 Elodie, 15, expresses her insights into the representation of Jesus in ways that include a critical engagement with the forms of representation she rejects. Her interpretations connect powerfully with many details of Jesus in the gospels and with the realities of Palestine from 2000 years ago, as well as with the contemporary culture of film. It’s a piece of work in which the task has energised her understanding at a high level. I think a coherent personal and critical evaluation of the significance of Jesus in Christian belief is shown here – L7. Can your pupils suggest who would be a good choice to portray Jesus, or some other key characters from his story?