RE

July Religious Celebrations/Festivals

Islamic New Year Sunday 7th July 2024

The months of the year;

1. Muharram= Forbidden 

2. Safar= Empty/zero

3. Rabee Al-Awwal- The first Spring

4. Rabee Al-Akhir= The last Spring

5. Jumada al-Ulaa= The first freeze

6. Jumada Al-Akhirah= The last freeze

7. Rajab= Respect/Honour

8. Shaaba= Split and divide

9. Ramadan= Heat

10. Shawwal= To carry or lift 

11. Thul- Qidah= Sitting/Resting

12. Thul- Hijjah= Pilgrimage 

The Islamic New Year marks the beginning of the Muslim lunar year. The date of the New Year is determined by moon sightings. It is a time to think about the past and the future. 

On New Years Day (Al- Hijra), Muslims fast during the daylight hours. People use this time to remember the journey Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made from Mecca to Yathrib (Medina).

Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last Prophet to be sent by God to teach people about Islam. 

Asalha Puja Saturday 20th July 2024

Asalha Puja is a Buddhist festival which usually takes place in July on the full moon of the Āsādha month. 

The festival pays homage to the Buddha and commemorates his first sermon and the founding of the Buddha's Sangha- four noble truths.

August Religious Celebrations/Festivals

Rakhi (Raksha Bandhan) Monday 19t August 2024

Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that celebrates brotherhood and the love between siblings. It is celebrated on the full moon during the month of Shravan in the lunar calender. 

The word Raksha means protection and Bandhan means to tie. The Rakhi is the name of the bracelet which is usually made of red or gold thread which is woven together with stones and jewels. 

The sister puts the Aarti plate together with objects that have high symbolic meanings. Then a prayer is said and the sister ties the Rakhi onto her brother's wrist whilst saying prayers for his happiness and wellbeing.

The brother promises to support his sister through good and bad times. The sister make the Tilak mark on her brothers head using the special red powder. Her brother then promise to protect her and presents her with a gift. The siblings then feed each other sweets. The tying of the Rakhi is a symbol of the special bond and love between them. It is also a sign that the brother will protect his whole family in the future.

The sister might say; 'The sun radiates its sunlight, the radish spreads its seeds, I tie the Rakhi to you O brother and wish that may you live long'

There are some new traditions surrounding the festival which include;

Rakhis being tied between friends, daughters and mothers.

Soldiers also have Rakhis tied around their wrists.

Some important leaders send Rakhis to Kings and other World leaders a sign that they will protect each others land.

R.E at Water Leys

Our ambition for all pupils in Religious Education at Water Leys is that our children will become ‘RE literate’ and develop their understanding and curiosity about different world religions and beliefs. Children are given the understanding they need to explore their beliefs and opinions whilst accepting that different viewpoints are valid and worthwhile. Our aim is to develop confidence for expression and tolerance of others’ in society.  

At Water Leys Primary School, we teach RE using the 2022-26 Leicestershire Locally Agreed Syllabus. Whilst the units of work we have planned have been designed to teach our children a breadth religions and worldviews, we have provided opportunities to build upon prior learning, leading to a depth of knowledge. We planned our coverage with our local context in mind, ensuring it represents the diversity of our school.   

Our RE curriculum has been carefully sequenced so that the vocabulary and key concepts we want our children to learn develop progressively as children move along their curriculum journey from term to term and from year to year. This enables our pupils to develop an aptitude for dialogue concerning religions, world views and communities. We want to give our pupils the knowledge and understanding they need to express their own ideas, values and identities.  

At Water Leys, teachers plan RE by first considering the ‘WHAT’ we want our pupils to learn by using our Water Leys ‘ROCKS’. We then decide the most appropriate method to teach that curriculum content so that it will be memorable and learning will stick!  

The range of teaching approaches we use in RE will include the use of narrative (stories) to help embed abstract concepts and ideas, first-hand experiences through meeting people from different religions, studying religious objects and learning from religious art work. 

Whole School RE Curriculum Map