Appendix 9 - Non-statutory Guidance Upper Key Stage 2

Statutory Enquiries with suggested non-statutory key questions

1. Why do religions and non-religious groups celebrate important moments in life? (Rites of Passage).

• What might the key milestones be in my life and why are they important?
• What/who do I have a commitment to and how do I show this?
• What rites of passage do people observe in religious and non-religious traditions?
• What beliefs about life and commitment are expressed in the rites of passage?
• Why do many people want to involve others in important moments in their lives?
• What can we learn about our own values and commitments from the values, commitments and attitudes of others?
• What benefits and challenges can commitment bring to our lives?

2. Why is pilgrimage important to some religious communities? (Pilgrimage).

• What is the most important or meaningful journey that I have been on? What happened? What was memorable about it? What influence has it had on me?
• What is pilgrimage and why do people choose to go on pilgrimage?
• What happens on different pilgrimages and how do they influence the pilgrims?
• What challenges can the pilgrims face and how do they overcome these
• What value does pilgrimage have in the lives of believers?
• How might pilgrims be different after having completed their pilgrimage?
• How does going on pilgrimage not only express beliefs, but also strengthen them for the pilgrims and even their communities?
• Is there a purpose to life and how can we find out? What helps give meaning and purpose to life?

3. Why don’t all members of a religious or non-religious community believe and live in the same ways? (Diversity).

• How am I similar to and different from other people around me? Why can’t we all be the same?
• Does it matter that people have views, beliefs and religions that differ from my own? Why?
• What is a ‘worldview’ and where do we get our worldview from?
• What different views, beliefs and traditions are there within religions and non-religious groups?
• What can we learn about the different beliefs within the religions from their worship, prayer and ritual?
• What holds communities together?
• How might differences enhance the life of a community?

4. How did the religions and worldviews begin? (Founders and Prophets / Roots).

• What does it mean to admire someone? What sort of people do I admire?
• What qualities do we look for in leaders?
• What are the origins of the religions and why are the ‘founders’ so significant? How do devotees show their devotion to these figures?
• How do the lives, teachings and example of the key religious figures in the different religions influence individuals and faith communities today?
• Are these figures good roles models for us today? Why?
• Who are some of the key figures in the development of Humanism? What were their key ideas?
• How important is it for us to have good role models to base our lives on?

5. How does what we believe influence the way we should treat the world? (Creation and environment).

• What do I think caused the universe?
• Does the universe have a purpose or is it just there?
• What do different religions, non-religious groups and scientific views say about how the universe and life came about?
• How do religious /non-religious beliefs and scientific teachings influence people’s treatment of the world?
• Do people have a responsibility to care for the world? Why, and what is this?
• If you were to create a new world, what would it look like? What would you leave out and why?
• How important is human life? Why? Is human life more important than all other life? Why/Why not?
• How can humanity work together to improve the natural world? What is stopping us?

6. What do the religious and non-religious worldviews teach about ‘the good life’? (Ethics).

• Who and what influences how I live my life? How important is my behaviour?
• What is my personal code of conduct? What are my most important values in life?
• What do the different religious and non-religious teachings say about how we should live our lives? Do they have anything in common?
• How do different religious and non-religious groups decide what is right and wrong?
• How relevant or helpful in modern life are religious teachings about how we should live?
• How can humans live well together?