This year's joint Bristol and South Gloucestershire SACRE conference for RE teachers was a great success once again with great feedback on the quality of speakers and their ideas (as well as the food and venue!). Here are the resources to download from each speaker and workshop.

Here you will find 37 fun and thoughtful assemblies that celebrate the multi-faith make-up of British schools today. Borrow for free - collect or order by post - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  0117 906 0100.

RE Through Games and Drama: the role of the RE Co-ordinator EYFS + KS1

Margaret James

Margaret is a Senior Leader and RE co-ordinator at a South Gloucestershire primary school. She is a Section 48 inspector and offers training to teaching staff, governing bodies and inspectors on teaching and learning in RE, including spiritual development. Prior to this, she spent 3 years as the RE Advisory Teacher for South Gloucestershire.

Persona dolls are a great way to introduce young children to ideas like other religions. Rita is a Hindu persona doll. Downloadable here is a series of sessions designed for use with a persona doll to explore Hinduism through special times (puja, Raksha Bhandan, Divali) special places (the mandir) and special stories and people (Krishna). Also available here is a PowerPoint presentation of Rita's mandir.

Persona dolls are a great way to introduce young children to ideas like other religions. Joe is a Jewish persona doll. Downloadable here is a series of sessions designed for use with a persona doll to explore Judaism through special times (Shabbat, Hannukah) special places (synagogue, home), special books (the Torah) and special people (Moses). Also available here is a PowerPoint presentation of Joe's synagogue.

Persona dolls are a great way to introduce young children to ideas like other religions. Malkit is a Sikh persona doll. Downloadable here is a series of sessions designed for use with a persona doll to explore Sikhism through special times (birth, combing, Vaisakhi) special places (Gurdwara), special books (Guru Granth Sahib) and special people (Guru Nanak). Also available here is a PowerPoint presentation of Malkit's Gurdwara.

Persona dolls are a great way to introduce young children to ideas like other religions. Hassan is a Muslim persona doll. Downloadable here is a series of sessions designed for use with a persona doll to explore Islam through special times (prayer, birth, Eid and Ramadan) special places (the mosque), special books (the Koran) and special people (Mohammad). Also available here is a PowerPoint presentation of Hassan's mosque. (N.B. Out of respect for the Muslim prohibition on reproducing the human likeness Hassan doesn't appear in the mosque).

Persona dolls are a great way to introduce young children to ideas like other religions. Elizabeth is a Christian persona doll. Downloadable here is a series of sessions designed for use with a persona doll to explore Christianity through special times (Baptism, Christmas, Easter, Harvest, prayer) special places (nature/creation, church), special books (the Bible) and special people (Jesus). Also available here is a PowerPoint presentation of Elizabeth's church.

Early Years RE - Persona Dolls

Many teachers speak of the power of having familiar persona dolls in the classroom and the imaginative way in which young children can exercise their curiosity about difference. They can ask the doll questions and become familiar with her/his beliefs which provides an excellent start for RE.