Welcome to KIP and Friends, the online companion to the resource series, In God's Name.
Know what you need to teach!
RESOURCES NOW MODEL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE END of PHASE OUTCOMES MANDATED IN THE NEW RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DIRECTORY.
EYFS PLANNING USING RED CONTENT
AVAILABLE ON THE EYFS PAGE.
THIS MATERIAL IS FREE TO ALL SCHOOLS
SUBSCRIPTION NOT REQUIRED.
What the resources are!
They are Catholic!
In God's Name is an online Religious Education resource used by Catholic Primary Schools in the United Kingdom and Australia. In some schools they are the building block for a school's Religious Education programme, in other schools, as the resources are rich in professional learning material and theological content, they are used to supplement existing programmes or schemes of work.
The resources draw on foundational documents of the Church, universal and local, and well researched best practice in Religious Education as an academic discipline. In God's Name presents a Catholic world view through learning about the Traditions of the Church, Human Experience, Creation and Scripture, named as the sources of revelation in Dei Verbum.
They are collegial!
In God's Name offers a whole school approach to Religious Education, one in which all pupils explore a common theology or practice, differentiated by the RED End of Phase Outcomes, to an age-appropriate level.
Believing that the best resource a pupil can access is an informed, engaged, teacher, Key Information for Teachers (KIT) necessary for the teaching of the theological content, is vital, and a key component of every resource. Further, videos for staff and pupils at each phase level provide additional support . Most importantly though, the conversation is common, across the whole school, so the 'siloing' of staff teaching different content is avoided. Staff meetings where content is explored together and shared planning occurs, is more than possible: collegial 'at the water fountain' conversations are encouraged, differentiation can be a shared task, cross-age learning becomes a possibility.
They are predictable!
The content found in In God's Name is arranged deliberately to mirror the Liturgical Calendar and so the life of Jesus is explored 'logically', at the same time in school as it is in the Church. Six resources, two per term, take us annually from Advent to Advent, while a three year cycle rotates through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, again in time with the Church. The cyclical nature of the resource means that the life of Christ and the Church unfold naturally: horizontally, learning is passed from one resource to the next for further development; vertically, seasonal theologies introduced in one year are consolidated in other years. This means that pupils arrive at each season with some familiarity with it, and so are able to build strong connections as they explore new expressions and insights of it.
They are research based!
Written by Dr Margaret Carswell, Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religious Education at Australian Catholic University, the resources are both rigorous and practical. The name says it all. Deeply committed to Catholic schools and the teaching of Religious Education for more than 40 years, the resources hope to introduce pupils to the God in whose name they are made. If you want the jargon, the resources are hermeneutical and recontextualising. They have an educational spine with an invitational, catechetical heart. Using the structure of the Composite Model, designed by Carswell, the resources preference the Catholic story while acknowledging a multi-faith world.
What the resources are not!
They are not a scheme of work!
In God's Name is not, and never will be, a scheme of work.
Resources model a pathway through a defined body of content from to EYFS to Year 6. As such, they can be used to strengthen or supplement a commercially published programme or as the basis of a whole school curriculum. Decisions about pupil prior knowledge, time, adaptation, entry and exit points, are all made at a local level, by the people who know their pupils needs best.
Each resource is supported with four videos and their powerpoints. One, for staff, explores the theological content of the resource at an adult level; one for pupils at each phase does the same for pupils. Together, the 4 powerpoints, their accompanying videos, posters and the resource itself provide a suite of materials which walk from complex theological ideas and concepts to classroom strategies and explanations.
They are not finished!
The resource is always a work in progress. Feedback from teachers informs each review cycle, which allows the inclusion of more up-to-date resources and new thoughts, ideas and ways of expressing the eternal truths of Catholic faith.
Who is KIP?
KIP is an acronym for Key Information for Pupils - developed by my daughter Stephanie to emphasise that the intended audience for the content in the materials is pupils. KIP, a simple cartoon figure, appears in posters and in some strategies - pupils can email KIP with questions or to show KIP their work...and they do!
Access to the resources is through annual subscription. If you would like to subscribe to the resources, or see a sample resource, please click here. For the website privacy policy click here.
If you're interested in the academic background to the frameworks provided on this site, or have any questions about the resources, please contact me.
Margaret Carswell
margaretfcarswell@gmail.com.
They are Catholic!
In God's Name is an online Religious Education resource used by Catholic Primary Schools in the United Kingdom and Australia. In some schools they are the building block for a school's Religious Education programme, in other schools, as the resources are rich in professional learning material and theological content, they are used to supplement existing programmes or schemes of work.
The resources draw on foundational documents of the Church, universal and local, and well researched best practice in Religious Education as an academic discipline. In God's Name presents a Catholic world view through learning about the Traditions of the Church, Human Experience, Creation and Scripture, named as the sources of revelation in Dei Verbum.
They are collegial!
In God's Name offers a whole school approach to Religious Education, one in which all pupils explore a common theology or practice, differentiated by the RED End of Phase Outcomes, to an age-appropriate level.
Believing that the best resource a pupil can access is an informed, engaged, teacher, Key Information for Teachers (KIT) necessary for the teaching of the theological content, is vital, and a key component of every resource. Further, videos for staff and pupils at each phase level provide additional support . Most importantly though, the conversation is common, across the whole school, so the 'siloing' of staff teaching different content is avoided. Staff meetings where content is explored together and shared planning occurs, is more than possible: collegial 'at the water fountain' conversations are encouraged, differentiation can be a shared task, cross-age learning becomes a possibility.
They are predictable!
The content found in In God's Name is arranged deliberately to mirror the Liturgical Calendar and so the life of Jesus is explored 'logically', at the same time in school as it is in the Church. Six resources, two per term, take us annually from Advent to Advent, while a three year cycle rotates through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, again in time with the Church. The cyclical nature of the resource means that the life of Christ and the Church unfold naturally: horizontally, learning is passed from one resource to the next for further development; vertically, seasonal theologies introduced in one year are consolidated in other years. This means that pupils arrive at each season with some familiarity with it, and so are able to build strong connections as they explore new expressions and insights of it.
They are research based!
Written by Dr Margaret Carswell, Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religious Education at Australian Catholic University, the resources are both rigorous and practical. The name says it all. Deeply committed to Catholic schools and the teaching of Religious Education for more than 40 years, the resources hope to introduce pupils to the God in whose name they are made. If you want the jargon, the resources are hermeneutical and recontextualising. They have an educational spine with an invitational, catechetical heart. Using the structure of the Composite Model, designed by Carswell, the resources preference the Catholic story while acknowledging a multi-faith world.
What the resources are not!
They are not a scheme of work!
In God's Name is not, and never will be, a scheme of work.
Resources model a pathway through a defined body of content from to EYFS to Year 6. As such, they can be used to strengthen or supplement a commercially published programme or as the basis of a whole school curriculum. Decisions about pupil prior knowledge, time, adaptation, entry and exit points, are all made at a local level, by the people who know their pupils needs best.
Each resource is supported with four videos and their powerpoints. One, for staff, explores the theological content of the resource at an adult level; one for pupils at each phase does the same for pupils. Together, the 4 powerpoints, their accompanying videos, posters and the resource itself provide a suite of materials which walk from complex theological ideas and concepts to classroom strategies and explanations.
They are not finished!
The resource is always a work in progress. Feedback from teachers informs each review cycle, which allows the inclusion of more up-to-date resources and new thoughts, ideas and ways of expressing the eternal truths of Catholic faith.
Who is KIP?
KIP is an acronym for Key Information for Pupils - developed by my daughter Stephanie to emphasise that the intended audience for the content in the materials is pupils. KIP, a simple cartoon figure, appears in posters and in some strategies - pupils can email KIP with questions or to show KIP their work...and they do!
Access to the resources is through annual subscription. If you would like to subscribe to the resources, or see a sample resource, please click here. For the website privacy policy click here.
If you're interested in the academic background to the frameworks provided on this site, or have any questions about the resources, please contact me.
Margaret Carswell
margaretfcarswell@gmail.com.
Your absence has gone through me like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its colour. W.S. Merwin
Everything I do is stitched with its colour. W.S. Merwin
