How I teach Islamic Studies inside England’s RE framework

Last half-term with my Year 6 RE group, we mapped “ways of living” on the board: worship, charity, food, family. It reminded me that in England the National Curriculum names RE as statutory but leaves detail to the local agreed syllabus; our task is to build Islamic Studies that meets those aims. That means substantive knowledge (e.g., Tawhid, Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, Hajj), disciplinary approaches (interpreting sources, comparing practices), and personal reflection framed by an enquiry question like “How do beliefs influence actions?”

Common fit issues I keep bumping into: devotional worksheets that teach pupils how to pray rather than about prayer in lived context; US-oriented packs using different vocabulary; and GCSE-flavoured essay scaffolds pushed onto KS2. None are “bad”—they’re just off the pathway. I look for materials built around enquiry, sensible use of sources, and age-appropriate tasks. When I need a starting point, I browse colleagues’ RE ideas in the social studies corner of the community and tidy them for my scheme of work in a single sitting here.

On Tuesday 23 April, my Year 8s hit a wall with the word “Ummah”. They could say “community”, but not apply it to Zakah or Eid. Since then, I run three fast checks before using any British · National Curriculum for England Islamic Studies resources. First, vocabulary: is there a concise glossary with accurate transliteration (Qur’an, not Koran; Zakah with the h) and definitions pupils can use in sentences? Second, disciplinary fit: does it build from sources—short Qur’an extracts, Hadith—into interpretation and comparison, not just facts? Third, assessment: do tasks match KS expectations (“describe”, “explain”, “analyse”) rather than throw pupils into GCSE-style evaluation too soon?

If a pack passes those, I trial it with one low-stakes exit question and one short-source discussion. I usually keep a running bank of these checks and mini-tasks inside ClassPods so I can copy them into the next sequence without retyping. If you want to road-test a small, aligned sequence before you commit a whole unit, it’s quick to sketch one out in this builder.

Thursday 9 May, Year 7 set 2: our enquiry was “How do the Five Pillars shape a Muslim’s week?” The worked example centred on Zakah—calculating 2.5% on a £1,200 saving above nisab, then discussing how giving changes choices.

Plan and timings

• Objective (2 mins): Describe the Five Pillars; explain how Zakah affects daily decision-making.
• Starter (8 mins): Image prompt of food bank crates; pupils jot what “charity” looks like in our town; quick pair-share.
• Main (30 mins): Short text: Qur’an 2:177 excerpt; mini-lesson on Zakah. Worked example: 2.5% of £1,200 = £30; pupils annotate how a family budget adjusts. Then compare Zakah with non-religious giving.
• Formative check (10 mins): 3-question hinge: define Zakah; show the calculation; one sentence linking Zakah to Ummah.
• Plenary (10 mins): “Because… so… therefore…” sentence stem to explain how belief leads to action; two pupils read aloud.

I store the images, worked example, and hinge questions together so next year’s me doesn’t reinvent them. If you like the structure, you can spin up a skeleton to adapt here, then drop in your local syllabus wording.

During moderation week in July, our humanities team wanted one marking language we could all hold to. This is the rubric I now staple into books when we start an Islam unit; it aligns with our agreed syllabus aims and keeps feedback sane.

Rubric (use as-is or tweak)

• Substantive knowledge: Names and explains key concepts (Five Pillars, Tawhid, Prophethood). WT: lists with errors. EXS: accurate brief explanations. GDS: precise links between beliefs and practices.
• Use of sources: Refers to Qur’an/Hadith appropriately. WT: vague mentions. EXS: cites short excerpts with simple meaning. GDS: interprets meaning and limits.
• Explanation and reasoning: Uses “because/so/therefore”. WT: statements without reasons. EXS: clear cause–effect. GDS: layered reasoning with examples.
• Comparison: Connects to other worldviews or non-religious perspectives. WT: off-topic. EXS: one sensible contrast. GDS: balanced similarities/differences.
• Vocabulary: Accurate terms and transliteration. WT: frequent errors. EXS: mostly accurate. GDS: precise use in context.

I keep the rubric and exemplars in ClassPods so cover teachers can grab them. If you’re costing subscriptions across a department this year, it’s worth a quick look at options on the pricing page.

First week back in September, my mixed Year 5/6 class included two new arrivals from Algiers and one pupil who attends madrasa nightly. We built a dual-language glossary (English/Arabic) for 10 terms, added simple sentence stems (“Zakah means… It changes actions because…”), and agreed on transliteration we’d stick with. That kept talk precise without excluding anyone.

For pacing, I trim reading loads and front-load images and short source snippets. My higher attainers get an extension card to apply Zakah to a modern scenario (gig work, budgeting apps); my EAL pupils rehearse talk moves before writing. Homework stays low-stakes: one 5-minute retrieval quiz and one “teach it at home” prompt each week. I’ve parked these as reusable decks in ClassPods so they’re ready after parents’ evening. If you’d like to generate a small set of lesson slides and quizzes to match this approach, you can sketch the bones in a couple of minutes with this quick tool.