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(based on 485 reviews)

A specialist Religious Education and Art Teacher - I retired a few years ago. Now I am an Entrepreneur. My company is Ultimate Stress Solutions CIC. Having trained as an accredited Mindfulness Coach I give one to one Coaching and also live workshops each month in London - Mindfulness-Joy Happiness Workshops, free for refugees. Stress Reduction average 38%. In addition to my resources on TES which have been downloaded over a million times, I am now creating some evergreen Programmes online.

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A specialist Religious Education and Art Teacher - I retired a few years ago. Now I am an Entrepreneur. My company is Ultimate Stress Solutions CIC. Having trained as an accredited Mindfulness Coach I give one to one Coaching and also live workshops each month in London - Mindfulness-Joy Happiness Workshops, free for refugees. Stress Reduction average 38%. In addition to my resources on TES which have been downloaded over a million times, I am now creating some evergreen Programmes online.
places of worship
durgamatadurgamata

places of worship

(11)
This is a Power Point which explores the concept of Place of Worship and sets a reflective/mind-map exercise and research homework It explores the concepts of both place and worship encouraging reflection on what it means to be a human being, body, mind and spirit - where we go to find inner qualities such as peace and happiness - Very versatile introduction to the topic of places of worship but useful for more than that - including identity and meditation. Please give comments and ratings to help others.
70 posters to inspire - religion / spirituality
durgamatadurgamata

70 posters to inspire - religion / spirituality

(5)
I love using inspiring posters on my classroom walls – and indeed in my home. There are some wonderful combinations of photography with quotations from a vast range of cultures and inspiring people which I have used in the past – mostly from Argus. Argus is now part of ‘Trend’ so they may have stopped creating some of those I am familiar with. I was looking for these ‘old favourites’ but couldn’t find them. However I did find the following – and hope some may be useful. I will try to find out what happened to some of my favourites. Meanwhile – I hope you enjoy this sample.
What is Religion - an approach for all ages
durgamatadurgamata

What is Religion - an approach for all ages

(8)
This is a Slide-Show conversation about religion which starts with the answers that a Reception class, part of a workshop I gave in March. Here I explore Religion using models of Jigsaw, Kaleidoscope, Music and Dance and cover concepts of Theist, Atheist and Agnostic I conclude with a section which explores the concept of God. This makes the Slide Show useful for KS4 and older philosophy students as well as younger children. Please give feedback and ratings Thanks, durgamata
What is Religion? Part one Religion and Me
durgamatadurgamata

What is Religion? Part one Religion and Me

(3)
The latest of my slide-shows which asks 'What is Religion? using beautiful images, inspiring quotations, thought provoking text and interactive activities. The slides are timed to progress and some animation is used but the activities progress with a mouse-click and can be timed to suit. This resource is great to stimulate thought about religion in its widest aspect or to set the scene for any new Scheme of Work. It takes viewers through two models of religion - the jigsaw and the garden and introduces the great Eternal Questions, exploring identity - body, vital, heart, mind and soul. comments and feedback welcome.
Muhammad and Islam
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Muhammad and Islam

(7)
responding to a request for help on this topic for a year 5 teacher, I have given an overview of Islam and Muhammad which is based on KS3 but can be adapted for younger pupils. It will also be a useful revision guide and starting place for KS4 students. - (now added a few dates and pictures) As always, please give feedback - and send me more stories and anything else you think would be useful to include, to make this resource as useful as possible.
Marriage and family life Key-Word Crossword Puzzle for GCSE Religious Studies - Unit 1.3
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Marriage and family life Key-Word Crossword Puzzle for GCSE Religious Studies - Unit 1.3

(0)
This crossword-puzzle with Teacher's Notes and Helpful Hints is designed to reinforce or revise the main Key-Words for the GCSE Religious Studies - unit 1.3 Marriage and family life. This resource includes: two versions of the crossword puzzle, Teacher's Notes which give all the answers plus hints and Helpful Hints which you can use to aid differentiation or share with the whole class when the time provided for this activity is nearly up. Ideal for use as a Starter Activity, part of a lesson introducing the topic, extension activity, homework or revision. In addition to the required Key-Words, a small number of additional words relating to this topic have been included.
War poems old and mostly post WW2
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War poems old and mostly post WW2

(1)
An assortment of war poems which include some from Iraqi and American poets and one from a 15 year old girl written on reflecting her visit to Auschwitz. I researched this in relation to work on Remembrance Day but there are poems here which could be used in many other topics including The Holocaust and all topics related to suffering, good and evil, war and peace.
An overview of Buddhism
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An overview of Buddhism

(0)
This simple overview of Judaism can be used to revise or consolidate a unit of KS3 work or to refresh and introduce a unit for further study in KS4. Including both a Word Search and Cross-Word Puzzle to reinforce Key Words, this resource will link with further ones which explore each area in more detail. Currently Under Construction.....
Eid-ul-Adha revised scrapbook Google articles
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Eid-ul-Adha revised scrapbook Google articles

(2)
In response to a question about teaching Eid-ul-Adha to a year 5 class I have collected a range of articles which inlcude pictures and the web address of a BBC site which has a 3 minute video. I hope this is helpful for the year 5 teacher but it will also be very useful for Secondary RE teachers. It includes many perspectives. I will add to it if/ as and when/ time permits. (note - I have not yet read all this. It is not me who has to plan the lesson - but I have increased the text size to make it easier to read.
A meditation/visualisation Buddhism
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A meditation/visualisation Buddhism

(6)
This is a visualisation or meditation that I have used a lot. It is based on Buddhist philosophy of loving kindness. Do give some feedback if you use it - what age and ability group, size of class, responses, artwork and poems etc. One year 10 group objected because they said we are not all good - what about all the bad people - which led to some great analysis of the causes of crime. I have added a bit to the outline and introduction with this possible problem in mind.
Twenty World Views
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Twenty World Views

(1)
A 40 page document prepared for students attending 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions - an overview of 20 World Views - including many great World Religions plus Atheist and Agnostic perspectives. It is a good for reference and comparison. Appendix explores Interfaith work, outlines MOE (Minorities of Europe charity) gives a little history of the Parliament of the World's Religions and info about Sri Chinmoy who opened the last two PofWR with silent meditation and music + Swami Vivekananda (star of the first one.) Free to download here (usually pay for this.)
What is Religion - an approach by DurgaMata
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What is Religion - an approach by DurgaMata

(1)
This is an approach to the subject of Religion which has evolved over about 20 years of teaching in a number of different schools. It is an approach which has evolved in response to a climate of general hostility towards RE, and it has been effective in making a difference, connecting with the students and developing a positive and enthusiastic attitude. I am intending eventually to publish it, including some worksheets I have created and examples of students work - but today I am inspired just to share it here as a free download in the hopes that you may find it interesting and helpful.
An outline of Sikhism
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An outline of Sikhism

(2)
This simple overview of Sikhism can be used to revise or consolidate a unit of KS3 work or to refresh and introduce a unit for further study in KS4. Including both a Word Search and Cross-Word Puzzle to reinforce Key Words, this resource will link with further ones which explore each area in more detail. Currently Under Construction.....
Lots of quotations from Native American sources
durgamatadurgamata

Lots of quotations from Native American sources

(3)
In preparing the Reflections on Life Slide Shows I researched quotations from many different sources. This is a great collection of Native American ones. I pasted onto this file from many sites and will, when time, try to include references to the original websites. There is a lot of material here including part of an autobiography by Chief Black Hawk, dictated to a government interpreter in the region, and edited by John B. Patterson, an Illinois journalist, who published it in 1833. As always, any rating and comments would be appreciated.
The Easter Story from the Four Gospels -
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The Easter Story from the Four Gospels -

(0)
The Easter Story - from The Last Supper to The Ascension The accounts from the Four Gospels are Aligned to highlight key events. I use this with KS3 or KS4. Dividing the class into groups, each group has one key event or episode from the story to turn into a short Drama. Each group performs their episode in sequence. I need to check this resource is complete and accurate but with Easter around the corner, I will share it now. years 4 to 6 in Primary school can use a similar approach but in their case, the teacher will need to create a simple outline from the Gospels which the children can then enact or read in sequence.
Bullying, Peer-Pressure, Faith in Action, Courage
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Bullying, Peer-Pressure, Faith in Action, Courage

(1)
This is something I wrote years ago, in the voice of my son, telling the story of what he went through when we moved to London. I think that there are many aspects of the story which could inspire or provoke useful discussion in both primary and secondary PSHE and RE classes.
Britain - a Christian country. And what if it were Jewish?
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Britain - a Christian country. And what if it were Jewish?

(0)
How would Britain be a different country if it were Jewish. This was the brief I was given last term for an interview lesson which didn't materialise. (Because it was close to the end of term they decided they didn't have enough time to arrange it and will just use non-specialist cover.) Initially I planned a lesson using Christmas and reflecting on festivals - as that was topical - but they wanted me to include some info on synagogue. So this the result. Beginning by asking what does it mean to be a Christian country it ends with an overview of church and synagogue. not finished but still a useful resource. I'll polish it up if I have time. Love and Peace DurgaMata