Resources

Teaching Humanism for the Bournemouth and Poole Agreed Syllabus for RE 2019

This is a 37-page booklet for RE teachers in Bournemouth and Poole, produced by Dorset Humanists. Download the pdf.

Understanding Humanism

The Understanding Humanism website is a great resource for teachers in primary and secondary schools throughout the UK.

The section What is Humanism? gives definitions of Humanism and asks how old is Humanism and how many Humanists are there?

The section on Guidance 

Take part in a specialist day
(i.e. ‘collapsed’ or ‘off timetable’ day) in school for a whole-year group.
Example: The humanist volunteer could be part of a team of facilitators supporting group activities perhaps during a day on exploring belief systems or exploring a key moral issue or issues from different standpoints.

Read a case study

Example: The humanist volunteer could take part in a day where pupils are asked to explore a range of belief systems through thinking about how different groups (religious and non-religious) may respond to different scenarios or world events; e.g. world poverty or animal welfare.

Work directly with you by providing specialist information or material.
Our volunteers can provide specialist input to help you plan. They can signpost to relevant and up-to-date materials and give a humanist perspective on current events.

Example: The humanist volunteer could provide personal stories or case studies that enable you to develop young peoples’ thinking and improve their learning experiences, or a series of questions to stimulate discussion.

Talk about Humanism and the British Humanist Association at an assembly or in the classroom. 
Our volunteers  may make a short presentation followed by a Q&A, this might either be as part of an assembly, or be a lesson to set the scene for learning that is about to take place.

Example: The humanist volunteer could explain their beliefs and experiences in a simple and straightforward way that is suitable for the age group you are working with. This could be followed by questions and discussion around Humanism and how it might affect their lives.

Contribute more fully to classroom activity.
Our volunteers could support learning in the classroom working with students as they undertake activities by contributing real life experiences.

Read a Case Study

Work with small groups of students in the classroom.
Example: The humanist volunteer could support groups of pupils while they work on an issue where a humanist perspective might help them to make sense of the issue more fully.

Be an expert witness 
with a class or small group of pupils and answer their questions in a debating or ‘Question Time’ like discussion. Example: The humanist volunteer could talk about how their beliefs and values affect their everyday life and how they make decisions

Act as a ‘consultant’ to the teacher or children.
In this scenario the teacher may take the lead in introducing the lesson and activity, and use the volunteer to provide information as the students work on some independent investigation. Example: The humanist volunteer could use personal and professional expertise to assist pupils in examining different situations in which their own humanist standpoint or that of others has played a part: in life choices, moral issues etc… they could also use real life references or anonymous case studies drawing on the experiences of people and the situations they have found themselves in.

Role play 
Where a humanist volunteer may take on a specific role in order to provide specialist input. Example:  The humanist volunteer might role play or prepare someone to role play in order to get across how people who have particular values or beliefs might behave.

Mentoring students - either individuals or groups.
Example: The humanist volunteer might provide remote support to pupils when researching a particular topic or project.


The British Humanist Association is a partner of Dorset Humanists Schools Education Project. Read how we can give support for teachers by visiting your school.