Using the church building at Key Stage One

It is natural and appropriate that young children should visit their local

church as part of their exploration of their immediate neighbourhood. The size and position of the church makes it an important focus in a community and its links with the church school should be made clear.

At KS1 children need to come to an understanding of what the building is, who uses it and why, and the importance of it to those people. KS1 children should be enabled to identify at least the four main items cf church furniture and their uses; the altar (or communion table), the lectern, the pulpit and the font.

It is important that the visit is seen not only as a time to familiarise the children with the contents of the building, but also a time to experience the special atmosphere of a place of worship. Let the children spend some time sitting quietly in the church exploring it with their senses and then to talk about what they hear, smell, sense and feel.

A church provides a peaceful environment for experiential learning; take time to explore the various textures and materials of the building such as stone, wood, glass, cloth, metal and paper. Investigate the use of colour and light or the special acoustic qualities of the space. A church building could thus be used as a resource to support work in topics such as "colour".