Religious Education was an OFSTED Key Issue for our school. Newly appointed RE coordinator Lynn Mellor organised a watershed event for our school.

Not only is she revising the whole RE curriculum in school but she engaged the services (and wedding service!) of John Tranter, Curate at St Marks’ Church in Great Wyrley

The theme was "Celebration" and an exploration of issues surrounding marriage.

Pupils in the four classes were asked to prepare questions for John Tranter in advance of his day in school.

He spent an hour in each class answering their questions.

After 4 intensive sessions of questions to John, the pupils and staff had come ready prepared for a wedding ceremony.

John wanted to explain what the celebration of marriage involved and show them what took place in a Christian marriage giving the children first hand experience.

He also addressed pupils’ questions about parents parting and used a really precious text from the bible in the wedding ceremony from Corinthians 1 chapter 13 which describes what love is.

The children learned about an important an important celebration in English daily life. They also know that marriages don’t have to take place in a Church.

Headline points:

• This was not a "mock wedding" it was a "first hand experience" opportunity for pupils to explore marriage as just one of the aspects of "Celebration" in the RE curriculum.
• Pupils will learn about other faith’s marriage ceremonies including agnostics.
• It was a golden opportunity for pupils to ask direct questions to a local expert who performs Church weddings.
• Marriages take place in many places and not just Churches
• When they take place it is a commitment of love for life between two people
• It can go wrong also as adults sometimes make mistakes
• What love means between parent and child and adult partners and personal friends.

John read a passage from the bible and said that even if you are not a Christian it can help you form positive relationships.

His challenge was to take out the word love and put your name in its place!

e.g "Love never gives up". My name is Martin so that should now read "Martin never gives up".

Try this exercise on yourself doing what I just did!

The bible passage is 1 Corinthians Chapter 13.

I’ll highlight the word love so that you can put your name in as a substitute!

• "Love cares more for others than yourself
• Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have
• Love doesn’t strut and have a swell head
• Love doesn’t force itself on others
• Love doesn’t always put me first
• Love doesn't fly off the handle
• Love doesn’t keep a check on what other people are doing wrong
• Love is really pleased when the truth really counts for something
• Love trusts God always (but that recognises that many are still trying to answer that question about God)
• Love always looks out for the best.
• Love never looks back but keeps going to the end"

John Tranter’s message to Cheslyn Hay Primary School, as a practising Christian knowing all schools have many faiths and viewpoints:

• Trust in God
• Hope unsworthingly
• Love unsworthingly
• The best of these is love!
• A lovely and thought provoking day for all staff and pupils involved.

I can’t end this article for the website without a personal thank you to John Tranter and Lynn Mellor.

Martin Tibbetts
Wednesday, 22 January 2003