Seasonal Resources
Here are school resources for different Christian festivals as well as other events
Candlemas (2nd February)
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EYFS/KS1
KS2-KS5
Lent (February – April)
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Shrove Tuesday
EYFS/KS1
KS2-KS4
- Shrove Tuesday – Information
- Shrove Tuesday Fun facts – Questions
- Shrove Tuesday Fun facts – Answers
Ash Wednesday and Lent
All Ages
KS2-KS4
Holy Week and Easter (March / April)
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Palm Sunday
Holy Week and Easter
EYFS/KS1
- Holy Week and Easter PowerPoint- Meaning and key images
- Easter Story PowerPoint
- Bunting
- Butterfly template
- Colour-in Cross
- Design an Easter Cross
- Easter colouring
- Easter Story booklet and colouring
- Palm leaf template
KS2/KS3
St. George’s Day (23rd April)
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Please see below for activities to take part in or download our ‘Fun activities for St. George’s Day‘ worksheet!
Make your own shield
Use our shield template to make your own shield.
You could do one with the English flag design, just like the one you can see St. George holding in our windows at Bradford Cathedral, or you could make your own, unique shield design.
Design your own shield:
Draw pictures that represent something about you, your family, friends or home in each of the four sections of the shield.
For example:
You could draw a picture to represent your favourite hobby- such as a book to represent that you like reading, a microphone and some musical notes to show you love singing, or a football, cricket bat or bicycle etc. to represent a sport you enjoy
You could draw your school badge, your Cub or Brownie badge or a picture of your place of worship to represent a place or a club you like going to
You could draw a picture of you with your family or friends doing something you all enjoy together, like eating or playing together
You could draw your favourite foods, your pets, what you want to be when you grow up…
The list could go on and on. Just remember to draw the things that represent you the most on your shield and don’t forget to write your name on the scroll at the bottom.
When you have finished drawing:
Make sure you colour in your pictures, to make your shield eye-catching.
(If you cut out your shield, you will have to attach the scroll to the top or bottom of your shield with some glue or you might decide not to have the scroll on your finished shield as you now have your pictures to represent you).
Mount your shield onto a piece of cardboard, if you can find some. Perhaps an adult could make a cardboard “handle” or “grip” on the back of your shield, so that you can hold it in front of you, like a medieval knight.
Design your own stained glass window with St. George and the dragon
St. George appears in three of the stained glass windows at Bradford Cathedral but we only see a dragon in one of them- and it’s only the dragon’s head!
Use our stained glass window template to make your own design. Use your imagination to show an exciting picture of St. George defeating the dragon.
Ascension Day / Pentecost (May)
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Ascension Day is the fortieth day after Easter. This is the day when Christians celebrate Jesus’s ascension into heaven.
Pentecost is an important festival in the Christian calendar and is often described as the Church’s birthday. It is celebrated 50 days after Easter Sunday and brings the Easter season to an end. The word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth”.
Bradford Pals (1st July)
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Bradford Cathedral has a plaque in honour of the Bradford Pals – the 16th and 18th battalions West Yorkshire regiment – “who fought for our freedom and many of whom died on the Flanders fields. We give thanks to God for every remembrance of them.”
The plaque was installed on the 1st July 1979, and the Bradford PALS are remembered every year on the 1st July on the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
Further Reading
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (October)
Remembrance and Peace (November)
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This year our Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday resources are all on line. Find out more by clicking on this link remembrance and peace.
An adaptable KS1, KS2 and KS3 plan and activity ideas may be found here: planning and possible activities.
This Power Point has images for pupils and basic background information for teachers; its focus is World War I as a local and global conflict and it also looks at the role of women, animals, the peace movement, remembrance and commemoration: Remembrance and Peace: images for reflection
Resources for download:
This is a poster pack that explores World War I and the Bradford Cathedral Memorial Bells, please feel free to download and print.
- Sights and Sounds
- War to end all Wars
- Women at War
- A Bell Ringer’s Tale
- Battle for the Bells
- Memorial Bells
- Memorial Bells
- Ringing the Changes
- Call and Response
- 21st Century
The Peace Museum has a useful WWI book and resource pack with a Bradford flavour, ‘Choices Then and Now’ by Ben Chalcraft and Diane Hadwen. This retails at £19.99 and is available from the Museum. You may download the cross phase booklet by following this link Choices Then and Now – it is full of stories and ideas for the classroom.
You may download Key Stage specific resources from the Choices by kicking on the key stage specific links below. Many thanks to the Peace Museum for allowing these resources to be reproduced for teachers to use. Please click on the Key Stage to access the resources:
- KS1
- KS2
- KS3 & 4
- Post 16
- World War Memorial in Bradford Cathedral
- Booklet about the names on the WW1 Memorial, “Remembered in Bradford Cathedral”
Detailed booklet with close up images showing the beautiful World War One Memorial Window, which tells the story of the war experiences of the Bradford men in the 6th Battalion of the Prince of Wales’ Own West Yorkshire Regiment: WW1 Story Window in Bradford Cathedral
Interfaith Week (November)
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Interfaith week takes place in November.
The Cathedral is proud to be part of Bradford’s diverse community and we aim to welcome and work with children and adults of all faiths and none.
For more information about national events for Interfaith week visit:
Information about interfaith in the UK may be found in the Government’s booklet; click on this link ‘Face to Face and Side by Side’.
Sacred Spaces and Special Things
We have put together some resources and activities based on our popular Interfaith themed Cathedral visits, but which may be accessed via the internet in your own classroom or other learning space.
1. Background information about Interfaith Week and diversity in the Bradford Metropolitan District
2. Download the Sacred Spaces and Special Things activity plan
3. The Children’s resources may be downloaded here:
4. To help teachers take an ‘interfaith’ slant we have put together a sheet of prompts for teachers.
To book a visit to the Cathedral during Interfaith Week please contact the Education Team education@bradfordcathedral.
Advent and Christmas (November / December)
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- “A Quick Guide to Christmas”
- This includes detailed background information for teaching about Advent and Christmas.
Christmas Readings
EYFS/KS1
- Advent and Christmas at Bradford Cathedral: key images
- Advent Wreath: Meaning and Candle Prayers (KS1)
- Christmas Story Leaflet
- Christmas Story Stones
- Comfort and Joy Star
- Sheep and Shepherd to cut out and make
- Stained Glass Window, Christmas
- Who Am I?: Match the Characters
KS2
- Advent and Christmas at Bradford Cathedral: key images
- Advent Wreath: Meaning and Candle Prayers (KS2-4)
- Bible verses: for class reflection or to put inside Christmas cards
- Christmas Story Leaflet
- “A Letter Home”: the Christmas Story and activities linked to asylum seekers and refugees (Upper KS2)
- Christmas Story Stones
- Comfort and Joy Star
- Promises: Names of Jesus
- Sheep and Shepherd to cut out and make
- Stained Glass Window, Christmas
- Suggestions for Advent readings
- Who Am I?: Match the Characters
- 12 Things You Should Know About Christmas: Quiz (Upper KS2)
KS3
- Advent and Christmas at Bradford Cathedral: key images
- Advent Wreath: Meaning and Candle Prayers (KS2-4)
- Bible verses: for class reflection or to put inside Christmas cards
- “A Letter Home”: the Christmas Story and activities linked to asylum seekers and refugees
- Christmas Story Stones
- Comfort and Joy Star
- Jesus’ Birth Stories Comparison
- Promises: Names of Jesus
- Stained Glass Window, Christmas
- Suggestions for Advent readings
- 12 Things You Should Know About Christmas: Quiz
KS4
- Advent Wreath: Meaning and Candle Prayers (KS2-4)
- Bible verses: for class reflection or to put inside Christmas cards
- “A Letter Home”: the Christmas Story and activities linked to asylum seekers and refugees
- Jesus’ Birth Stories Comparison
- Promises: Names of Jesus
- Suggestions for Advent readings
- 12 Things You Should Know About Christmas: Quiz