Our Learning This Week:

Humanist Spiritual Beliefs

This week in Year 4 we have been learning all about Humanism and what Humanists believe. It has been really interesting to explore a worldview that is different from many religions but still has ideas about how to live a good and meaningful life.

What Humanists Believe

We found out that Humanists:

  • Believe we only have one life, so we should make it the best it can be.
  • Think we can be kind, fair, and good without needing a god or a holy book.
  • Use science, reason, and evidence to understand the world.
  • Believe that humans are responsible for caring for each other and the planet.

What Humanists Don’t Believe

We also learned that Humanists:

  • Do not believe in gods or the supernatural.
  • Don’t follow religious rules or sacred texts.
  • Don’t believe in an afterlife.

How Humanists Show Their Beliefs

Humanists show their values by:

  • Helping others and trying to make the world a better place.
  • Celebrating important life events—like weddings or naming ceremonies—with Humanist celebrants instead of religious leaders.
  • Making choices based on kindness, fairness, and what will help people live well.

How Many Humanists Are There?

We discovered that:

  • There are millions of Humanists around the world.
  • In the UK, many people share Humanist values even if they don’t call themselves Humanists.
  • Humanism is growing as more people choose non‑religious ways of understanding life.

Our Art Learning:

Inspired by Henri Matisse

In art this week we have been exploring the work of Henri Matisse, a famous French artist. We discovered that when Matisse was younger, he painted in a realistic style, carefully showing what things looked like in real life. However, as he grew older, his style changed and he became well known for his colourful collages, which he called “cut‑outs.”

Learning From Matisse

We looked closely at Matisse’s artwork, especially his piece inspired by trapeze artists. We talked about:

  • How he used bold shapes and bright colours
  • How he created movement using simple cut‑out forms
  • How different his collage style is from his early realistic paintings

Creating Our Own Collages

Using Matisse’s trapeze artists as our stimulus, we created our own collages. The children worked incredibly hard, experimenting with shape, colour, and composition. They showed great creativity and focus, and the results were stunning. Each piece of art was unique and full of energy—just like Matisse’s work.