New
New
Year 5

The story of Coventry Cathedral

I can describe the history and significance of Coventry Cathedral.

New
New
Year 5

The story of Coventry Cathedral

I can describe the history and significance of Coventry Cathedral.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Coventry Cathedral was bombed during the Second World War.
  2. The new Coventry Cathedral is a symbol of hope and the future.
  3. The ruins of the old cathedral are preserved as a symbol of forgiveness.
  4. Two pieces of charred wood were made into a cross to represent reconciliation.
  5. The Reconciliation sculpture is a symbol of the power of forgiveness.

Keywords

  • Forgiveness - letting go of hurt and choosing kindness instead of anger

  • Reconciliation - fixing a broken friendship or making peace after a disagreement

  • Peace - living happily with others, without fighting or hurting each other

  • Hope - believing that good things can happen, even when times are hard

Common misconception

Christians might be angry at the destruction of a cathedral and seek revenge.

The people of Coventry rebuilt their cathedral as a symbol of hope in a better world based on forgiveness and reconciliation.


To help you plan your year 5 religious education lesson on: The story of Coventry Cathedral, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The Coventry Cathedral website has a wealth of further information and images about the story of Coventry. There are specific resources for Primary schools as well as video clips retelling the story. Coventry Cathedral also offers high quality visits to the Cathedral for schools.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a cathedral?
Correct answer: A large Christian church
An ancient castle
A small chapel
Q2.
What is the role of cathedrals in Christianity?
Military fortresses
Correct answer: Places of worship and community gathering
Royal residences
Q3.
Why is it important to preserve historical sites?
To ignore past events
Correct answer: To remember and learn from history
To replace them with new buildings
Q4.
What is a symbol?
a type of food that people eat in different countries
a kind of musical instrument
Correct answer: a picture, object, or sign that stands for something else
Q5.
If someone does something wrong, what can they say?
Correct answer: "I’m sorry."
"Go away!"
"I don’t care."
"Let’s fight!"
Q6.
What does ‘peace’ mean?
Fighting with others.
Running very fast.
Correct answer: Being kind and helping each other.

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What was built next to the ruins of the old cathedral?
A shopping centre.
Correct answer: A new modern cathedral.
A museum about WWII.
Q2.
Why is Coventry Cathedral important to Christians?
It is a symbol of war and destruction.
It shows that revenge is the best way to solve problems.
Correct answer: It represents peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness.
Q3.
What does reconciliation mean?
Correct answer: Fixing a broken relationship and making peace.
Ignoring people who are upset.
Tearing down old buildings.
Q4.
What is the main role of Coventry Cathedral today?
Being a tourist attraction.
Correct answer: Promoting peace and reconciliation
A place to buy souvenirs.

Additional material

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