I planned this for my year 9s, and they loved it :)

A full Year 9 Religious Education lesson exploring how religious and non‑religious beliefs influence marriage in real life, as part of the KS3 Relationships and Families topic.

In this lesson, pupils work in groups to plan a wedding for a couple from a specific religious or non‑religious worldview (Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Jewish or Humanist). Using beliefs about commitment, equality, community and meaning, pupils decide on the venue, ceremony, budget, clothing and key events of the day.

The structured Wedding Planning Portfolio encourages pupils to apply beliefs to practical decisions, evaluate priorities, and explain why certain choices matter to different worldviews.

This lesson develops application, explanation and evaluation skills, making it an effective KS3 bridge towards GCSE Religious Studies. It is designed to fill a full lesson and works particularly well with mixed‑ability Year 9 classes.

Helpful for GCSE Prep for Paper 2 (AQA)

✓ Full Year 9 KS3 RE lesson linked to the AQA GCSE topic Relationships and Families
✓ Strong KS3 → GCSE bridge lesson for applying beliefs to real‑life situations
✓ Engaging creative task that keeps pupils motivated and focused
✓ Includes multiple original worksheets designed specifically for the lesson
✓ Six bespoke information sheets covering religious and non‑religious perspectives
✓ Clear coverage of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Humanist views on marriage
✓ Encourages pupils to apply beliefs, not just describe them
✓ Built‑in differentiation through roles, structured tasks and guided outcomes
✓ Develops evaluation and reasoning skills needed for GCSE success
✓ Suitable for mixed‑ability Year 9 classes
✓ Designed to fill a full lesson with no additional preparation
✓ Works effectively as part of a wider Relationships and Families scheme of work