Leading an RE Hub: My Journey, Challenges, and Triumphs

One of the things I appreciate most about the RE community is the culture of sharing resources and expertise. Teaching is hard, especially in a non-National Curriculum subject where curricula and schemes of work vary so significantly across the country. The generosity of teachers and advisers across the RE community is incredible and one of the most noticeable ways is through the existence of RE hubs. I have been a member of an RE hub for my entire teaching career, the same hub I now am leading. Across the England and Wales, RE-Hubs.uk lists 182 different hub groups supporting local RE communities, some are specialist primary or secondary groups, and some are cross-phase or even specifically A level focused. Many of these are affiliated to the National Association of teachers of RE (NATRE) who started growing and supporting local groups in the 1990’s! Each offers a rich variety of opportunities for teachers and the wider RE community.

I took over an RE hub in 2024, wanting to offer opportunities for local RE teachers to network, share good practice and support one another, but the journey has not been easy or straightforward.

Challenges

When? Our time is precious. Many of us have full teaching loads, families, lives outside of the classroom and giving up precious minutes after school to attend another meeting is not something everyone is able to commit to, before we even factor in the range of parent’s evenings, open evenings and staff meetings that may clash. Equally, not all schools have the time or budget to allow staff to attend during school hours.

Where? The choice between online, in person or hybrid meetings is difficult. Face-to-face meetings are great, there are so many more networking opportunities and conversations possible and the lure of tea and biscuits is always tempting, but the logistics of travel sometimes prohibit people from attending, especially true of my Lincolnshire hub. Online is potentially more accessible to some, but less enjoyable for others and limits some of the activities that can be undertaken.

What? Then the challenge arises as to what to offer in a meeting. The best hub sessions I have attended have offered tangible information or resources. They are fantastic opportunities to invite in speakers from different schools, from faith communities or experts in the RE community. A particularly memorable example was a session run by Birmingham RE Hub and Dr Rachel Jackson-Royal who had invited Dr Ian Jamison to speak on Hindu Dharma and the complexities of teaching the difference between ‘exam Hinduism’ and the realities of the lived religion.

So, what have a learned?

Attendance – will anyone actually turn up? Despite the imposter syndrome and anxiety kicking in, people have amazingly turned up to the meetings I’ve had. The key is to have things that people want to learn about or discuss. I surveyed my hub contact list for information about what they would like and what would benefit them as a starting point and also if they would be prepared to share a project or expertise they had to contribute to a future meeting.

Ask others – I resisted organising my first meeting for ages because I was so daunted by the idea of leading the hub and feeling underqualified to do so. I attended some training offered by NATRE, which I would definitely recommend. I spoke to a number of more experienced hub leads and found the difficulties I was experiencing were not unique to my area. I also attended some online hub meetings to get some advice and ideas. The one thing I quickly realised was that I didn’t have to do this all on my own. Many of the sessions I have attended included external speakers, members of faith communities, and lecturers and academics from universities. I surveyed the hub group and other colleagues and got plenty of offers for contributions to future meetings. Also showcase resources, articles and opportunities that already exist, don’t assume everyone knows about or has seen them.

Be organised – Plan with plenty of time ahead (I should really heed my own advice on that one!). Book the dates in early and get a plan for each session. Advertise widely – I have attended lots of sessions from other local groups across the country which have been fantastic. I inherited a mailing list, but response is often mixed. It’s worth advertising more widely and welcoming speakers from other hub groups.

Looking for a local hub to join or thinking of setting up your own? Have a look here: https://www.re-hubs.uk/ and https://www.natre.org.uk/about-natre/re-in-your-region/