In schools, September marks the beginning of a new year. A fresh start: new classes for teachers to familiarise themselves with, new year groups, new staff and new ways of working. It is also a time when many primary teachers take on new subject leadership responsibilities or make a “new year’s resolution” to upskill themselves as a subject leader.
RE:Online as a first port of call
Whether you are new to RE subject leadership or wanting to invigorate your leadership, RE:Online is a great place to start. As a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) primary curriculum leader and RE adviser, it is one of the first places I signpost teachers to (along with RE Hubs). And if you think you’ve been there before, it has a fresh new look and loads of great new content that you should be making the best of, while you still have that new year energy! Core knowledge, leadership resources, virtual visit links and a glossary of terms are just a few of the new resources you will find.
Your first CPD of the year sorted!
You (probably) know what your staff need to support them in planning and teaching great RE in your primary school and there is likely to be something on the RE:Online site to get you started, but here are a couple of ideas.
Case Study: Upskilling with Core Knowledge for primary non-specialists
Patrick has been leading RE in his school for two years and is pleased that the school has now embedded a strong curriculum offer across years groups. However, this year there has been lots of staff movement between year groups and teachers are encountering religious and non-religious worldview content they haven’t taught before. He wants to support teachers to feel confident as they begin teaching new material.
Exploring the new RE:Online content, Patrick finds that there are now core knowledge sections for each of the religion and worldview traditions. Unlike the in-depth essays (which are still there for more detail), these pages are ideal for primary teachers who need the basics as a starting point. Typically, they include sections such as History and Origins, Core Beliefs, Practices and Rituals, Diversity within the Tradition, Festivals and Special Days and Statistics in Britain. He immediately shares the one on Sikhi to support one of his staff. The online version also includes the option to hover over key terms and see a glossary definition. Patrick also notices that the core knowledge sections are available as PDF downloads. He adds these in the appropriate year-group folders on the school drive and signposts teachers to the materials.
Case Study: Developing governance relationships as a subject leader
Mysha is a confident primary RE leader. She is proud of the quality of curriculum, teaching and pupil engagement in RE in her school, she shares good practice through her local NATRE RE Network. She has been invited to speak to the school governing body at their first meeting of the year (maybe that was her idea, actually!). Now that the meeting is approaching, she isn’t sure how to make the importance of RE clear to governors who have a strategic view and might not be very familiar with the subject as it is today.
Mysha visits the Professional Development, Leadership section of the RE:Online site and finds materials specifically for senior leaders and governance. She is inspired by these resources and structures a 20-minute session for governors about the current RE offer in the school, opportunities for change if RE is included in the National Curriculum, and the wider role of RE in positive community relations. During the meeting, one keen governor offers to act as a contact and to support the school’s planned activities for Inter Faith Week (8th-15th November 2026).
About
Katie Gooch is Co-Chair of the Association of Religious Education Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants (AREIAC) and a Primary Curriculum Lead for a large national MAT. She is a freelance RE adviser and content writer. Her book, How to Lead It: Primary RE, is published by Bloomsbury in January 2027.