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Ed. Karal Van Nieuwenhuyse, John Maiden, Stefanie Sinclair

Palgrave 2024

In this impressive new volume, key documents drawn up at different times over the last 600 years are presented to show how societies have sought to deal with religious diversity and to promote peace and toleration. In doing so, the authors have created a valuable resource for teachers – particularly of RE, Citizenship, History and PSHE – with approaches for talking about religious difference in the classroom.

My journey to the Religion and Worldviews world began, strangely enough, in an International Relations lecture theatre. Having worked for interfaith and community cohesion organisations for many years, I decided to begin an International Relations Masters at SOAS where I hoped to apply my experiences into a new context. However, as I sat in lecture after lecture I found myself becoming more and more dismayed by the gap I saw between my experience of working with and through religion and religious communities, and the way in which religion was understood and described by contemporary scholars of International Relations. And it was in that context which I first engaged with the Treaties of Westphalia (a set of treaties which ended the Thirty Years War in Europe) and which are the focus of one of the chapters in this book.
Many scholars, as well as those with an interest in the history of Europe during the early Modern period, see Westphalia as the birth of the modern State System (in other words, the way in which sovereign nation states relate and engage with one another). However, what caught my imagination was the way in which Westphalia sought to make sense of the religious diversity of Europe which had played a part in fueling that War.

For me, engaging with the Treaty through a lens of thinking about how societies tried to navigate religious diversity so as to prevent conflict and violence was a real light-bulb moment. Here, however imperfect to my 21st century mind their attempts might have been, was a point of contact and connection. I found it enlightening to think about how people in a different time, tried to resolve challenges which we continue to grapple with today.

And it is that which is at the heart of this book. Each chapter takes a different example and encourages the reader to consider how different people at different times have sought to come up with the language and frameworks for cooperation and peaceful relations in their diverse communities. By presenting the nine examples in the same volume, from places as diverse as 16th century Poland, 18th century France and 21st century Turkey, the reader is actively supported to think about the different approaches people have taken and to think about what these approaches might say about their own communities and contexts. What is particularly exciting is the way in which the authors have included links to diverse primary and secondary sources and guiding questions which can be used in the classroom to stimulate and enrich discussion and learning. The addition of a chapter which explores, in broad terms, approaches to religious diversity in different eras, recognising the relationship and influences between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, as well as other religious traditions, is helpful for framing all nine case studies.

This is a really excellent book, full of surprising insights and nuggets (having spent a year as an undergrad in Granada I was fascinated by the description of the annual Toma de Granada celebration which made me both nostalgic and anxious to see the ceremony one year) and I can clearly picture how it could be used to enrich the teaching of RE/ RME/RVE/Religion and worldviews. Moreover, I think this book makes an important and timely contribution to wider conversations about the place of religion in society.

In response to the abolishing of the bursary for secondary beginner teachers of RE, and the continued lack of funding for subject knowledge enhancement, this thought piece explores the deeper moral and ethical questions government and the education world need to ask themselves about the vital role RE plays in our society. 

A Crisis Hidden Behind Numbers

The Department for Education recently announced that trainee numbers in Religious Education have gone up[1]. On the surface, that sounds like progress. In truth, it masks a deeper crisis. The modest rise was driven almost entirely by a temporary £10,000 bursary re-introduced last year, a short-term fix for a long-term problem. Prior to that, recruitment targets for new secondary RE teachers had been missed in 11 of the last 12 years[2]. With the bursary now removed, along with funding for Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses, the structural gap remains unaddressed.

The consequences are immediate and far-reaching. Without that support, smaller university programmes will struggle to survive, fewer people from underrepresented backgrounds will train to teach, and schools will find it even harder to fill a subject that every pupil is legally required to study. The Catholic Education Service, which oversees more than 2,000 schools, has emphasised that RE is “the core of the core curriculum”[3]. Yet without sustained investment, schools are being set up to fail in providing the critical and reflective education that RE can offer.

A Space for Critical Thinking

RE is not just about religion. At its best, it helps young people think deeply about ethics, identity, and responsibility. It teaches empathy and opens up conversations about how we live together in a diverse society. When properly supported, RE can also challenge the narrow frameworks that have historically shaped how “religion” is understood in education, creating space for multiple ways of knowing and living. It can be one of the few places in school where students learn to question their assumptions and to see the world through other perspectives.

Who Is Most Affected

These possibilities depend on teachers who can hold that space with care and confidence and those who reflect the diversity of their pupils and understand the complexity of the communities they serve. Cutting bursaries and training support directly undermines this. The consequences fall most heavily on those already underrepresented in teaching, particularly candidates from minority, faith-based, and lower-income backgrounds who already face structural barriers to entering the profession[4].

In 2024–25, 83.2% of teachers in state-funded schools were White British, compared with 71.8% of the working-age population[5]. Restricting access to RE training only widens that gap, narrowing the range of voices students encounter and limiting their exposure to teachers who reflect the diversity of their own experiences. In a country still grappling with questions of representation and belonging, these are the very voices that bring depth, understanding, and lived experience into the classroom. However, when classrooms cease to reflect the society they serve, education itself is weakened, stripping it of the moral depth that gives it purpose.

The Narrowing of Moral Imagination

These cuts are not isolated, nor are they neutral or accidental; they form part of a broader pattern in which the state determines what knowledge is valued and who is permitted to teach it. Limiting access to subjects like RE and narrowing diversity in the teaching workforce shapes whose voices are heard, which ideas are legitimised, and how society understands itself. The withdrawal of support for RE teachers is a clear example of this narrowing of moral imagination. In this systematic pattern, public narratives around minority communities are carefully managed, allowing social tensions to fester while shaping wider perceptions of these groups. As a result, subjects that encourage critical thought, ethical reasoning, and engagement with difference are systematically deprioritised. Education, in this context, ceases to nurture enquiry and becomes a mechanism for controlling thought.

Overall, every closed course, every lost bursary, and every teacher prevented from entering the profession reduces the space for curiosity, ethical reflection, and engagement with difference. When moral reasoning and critical engagement are systematically deprioritised, young people are denied the opportunity to fully develop the capacity to think ethically, act responsibly, and understand perspectives beyond their own.

Protecting RE and the teachers who deliver it is therefore more than defending a subject; it is about safeguarding the kind of thinking that allows a society to understand itself and supporting it remains essential to ensuring that our schools reflect the plural realities of modern Britain.

The Impact of Narrative Control

The timing of these cuts is particularly alarming. In a country increasingly marked by religious and race-related tensions, the logic to invest in teachers who can help students understand difference, question prejudice, and build bridges of understanding would seem clear. Instead, the government has withdrawn the very supports that makes such work possible.

This decision signals that developing empathy and moral awareness is less important than controlling which narratives are permitted. The opportunity to expand these critical skills is not only being missed, but also being deliberately foreclosed with the government sending a clear message that engaging with difference is optional. Instead, uniformity and control are privileged over curiosity and ethical reflection. The consequences are far-reaching and extend beyond schools as it shapes the society that students will grow into and will one day lead.

Every teacher who holds space for honest discussion about justice and humanity resists the idea that education exists only to reproduce the status quo. Defunding RE undermines that work and represents an act of narrative control. It limits not only what children learn, but how they learn to see one another, affecting what the next generation will know, question, and care about. The question is not simply whether we can afford to fund RE, but whether we can afford to lose the moral vocabulary that helps us see each other as human.

A Call to Responsibility

The stakes are clear. Education is not simply a matter of filling jobs or meeting targets. It is about shaping the values, understanding, and ethical capacities of the next generation. Policies that limit access to key subjects and restrict diversity in teaching are not neutral decisions. They determine whose voices are heard, whose stories are told, and how society itself will understand itself in the years to come. If we care about the future, we cannot ignore these choices. Protecting subjects like Religious Education and supporting the teachers who deliver them is essential not just for schools, but for the kind of society we want to live in.

The government must recognise that cutting bursaries for RE is a choice with profound consequences for the moral and ethical development of young people. Investment in RE teachers is an investment in the ability of young people to think critically, engage ethically, and navigate a diverse world with empathy. Beyond financial support, there must be a commitment to valuing RE as a core part of the curriculum: protecting smaller university programs, incentivising recruitment, and creating pathways that encourage diverse candidates to enter the profession. The future of social cohesion, understanding, and moral reasoning in our schools depends on these actions. Supporting RE is not optional; the choices made today in education will define the citizens of tomorrow and our collective moral future.

[1] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2024-25

[2] https://ctlc.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2024/09/25/where-will-the-religious-education-re-teachers-come-from-supporting-a-new-generation-of-re-twos/

[3] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/267135/religious-education-experts-bursary-cut-is-huge-blow-to-catholic-schools-in-uk

[4] Ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce: evidence review – NFER

[5] School teacher workforce – GOV.UK Ethnicity facts and figures

As teachers of A level, we want our learners to be independent to prepare them for their next steps in studying, however, we also want to do whatever we can to support them to feel we deserve our pay at the end of the month. A common mistake is to think we must go to one extreme or another with either helping them ‘too much’ or leaving them to their own devices.

Middle Ground

Finding the middle ground is key to support our learners and I have found some useful ways of establishing these as routines. Many of these ideas are not revolutionary, but after some insightful and reflective CPD led by Martin Griffin on the VESPA model (highly recommended), it allowed me to change my attitude towards independent learning and how best to support my students.

Supporting independence

The most important aspect of independent learning that I have found is that we need to encourage our learners to put aside time each week to plan what they are going to do. This will help to support our well-known procrastinators in setting out their week ahead, what work they need to do, what deadlines they need to meet and when they are going to do it. My students are setting aside 1 hour a week, usually at the start of the week to work out these plans.

Providing Structure

What students do in the classroom is not always enough and we want them to be prepared for their exams. Providing them with structure helps with this and offering tips and advice will start them on this journey of consolidating knowledge. In my classroom I am hinting at their independent learning constantly, whether that is having this four part poster on the wall, attaching it to their home-learning tasks or putting it at the end of all my lessons – they will get the hint eventually! It is constantly reminding them of what they are expected to be doing as a committed and successful A-Level student, as it is suggested that they should be completing up to 20 hours of independent study a week, which for some may be a shock. Students do sometimes forget that they need to be doing ‘stuff’ to help them consolidate their learning. Many fall foul to the ideas of just revising content and forgetting about skill, or just revise a mark scheme in the hope that this will help with all exam questions on topic X.

Using a skills matrix

I encourage my students to complete a skills matrix, alongside their content revision, where they are showing the progression of their skill development and can see how knowledge and exam skills work hand in hand. Visually they can see the areas that they are progressing in and the areas where they might need to work a little more. This can help inform their independent learning tasks for the week ahead.

Don’t give too much freedom

I have found that giving students too much freedom can result in lacklustre work being completed. Instead, providing them with options to make their own choices seems to work the best. For my A-Level learners I want them to be inquisitive and inspired by not only their specification content but wider knowledge, so I make them go find out more. By providing examples of podcasts, books, videos, students can make their choices and find out more. For us, it is a win, win scenario as the students feel they have autonomy in their learning, but we are still offering a level of control over what they are doing whilst enabling them to ignite a possible passion.

There is nothing groundbreaking here, but sometimes a reset in how we approach our pedagogy can be helpful to us as teachers in our own practices, but also and more importantly to our students. We are supporting them in becoming confident, insightful and independent learners which are pivotal skills for higher education, but also for life in general.

Watching eyes widen, jaws drop and students mouth “Wow!” to one another. I am filled with pride as one of the quietest girls in the year belts out a prayer in Arabic. We are standing in the prayer hall of a nearby mosque, and she has volunteered to share this part of her lived faith during our visit.

“Bob, it’s Bob! Bob we have a question…”
Break duty is made all the more enjoyable as I watch 13–14-year-old students chase “Bob the Humanist” around the school grounds as if he is a major celebrity; their interest has bubbled over following his talk about what being a humanist means to him.

Raising the Profile of RE: Starting from Scratch

As I stepped into my current leadership role I was faced with secondary schools which had no discrete Religious Education (RE) lessons and no specialist teachers. Whilst building the subject from the ground up, it soon became apparent that there was some heavy lifting to do in order to raise the profile of the subject with all stakeholders. To impart, within our school communities, an understanding of the value of good quality RE, my approach has been multifaceted, however, something that has proved very beneficial in this campaign has been the inclusion of encounters with the lived experience of different worldviews.

The Ofsted Deep and Meaningful Report (2024) states: ‘Through the RE curriculum, pupils should build knowledge of the religious and non-religious traditions that have shaped the world…this knowledge includes…the diverse lived experiences of individuals who are part of living traditions…high-quality RE curriculums should accurately portray the diversity and complexity of religion and non-religion.’

One Trust, Many Contexts: Responding to Demographic Diversity

Although many of our trust schools are within the same local authority it became clear that the student experience within our RE lessons was very different due to the individual demographics of our sites. For instance, one school has a very rich cultural diversity, with fifty-two different first languages spoken, 48% of the student population having English as an additional language (EAL) and 21% declaring their worldview as non-religious. Whereas, another site has 7% of its student population denoted as EAL and 54% declaring their worldview as non-religious. During lesson observations this contrast was often readily apparent, with some students immersed into a classroom dialogue involving a variety of lived experiences, whilst others resembled an echo chamber in which only the teacher could try to utilise classroom resources to depict a range of worldviews. Having the privileged position of being able to see RE lessons across this range of settings made it clear to me that engaging with the lived experiences of those outside our individual school communities was going to be a vital part of the curriculum I was building.

From Virtual Panels to Real-World Encounters

So just as we were emerging from the pandemic and putting “bubble teaching” behind us, I harnessed everyone’s newfound skills for video calls and organised our first encounter with visiting speakers. The format was a worldviews panel that was, due to Covid restrictions, delivered virtually to students across several schools simultaneously. There were some real positives to come out of this event and student feedback indicated that they enjoyed interacting with a diverse group of people. However, it became clear that to make a real success of this, face to face encounters were going to be preferred and students wanted to hear voices from their own local community (the virtual format had meant the speakers had represented communities from up and down the country).

Since this we have worked hard as a team to build an entitlement curriculum in which all students are given the opportunity to visit local places of worship and engage with talks from visiting speakers. This has been bolstered by a supportive CEO who ensured curriculum time and school budgets would enable us to enact our plans. At present all Year 7 and 8 students are given the opportunity to visit a mosque and gurdwara, Year 9 students engage with a worldviews panel and Year 10 students experience a workshop delivered by the National Holocaust Centre.

Helpful hints for embedding lived experience in RE:

• Dream big (but start small). From the outset we thought carefully about the types of experiences that would deepen student learning beyond the classroom and when they would complement our curriculum. Although we were aiming for equity across all sites we started by rolling out the program at a couple of school sites, enabling us to iron out any issues before running it across all schools.
• Think local. We have found the experiences to be much more impactful when students see the worldviews reflected from their own communities, whilst being mindful of avoiding echo chambers which meant a trip to the nearest city for some of our schools.
• It’s all in the planning. Personally, I think this can be easily overlooked once you are bogged down in risk assessments and coach bookings. But taking the time to carefully select appropriate speakers and places to visit can truly be the making of your event. From recceing the place in advance to meeting the speakers ahead of time (it is important they are clear in your aims of the experience). Some examples of preparation I’ve done that paid off in the long-term include:

1. Established clear boundaries i.e. students will not partake in worship activities during the visit
2. Meeting with a speaker ahead of time to plan and tailor a session, I could then confidently share with parents/carers the aim of the session and it removed any on the day nerves of not knowing what would be presented
3. Working with class teachers to build into lesson time an explanation of what students could expect during an upcoming visit and provide an opportunity to plan questions for students to ask to encourage dialogue rather than tumbleweed silence
4. Sending specific topics ahead of time helps provide structure to the session and affords the worldview panel members thinking time
5. Creating a contract all visiting speakers sign and adhere to, this has proved useful as a tool to provide constructive feedback for subsequent interactions.

• Explain why. I’ve found it beneficial to engage with all stakeholders to share an understanding of why an event is happening; making sure that staff, students and parents understand the aims of the event. Be prepared for parent/student pushback and consider how you are going to tackle this. Some strategies we have found beneficial include:

1. Inviting the senior leadership team to the events so they can see first-hand the benefits
2. Providing discussion questions for at home
3. Getting the students to write up their experience of the event and share this on the school websites/social media.

• Collaborate. Utilise the experience of others around you, for instance, sharing the contact details of effective speakers. We also took the opportunity to collaborate with the Geography department, spending the morning completing our places of worship visit and in the afternoon completing an urban field study. This allowed us to share the coach fare but also allowed students to see that we can share interest and skills across our subject specialisms.

Developing these experiences has afforded us much more than raising the profile of the subject within our school communities. We have seen a deepening of student understanding of different worldviews, the development of their interpersonal skills (considering how to interact with others, how to prepare to visit an unfamiliar space, etc.) but also fostered relationships across communities.

“Flourishing” is fast becoming a popular term in education – but what does it really mean in the context of Religious Education (RE)? And more importantly, are we creating the conditions for children and young people to truly flourish through RE in our schools?

The word flourish comes from the Latin florere – to bloom, blossom, or flower. And just like a garden, flourishing doesn’t happen by accident. It requires the right soil, sunlight, water, nutrients, and care.

So, is your school’s RE a well-tended RHS-quality garden, or a dry, neglected patch of ground?

In some schools, RE is thriving-rich, vibrant, and deeply rooted in the life of the community. In others, it’s struggling for attention, under-resourced and undervalued. This disparity raises serious questions about equity and justice – questions we hope the Curriculum and Assessment Review will address. But beyond policy, there’s a practical question for school leaders:

What does flourishing in RE look like, and how can I nurture it in my school?

To support this, Culham St Gabriel’s has partnered with the National Society for Education to develop a new guidance document based on Flourishing Together–a collective vision for education. It explores how the ten “seeds” of flourishing can grow through high-quality religion and worldviews education, and offers self-evaluation questions for leaders, teachers, and the wider school community.

Although designed with the English context in mind, we hope it will also resonate with colleagues in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

What Does Flourishing RE Look Like?

We believe flourishing RE:

• Is rooted in relationships – fostering genuine understanding and connection.
• Seeks wisdom – through listening, learning, and critical reflection.
• Offers hope – promoting peace, dialogue, and positive community relations.
• Prioritises the margins – amplifying under-represented voices and supporting the vulnerable.
• Contributes to spiritual flourishing – for all, whether religious or non-religious.
• Provides knowledge – enriching pupils’ understanding across the curriculum.

Through RE, pupils can discover their voice, understand their place in the world, and grow into confident citizens ready to navigate a complex, multi-religious and multi-secular society.

So… is it time to give your RE some love?

Download the Flourishing Together guidance document here. 

Exploring Cynefin Through RVE: Uncovering Welsh Identity, Language, and Spiritual Heritage in the Curriculum for Wales

The Untranslatable word: Introducing Cynefin

The story behind the Welsh Biblical translations, though relatively little known is woven through the valleys, mountains, villages, chapels, monasteries and cathedrals of Wales. It is an account of how a group of Welsh scholars amid the politically tumultuous times of 16th-century Europe and the Reformation, remained committed to their faith, the Welsh language and the right of all Welsh people to hear God’s word in their own language. The narrative connects the past to the present, and their work offers a meaningful context to appreciate the significance of the one untranslatable word in the Curriculum for Wales- Cynefin.

The word Cynefin does not have a direct equivalent in English. Like many Welsh words it holds multiple layers of meaning, exemplifying the poetic beauty of the Welsh language. The creative approach to the pedagogy of Curriculum for Wales encourages learners to develop and respond to their growing sense of Cynefin. For some, this might involve a relationship with the natural environment or an understanding of Cynefin as connected to community or an evolving concept of a ‘Welshness’ that celebrates diversity. For example, some learners keep a visual diary of their growing understanding of Cynefin, recording what matters most to them each year as they progress through school. The landscape, heritage and stories of the people and places that shape their sense of self and community help to foster an understanding of Cynefin and highlight the importance of developing a connection to Wales and the wider world.

Cynefin in the Curriculum for Wales: A multi-faceted concept

The Curriculum for Wales encourages an approach to curriculum design that is meaningful and relevant to each unique learning environment or setting. Connecting learners through genuine and authentic learning experiences is essential. The Religion, Values, and Ethics (RVE) sub-lenses support deeper engagement with Cynefin as learners: ‘recognise continuity and change in identity and belonging, and how these are experienced personally and collectively’.

The Welsh sense of Cynefin is described in the Curriculum Framework as ‘not just a place in a physical or geographical sense, it is the historical, social and cultural place which has shaped and continues to shape the community which inhabits it’. Through enquiry into the Welsh Biblical landscape, learners can explore and seek an understanding of ‘what matters’, asking: Why are some places, spaces, environments, and landscapes especially important to different people, and for what reason?

Biblical Landscapes and Welsh spiritual heritage

Wales has a vibrant and deeply academic, linguistic Christian heritage, with written documentation dating back to the 9th century, as evidenced by surviving early manuscripts and religious texts written in Welsh and Latin. The Reformation ended the monastic cultural environment. Welsh place names reflect this early history; for example, the use of ‘Llan’ in many areas is associated with early Christian sites such as Llanbadarn Fawr, which refers to the sacred place founded by Padarn in the 6th century. The translator William Salesbury worked diligently to preserve and ensure the safety of surviving books and manuscripts from destruction during the dissolution of the monasteries. These salvaged works influenced the early translations. William Morgan’s 1588 Bible translated into Welsh from the Hebrew and Greek, beautifully reflects the richness of Welsh bardic poetry, making it a truly significant work.

Why Cynefin still matters today

Through RVE, learners in Wales today can develop an understanding and critical appreciation of what ‘sense of place’ means and the value of their unique contribution to the world. The lasting influence of the Welsh Bible is that learners in Wales are empowered to understand the important link between language and spiritual identity, and seek answers to critical questions such as ‘What does Cynefin mean to me?’

The Religion and Worldviews Home Educators’ Fund was set up by Culham St Gabriel’s, St Peter’s Saltley Trust and All Saints Educational Trust with the aim of supporting home educating families, who are often unable to access traditional funding schemes for RE. The fund was co-designed by a group of home educating families, with support from TSIP, The Social Innovation Partnership. The fund is now in its second year and decisions on grant applications are made by a ‘community panel’ of home educators.

Alice Khimasia is one of the parents that has been involved since the beginning of the fund’s co-design process and in this blog she reflects on her experience. The trusts are currently offering more grants in this area. You can also read about some of the other Home Education projects that were awarded funds.

I have spent many years immersed in home education, but I once trained as a Religious Education (RE) teacher and have always believed in the potential of quality RE, and the importance of educators who hold space for big questions about meaning, belief, identity, community and belonging, often in departments with limited time, tight frameworks, and ever-present pressures. It is no small task, and it matters deeply. So, when I was invited to help co-create a fund to support home educators’ learning about religions and worldviews, I saw an exciting opportunity to extend the reach of this important work into a different and often overlooked part of the educational landscape. Home educators in the UK are part of a growing community which receives no funding or systemic support. Despite the challenges, there is a great deal of creative, rigorous, values-led learning taking place outside traditional classrooms, often learner-centred, innovative and dynamic. This fund was an opportunity to recognise and support that in a meaningful and collaborative way.

Co-creation in Education: Building the fund with home educating families

My home educated son and I joined a working group including other home educators and staff from the Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP) helping shape the fund’s aims, values, and processes. The project was grounded in co-creation, not consultation. We weren’t just giving feedback, but were invited to the table from the start. For those of us used to working on the fringes of formal education, it was powerful to be heard and respected, to shape something from the ground up, to be recognised and paid fairly for our expertise. The fund supports home-educating families and groups to explore different religions and worldviews in ways that are relevant, creative, collaborative and impactful. Like many RE teachers, those of us engaged in this project are committed to fostering curiosity, empathy and respectful dialogue in the next generation, and want to inspire encounters that open people to difference and help us all live well together.

When I joined the panel reviewing grant applications for our pilot year, I was inspired by the creativity and thoughtfulness of the submissions. The home education community is incredibly diverse, and so are the approaches to RE. Some families use structured curricula, others draw on storytelling, visits to places of interest, project-based learning, or philosophical discussion. Much is conversational, interest-led, emergent and reflective, often deeply rooted in lived experience. The flexibility of home education is one of its strengths, and applications reflected that with submissions from groups learning together, families engaged in collaborative projects, and parents of children with special educational needs.

Voices from the community: Reflections from grant recipients

One grantee reflected:

“One of the most rewarding things was seeing how open and thoughtful the children became when given space to explore big ideas. They were genuinely curious and respectful, and it was clear they were learning not just about different beliefs, but about empathy and understanding too.”

Perhaps most powerfully, one child said:

“I didn’t know that people could believe different things and still be kind to each other. I liked learning how other people see the world.”

Reading reflections like these was moving and affirmed the value of the work. We hope the fund ensures that wherever children are learning, in classrooms, community centres, in libraries, or at kitchen tables, they have access to high-quality, thoughtful, inclusive education about religions and worldviews, recognising that quality RE can happen both inside and outside school walls, and that we share a common goal, to raise compassionate, empathic citizens.

The Future of RE in Home Education: Dialogue, Diversity, and Connection

Some of my most memorable experiences with my own sons involved visiting places of worship and speaking with people from different communities. These encounters brought beliefs and practices to life and sparked genuine curiosity and respect. I hope the fund continues to grow, not just by offering grants, but in the connections it fosters. At the heart of RE is dialogue, and that includes us all listening well, being open to difference, and co-creating learning opportunities together.

At Culham St Gabriel’s, we’re passionate about ensuring religion and worldviews education is meaningful, inclusive, and forward-thinking. That’s why, for 2025-26, we’re focusing our funding on four key priority areas; each chosen to address specific needs and gaps in the field.

1. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
   We believe every child deserves to flourish through their RE entitlement. That’s why we’re seeking to fund projects in special schools and enhanced resource bases. Whether you’re working with autistic children, pupils with complex physical needs, or exploring sensory and storytelling approaches, we want to hear from you! How can RE promote healthy bodies, minds, and spirits in these unique contexts? Let’s work together to make RE accessible and inspiring for all.
2. Generative AI: Pedagogy and Ethics
   AI is here to stay, and its reshaping classrooms everywhere, including RE. We’re looking for projects that explore the ethical and pedagogical implications of using generative AI in religion and worldviews education. How can AI be used responsibly? What does social justice look like in an AI-enabled classroom? If you’re innovating in this space, we want to support you.
3. Supporting Teachers of RE with other specialisms (TWOS)
   Did you know that over half of secondary RE teachers in the UK are specialists in other subjects? We’re committed to equipping these teachers with the tools, knowledge, and confidence they need to deliver outstanding RE. Whether it’s subject knowledge development, peer mentoring, or opportunities to engage with members of worldview traditions, we’re eager to fund projects that make a difference.
4. Championing Diversity: UKME and GMH Teachers and Leaders
   Our community’s leadership should reflect its grassroots diversity. We’re especially interested in projects that support teachers and leaders from UK Minority Ethnic (UKME) and Global Majority Heritage (GMH) backgrounds. This could include mentoring, anti-racist RE initiatives, or diversifying the curriculum to better represent all voices.

Are You…

• Working in a special school or enhanced resource base?
• Using generative AI in religion and worldviews education?
• A teacher with a specialism other than RE?
• From a UKME or GMH background?

If so, we want to fund your project!

Get in touch with us and let’s shape the future of religion and worldviews education together.

In today’s schools, I often see uncertainty, ambiguity, and heightened sensitivity around discussions relating to religion. That’s why, at the Institute of Children, Youth & Mission (CYM), I felt compelled to lead a research project that could bring clarity to these dialogues and spaces. My hope is that by producing research-informed guidelines and frameworks for use in primary schools, we can enhance teachers’ confidence in facilitating these conversations and empower them to take a more active role. I also want to reassure parents and carers that religious dialogue in schools can happen in ethically appropriate ways.

I submitted a grant application to Culham St Gabriels and All Saints Educational Trust to propose a three-year project and I was thrilled when it was accepted. I truly believe this is such an important area to explore. To begin, I’m working to gather a picture of what’s happening on the ground. I’ve started listening to school staff and inviting key voices into the conversation. If you’re interested in joining an online discussion on this topic, please do get in touch with me via email

Soon, I’ll be immersing myself in case study schools to gather insights from school leadership, teachers, teaching assistants, and the children themselves. As I’ve spoken with parents, carers, schools, and churches, I’ve seen a great deal of interest and support for this work. But I’m also very aware of how sensitive the subject can be, and the complexities that come with it.

Preparing the ethics application took considerable time and care, and I’m pleased to say it’s now been approved by Liverpool Hope University’s ethics committee. One of the biggest challenges so far has been recruiting schools to take part in the first stage of the research. I understand how busy schools are, and how many demands they face. Research involvement can feel like just one more thing. I’ve also encountered hesitancy and caution, often due to a lack of confidence or uncertainty in this area. That’s why I’m especially delighted to have now recruited the schools we need and am excited to begin research in these settings during the Autumn term.

Designing the data collection tools has been both interesting and challenging. I’ve worked hard to ensure they gather the insights we need to inform the dialogue framework, while also being respectful of the time and energy of headteachers, teachers, teaching assistants, and pupils. I’m looking forward to using these tools and plan to write up our learnings into a paper within the next six months, so we can share our ideas more widely.
Once we have our initial findings, which will focus on the gaps, pressures, and opportunities in primary schools, I’d love to bring together a small working party to help develop the framework. We’re able to offer some funding to cover the time of those who contribute. If you’re interested in this opportunity, or any other part of the project, please do get in touch with me.

I’m genuinely excited about how we can facilitate more conversations in schools about religion, while ensuring they happen in healthy, wholesome, and beneficial ways. As we develop this framework, I’m also hopeful that it could become integral to national policies and practices within primary education.

Unlike other parts of the UK, religious education (RE) in Northern Ireland has not been part of any curriculum reforms for a very substantial period – since 2007 – when the current Core Syllabus for Religious Education was revised by four local churches. Almost all schools in Northern Ireland have a Christian ethos and this has a major influence on what is done in both RE and Collective worship, which are often regarded as ‘two sides of the same coin’, especially in Primary Schools.

A recent independent review noted, however, that the Department for Education (NI) needed to rethink the Christian-centric approach to RE and advised that it would be ‘highly desirable’ that a review of the subject be undertaken in the near future . The need for change has also been highlighted during recent court cases in which several judges expressed a view that the current statutory arrangements for the subject were inadequate and did not meet the standards set in the European Court of Human Rights that religious education in publicly-funded schools be objective, critical and plural . Nonetheless, issues regarding religion in Northern Ireland remain bound up with wider national and cultural identities and it is likely that Department for Education are sensitive to reactions to any changes to current practices regarding religion in education. Yet there is little evidence about region-wide attitudes to the subject.

During 2025 we were delighted to be funded by Culham St Gabriel’s to host the Religion and Worldviews for All project at Queen’s University in Belfast. With the support of two community organisations, the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum and Parents for Inclusive Education we wanted to understand current attitudes and explore possibilities for change in religious education in Northern Ireland. As part of our project, we undertook a survey to understand opinions from across the region to religious education. We asked questions relating to the aims, potential benefits and current arrangements for RE in Northern Ireland. Responses revealed considerable divergence in perspective among the Northern Irish population concerning current practice in RE. While approximately one third of respondents are satisfied with “the role of the Christian Churches in producing the RE syllabus” and “Christianity being the sole focus of primary RE”, at least 38% are dissatisfied. This, together with the relatively high proportion adopting a neutral perspective (approximately 25%) on these issues, suggests there may be support for reforming some aspects of RE provision.

The case for reform appears to increase when examining attitudes towards the aims and social purposes of RE. For example, there was majority support for RE’s role in helping children to “understand different religious worldviews”, “understand different non-religious worldviews”, and “examine and reflect on the beliefs of others”. This is despite the fact that these are not features of the current curriculum. By contrast, the lowest levels of support were expressed for the aim to “accept and deepen Christian faith and beliefs”, although this is arguably the most prevalent aim in the existing syllabus. Most participants (60% or more) also agreed that RE could contribute to benefits such as reducing prejudice and improving recognition of people with minority religious beliefs and non-religious worldviews. This points to widespread agreement that RE reform to better achieve such outcomes would be successful.

Disaggregating responses by community background, however, reveals differences between groups in attitudes to RE. Protestant respondents tend to express significantly greater satisfaction than Catholic, other religious and non-religious respondents with existing arrangements for a broadly Christian RE, and may be less supportive of reform. Notably, however, over half of Protestant respondents also believe that RE should help pupils understand different religious worldviews. Therefore, while there are tensions within and between groups concerning the purpose and provision of RE, there appears support for a broader curriculum than exists at present.

Full findings from the RWE for All project are expected to be published in late autumn 2025 and it is hoped they will provide a valuable source of evidence and inform ongoing discussion about the future of religious education in Northern Ireland.

Rebecca Loader is a senior research fellow at Queen’s University Belfast. Her research focuses on education and peacebuilding, intercultural education, and educational inequalities.

James Nelson is senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests are in the role of religion in education and he coordinates the Initial Teacher Education Pathway in Religious Education at Queen’s.