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Religious Education was the first subject to be required by law to be taught in the school curriculum. RA Butler’s 1944 Education Act represented a compromise between the Churches and the State both of which had for centuries provided school education for communities throughout the country.

The current, nationally mandated, National Curriculum was established 44 years later. The 1988 Education Act requires all public schools to teach all children the main subjects. RE was excluded from this national curriculum quite deliberately – apparently because of concerns about extending parents’ right to withdraw pupils from the RE curriculum to the whole national curriculum. Whether this fear was well founded or not, the exclusion of RE from the national curriculum had serious consequences.

RE found itself in the anomalous position of being required by law to be taught in all schools but not as part of the national curriculum. It was a half-way house which, particularly in community schools, led many teachers, parents and pupils to downgrade the study and understanding of religion and other beliefs. Efforts became increasingly focused upon strong academic performances in the national curriculum subjects, so not including RE.

Despite the interest of many pupils in the study of religion and the related subjects of beliefs, morals, ethics and philosophy it became increasingly difficult to timetable RE in the school week (except in faith schools); the general quality of RE teaching and assessment has fallen, and recruitment of RE teachers became increasingly difficult. In very many schools the basic legal requirement to teach RE is not being fulfilled.

The time has come to re-establish the importance of RE in the school curriculum.

The opportunity arises with the establishment of the curriculum and assessment review. This will report on an interim basis early this year and then finally in the autumn. This will be the most thoroughgoing review of the school curriculum for decades. Issues which are not addressed in this review are unlikely to be tackled seriously in coming decades. It is an important point of decision.

This means that all those concerned to establish a balanced place for religion in our national life and in our schools face a choice between 3 possible outcomes.

First some will argue that religion has no place whatsoever in our schools. They will cite countries like France and the United States which, on the basis of their histories, prevent publicly funded schools from teaching about religion. I believe this view to be profoundly wrong, whatever your individual religious beliefs. The plain fact is that religion is an inescapably important aspect of our modern world. Even those who hoped that social and scientific progress would lead to the decline of any form of religious belief concede the continuing significance of religion. The most cursory examination of the world today demonstrates the importance of religion and belief in the affairs of the world. Moreover, high quality religious education promotes community cohesion.

Second is the course of inaction, making no change to the current arrangements. This will commend itself to those who hope to steer clear of thinking about the problems of the status quo and to avoid stirring up hornets’ nests. However, procrastination will not make the issues disappear. It would be dangerous to allow RE to continue in its current anomalous position – outside the mainstream school curriculum, ignored by many and declining – as described by Ofsted – in many respects.

Neglect simply allows unbalanced, even propagandistic, pictures of religious beliefs to be fostered in ways which can stimulate dangerous conflict. High quality religious education in schools is the best weapon to tackle that. The reformed curriculum should promote this.

The third option, which should now be seized, is to put RE into our national curriculum and give it the status it deserves as an essential part of a child’s education about the world in which we live.

This is not straightforward. There are important issues about the name of the subject itself (I favour ‘Religion and Worldviews’), about who should determine the content of the RE curriculum, and about the new role, if any, of the local Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs) However these are subsidiary questions.

The fundamental choice, which I hope that the curriculum and assessment review body will recommend, is to include RE in our new national curriculum to equip children as they address the challenges of our modern world.

We asked Zainab Aswat, a history teacher at Eden Girls School, a secondary school for Muslim girls in London, to tell us about how they commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. Over the last 5 years she and her colleagues have used Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) materials which have helped them facilitate and support lessons and lead challenging discussions which teach their pupils valuable lessons about identity persecution, giving context relating to both historical events and current issues.

Zainab explains, ‘These programmes and activities have enabled our staff, students, their families and the wider community to develop a deeper understanding of the causes and effects of the Holocaust and recent genocides. At a time when many are feeling that the world is a dark place, HMDT helps us to bring light and hope through the power of education.’

Read below about how they plan to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2025. How are you planning to mark the day? How will you embrace the theme and support your school community to take action for a better future…?

At Eden Girls School, we will commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 with a variety of meaningful activities that honour the victims of the Holocaust and reflect on the powerful theme of “For a better future.” By combining education, remembrance, reflection, and charitable action, we aim to engage students in an experience that fosters understanding and encourages them to consider how they can contribute to a better, more compassionate world.

One of the central aspects of our commemoration will be a series of assemblies that will provide an opportunity for the whole school community to come together and reflect. During these assemblies, students will learn about the significance of Holocaust Memorial Day, the impact of the Holocaust on individuals and communities, and how we can prevent such atrocities from happening again. We will invite guest speakers, including Holocaust survivors, who will share their personal stories and experiences. This direct testimony from survivors will offer an invaluable opportunity for students to hear first-hand accounts of the horrors of the Holocaust and reflect on the importance of human rights, tolerance, and mutual respect. These survivors’ stories will help students connect with the historical events on a personal level, making the lessons more relatable and impactful.

In addition to the assemblies, we will collaborate with the Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) team to organise a trip to the British Film Institute (BFI). There, students will have the chance to watch films related to the Holocaust. These films not only provide a visual representation of the events of the Holocaust, but they also serve as a medium for students to reflect on themes such as resilience, survival, and the consequences of prejudice. Through these films, we hope to create an environment where students can better grasp the emotional and historical significance of the Holocaust and its lessons for humanity.

Another key element of our Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration will be the use of the incredible resources provided by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT). These accessible and educational resources are designed to support schools in teaching students about the Holocaust and other genocides. We will use these materials to create classroom discussions, projects, and activities that help students engage with the topic in a thoughtful and respectful manner. These resources will be invaluable tools for deepening students’ understanding of the history of the Holocaust, as well as encouraging empathy and compassion for those who suffered during that time.

Finally, we will hold a charity collection for local charities that work to support communities affected by prejudice, injustice, and discrimination. This initiative will provide students with the opportunity to reflect on the 2025 theme, “For a better future,” and think about how they can contribute to building a society that is more inclusive, kind, and fair. The charity collection will be a tangible way for students to take action in support of those who continue to face hardship in our society, allowing them to contribute to positive change and embody the spirit of the Holocaust Memorial Day theme.

Through these activities, we hope to create a meaningful and thought-provoking commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day at Eden Girls School. By combining learning, reflection, and charitable action, we will honour the memory of the Holocaust victims while inspiring our students to work toward a future of greater tolerance, understanding, and empathy.

Following a turbulent summer filled with conflict and disorder fuelled by misunderstandings of the ‘other’, you might be thinking of the best way to shift prejudicial views held by your students. Schools linking is a great educational tool that can be used to address misconceptions, develop respect and tolerance, and lead to community cohesion. It is a programme based on Gordon Allport’s (1954) social contact theory whereby two classes from different schools link three times during the academic year to take part in workshops that explore identity, diversity and community. As part of my Masters study at the University of Birmingham I completed a dissertation titled ‘A critical analysis of the influence of ‘Schools Linking’ on student comprehension of Religious Literacy and the British Values of Tolerance and Respect’, which was kindly part funded by Culham St. Gabriel’s. I surveyed and interviewed a group of Year 8 students who took part in the study and this is what I found:

Overcoming Misconceptions

Schools Linking helps students to understand worldviews on a more personal level than they are able to do in the classroom. The programme gives students a safe space to ask those ‘awkward’ questions that they may shy away from in the classroom, which gives them the opportunity to correct misconceptions about the beliefs and practices of religious adherents.

I found that 82% of students agreed that meeting people of a different faith helped them to understand their faith better, and 87% reported learning something new about the religion of their link school. Misconceptions such as ‘Sikh’s believe that the cow is sacred’, and ‘Sikhs believe in multiple gods’ were resolved through simple conversations with Sikh students during the programme, showing the importance of dialogue between people of different faiths.

However, extra care is needed when facilitating schools linking as students may conflate religion and culture in their minds. After schools linking I found that students believed that Sikhism prohibits the consumption of meat as a result of the link school only serving vegetarian food in the canteen. Students were not aware that Sikhs could make the choice to be vegetarian or not. So, be warned, debriefs are needed to clarify some of the experiences that students may have on the day! That is something I will be doing differently this year, as well as carving out time during the programme for students to discuss religion in particular to reduce the risk of students leaving with further misconceptions.

Attitudinal Shift

Allport (1954) suggested that people are more likely to shift prejudicial views towards each other if they get to know each other on a personal level. In my experience, schools linking helps students to do just that. I found that 92% of students indicated that they had formed a friendship with at least one person from their link school. I suggest giving students extended unstructured time during breaks and lunches to help them form stronger bonds.

Students were more likely to feel good about the programme and to make friends if they felt ‘similar’ to the students from their link school, suggesting that they viewed ‘difference’ as a negative. So, one thing I will be doing differently this year is stressing the positive impact of diversity on our society throughout the programme, not just during the second workshop.

In my case, schools linking proved to be a useful tool in encouraging community cohesion. 77% of students felt more able to communicate with people of different faiths after schools linking, and 84% of students agreed that the programme had made them more tolerant and respectful of others. I highly recommend adding schools linking to your teacher tool kit!

References:

Allport, G. (1954). The Nature of Prejudice, 25th Anniversary Edition. New York: Perseus Books Publishing.

The answer to that is an awful lot if you ask our current and some of our previous Leadership programme scholars. Perhaps you lead RE/RME/RVE and are already working across a MAT, local area, region or in a national capacity, if so this is the programme for you! Read the thoughts of some of our current scholars and find out more.

Support…

The Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Scholarship programme has key elements but is also designed to support and develop you in your own context. Sarah Dennis, Year 2 programme member, explains, ‘I joined the programme because I was running networking groups and wanted to support teachers better. I had friends who had completed the programme. I saw how many doors it opened for them to enhance their roles. I now run effective meetings and can point teachers to good opportunities. I run a cross-phase network, and I am now more confident talking to secondary teachers.’

We are keen that this programme supports leadership for all teachers in their different contexts. Carrie is currently on Year 1 of our programme, teaches in Wales and supports teachers in her local area. She says, ‘My mentor has been incredibly supportive, guiding me to set personal targets directly relevant to my work in RVE in Wales. The Culham St Gabriel’s leadership programme has been inclusive, allowing me to engage with and learn from other leaders, while exploring leadership strategies, research, and best practices in the subject that are relevant to my context. The course has been extremely rewarding, deepening my understanding of religious education nationally and internationally, and helping me build confidence and valuable connections’

Amy, also a primary school teacher, explained, ‘I was excited about the opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills within the world of RE! And be amongst a community of like-minded peers and leaders.’

Community…

The programme provides a community of people you can learn from including your mentor, the reading group leader and your colleagues on the programme. Several of our previous programme participants have gone on to do projects together.

Lorna John, head of RE at Oasis Coulsdon previous programme member says, ‘There is a supportive community of likeminded and passionate peers who share the journey with you and this provides opportunities for constructive discussion and networking.’

Development…

Claire Ramali, a previous programme member notes the transformation that the programme supported, ‘The leadership programme has been transformative for my professional practice and leadership journey. A direct consequence of the opportunities from the Culham St Gabriel’s programme means my work is having a wider impact on the subject community. The programme led me to join the AREIAC executive committee which has enabled me to work alongside other RE national advisors. The programme has also enabled me to support other RE leaders and share my knowledge and experience as others have done with me.’

Several members of the programme lead across a MAT. Natalie Parkin who leads RE across Outwood Grange notes the importance of seeing life outside of your own MAT, ‘From a personal perspective it has been great to meet with others who lead and are passionate about RE as you can very much get into a bubble in a MAT. Leading so many colleagues it has been really useful to have a sounding board to talk my ideas and dilemmas through with before acting on them, and connecting this to best practice in RE. It has also helped me to identity the areas I need to develop in my colleagues to enable them to deliver great RE.’

Research focus…

Jake is in year 2 of the programme, ‘I joined the Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Programme to support me in my work furthering great RE beyond my classroom. The experience has been incredible—I’ve gained so much from the wisdom of my mentors and through thought-provoking discussions with inspiring peers. The programme has enhanced my confidence in engaging with academic reading and applying it to practice. I’m now particularly excited to complete my research and see how it will shape my leadership journey and contribution to RE.’

Alice took some time out between year 1 and 2 of the programme and describes the focus of her work on the programme, ‘…Stage 2 of the Leadership programme has enabled me to continue to develop my knowledge, skills and understanding of the assessment of our subject. I completed Stage 1 alongside my Farmington Scholarship two years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to continue to develop the assessment of a religion and worldviews approach. Being able to visit a primary school and discuss assessment with both teachers and students has given me a great insight into how we can assess students throughout their religion and worldviews journey. ‘

Differing views…

Through communities of practice, reading groups and work with their mentors participants have to listen to differing ideas and sometimes ideas they disagree with. Amy says, ‘I am eager to grow in the area of ‘research engagement’ as this is brand new to me. I understand the importance of broadening my understanding of contrasting views, opinions, and research from field experts. I am excited about deepening my disciplinary knowledge, especially in the philosophy sector.’

So if you want a programme that will support you, develop you and change you take a look at the Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Scholarship programme. Applications open on January 20th and close on 21st March. We will also be holding a webinar on Thursday 13th February 4.30-5.30pm. See you there?

The pandemic meant we had to speedily flip the way we worked, and our subject community did it pretty well but nearly 5 years later have we missed something with fewer face-to-face encounters? We asked a primary and a secondary teacher, Saima Saleh and Chris Giles to share their thoughts. If you agree with them do book StrictlyRE, face-to-face on Saturday 25th January 2025 and look out for the face-to-face AREIAC/AULRE conference on 26/27 June 2025.

Attending subject conferences allows teachers to network with like-minded people and immerse themselves in current thinking. Teachers are exposed to new ideas and resources, helping to reignite their passion for teaching! (Saima)

Finding other people that teach similar specifications or religions as you is invaluable to build skills and synoptic links beyond the curriculum. Conferences create knowledge exchange, support you to innovate, and think more objectively -all so much easier face-to-face. I love to learn about the latest research and developments in education and realising there are other like-minded RE geeks out there has an impact on wellbeing too. According to Forbes insight, 85% of people say face-to-face meetings are key to successful long-term relationships. *Business_Meetings_FaceToFace.pdf

RE Conferences face-to-face provide a community that helps you develop new friendships, important support groups that can be sustained in a subject where you can sometimes feel isolated, and out of your depth. It allows for professional growth in a dynamic and more interactive way, making connections and bonds that often last beyond the day. Building trust and rapport with RE enthusiasts and likeminded people takes time and when an email pops into your inbox sharing resources and creative ideas from someone you have connected with, it makes my day. The access to new ideas helps build my own CPD as an RE professional, and I can share these ideas with my team when I return to school. (Chris)

Face-to-face conferences mean I can network! I can connect with my peers, share experiences and build professional relationships. The sense of building human connections is one that is trickier to establish when online. (Saima)

I love being able to shop at the best of times, but the stands at a ‘real’ conference offer all the latest resource publications that I can use in school to help enhance what I teach. (Saima)

I value going stall to stall in the exhibitors’ area looking at new resources and speaking to different organisations. As humans we are social and value interaction. Nikki McGee states, “A conversation with ISKCON stand at Strictly helped me plan my first trip as a head of department to London and also helped me build a relationship with them that meant I could approach them for CPD and subject knowledge support. I am still in touch with them eight years later.” (Chris)

‘Real-life’ workshops, where I can handle resources, sit next to people, converse, and share ideas. I have no distractions unlike being online- my full attention goes into concentrating on whoever is speaking and on the practical ideas being showcased. I know I will remember more when I do more! (Saima)

The buzz and excitement of sitting in a seminar where you can have immediate feedback and interaction between people where you can ask questions, seek clarification, and engage in real-time discussions. (Chris)

The next big conference in the RE/ RVE/ R&W calendar is Strictly RE, NATRE’s annual conference. I think the feeling of knowing that you’re not alone is a very important one. In this busy world, where teachers have so many demands being made of them, knowing that there’s always someone nearby who can help you. (Saima)

Saima Saleh is the Local Groups and Network Lead for NATRE (National Association for Teachers of RE), where she is also on the Steering Group. She leads R&W at Ravenscote Junior School in Surrey. Saima is also a member of the Surrey SACRE and she has delivered much CPD nationally. She co-runs a Race and Education Film club that allows her to speak at conferences across the globe.

Chris Giles is Head of RS and leads Teaching and Learning at South Bromsgrove High School. He is RE Hub lead for the West Midlands, is on the Executive for the National Association for Teachers of RE (NATRE) and has delivered CPD on RE nationally.

As Subject Director I oversee the provision of Religious Education (RE) and Personal Development (PD) in our 28 secondary schools. Whilst it is wonderful to have an RE Subject Director, unlike the other subject teams, I am a one-person team, which can be rather isolating. I have therefore developed a support network around me, just as lone RE teachers do in schools, which makes a big difference.

I had been suggesting that an RE Subject lead role was needed in the Trust for some time. My argument was that RE and PD are focused on producing well-rounded citizens who are ready to participate in society. When the role arose, I applied, excited to have the opportunity to advocate for RE and PD in all our schools.

When I reflect, 2 years on, I can see the curriculum is changing. From an original basis in Ninian Smart’s 7 dimensions of religion, we are shifting towards a religion and worldviews approach to Religious Education. In particular, we are taking on a wider understanding of pedagogy in RE and exploring different disciplinary lenses through which to make sense of content. One maxim I stand by is ‘less is more’ this has been enormously helpful as we embarked on the difficult first few steps towards change.

Although the developments are exciting, and necessary, it does mean that the increasing numbers of non-specialists teaching RE is a challenge – but we are all still learning, so we can develop together.

There are so many joys in this role. I work with brilliant colleagues across the Trust, and I have embraced the opportunity to develop resources for the National Institute of Teaching. Working with external partners such as UCL, The National Holocaust Centre and Museum and Lord Mann’s Office has been incredibly enriching. I also appreciate the chance to take a step back from the hectic day- to- day life of a teacher and think more reflectively about the curriculum and what our students are learning.
Effective communication is central to my work, which is all about balance. Curriculum guidance needs to be detailed enough to be clear and the reasoning behind it visible, but it also needs to be succinct enough to fit into a busy day. The most effective method of communication has been creating our internal website. This has become a one-stop-shop for everything we discuss, share and create. All staff can access guidance and resources, and it frees me up as well, as many questions can be answered by checking here.

I see green shoots emerging in so many places. Discussions about religion and worldviews are taking place! We have appointed more specialists, resources are shared across schools and the subject is now being viewed on a par with other subjects, with Subject Lead training days and other Trust-wide provision. Increased confidence and competence across the Trust is starting to emerge, with some schools taking part in UCL’s Beacon School Programme and others applying for the UCL Quality Mark.

My aim for the coming year is to map out what high quality Religion and Worldviews looks like from Early Years to Post-16. I am pleased that the Trust will continue to recruit specialists and develop those already in post. Ultimately the vision is to continue to grow in strength and understanding as a subject of benefit to all our schools and all our pupils.

Imagine…

You are a 14-year-old pupil about to choose your options…you are wondering whether to study GCSE religious studies… You have had a mixed experience of the subject so far. You attended a Primary Academy in Key Stage 1 where you learned primarily about Christianity and Judaism. At Key Stage 2 your parents moved house to the neighbouring county and the state maintained primary school you attended followed the locally agreed syllabus. This syllabus specified that pupils would start learning about Judaism at Key Stage 2 so you ended up learning about all the things you’d done in Key Stage 1 all over again. However, you had to learn very quickly about Islam as you hadn’t learned about that before yet everyone else in the class had. On top of that RE was often on a Friday afternoon (maybe so Ofsted wouldn’t look at it?) and sometimes your teacher just ‘ran out of time’ for the lesson. You felt disadvantaged.

You were looking forward to joining a secondary academy which is part of a large MAT. You hoped things would improve. However, as everyone had done something different in RE in the primary phrase (some had followed an agreed syllabus, some a MAT curriculum, some came from schools with a religious character), the curriculum did repeat some things you had done before. Your teacher is not qualified to teach RE either, they are a geography teacher who has some spare time on their timetable apparently. You like the religion and worldviews approach though which focuses on real lived experience of believers. You’re puzzled that friends who have gone to different secondary schools don’t have the same experience. One friend said they didn’t have RE at all but had a few lessons on religion in life skills. Another said the way their religious practice was presented in the classroom didn’t reflect her own experience. Another was more positive saying they had three lessons a fortnight to learn in depth and everyone was required to do GCSE Religious Studies. You really want to know how different people live in and view the world but are not sure you’re prepared for a GCSE based on your experience, but sadly your school doesn’t offer statutory non-examined RE. You wonder why there is so much inconsistency and incoherency in the RE curriculum. It all feels rather unjust and unfair to you…

Like many individuals, schools and organisations, I am currently working with colleagues to submit our evidence to the curriculum and assessment review. As we look deeply at the evidence from over the last 10 years a key theme has come through strongly.

Inequity

• The weak position of RE within the basic curriculum means that its vulnerability leads to inequity of pupils’ experience.
• The provision of RE curriculum is inconsistent, this means some pupils are not receiving their entitlement to the subject thus leading to inequity.
• There are no common curriculum standards for RE, meaning that expectations of pupils in terms of outcomes are inequitable.
• There is a lack of consistency and continuity of content in relation to RE, thus pupils’ experience of the subject is inequitable.

This inequity means that some children and young people are inadvertently being disadvantaged. Currently inequality, lack of diversity (e.g. within worldview traditions, cultural representation) and injustice are built into the system in terms of the curriculum for religious education. Many, if not all, of these inequalities are not intentional. I don’t think anyone who is involved with the subject sets out to bring inequality, but this is increasingly how it plays out in practice. I think it is time to say the status quo is not acceptable for our children and young people. It is time to restore an established entitlement to the religious education curriculum for all pupils in all schools.

However, this is extremely challenging, because for RE, the curriculum is bound up with structures. To call for RE to go into a new National Curriculum, for example, means that the whole religion and worldviews community will have to come together for the common good. This will mean humility of approach, service to others, building consensus and seeking resolutions together; this is crucial if we are to bring justice. It will not be easy, but I do believe it is possible.

I also think it is vital. If the new national curriculum is to be applied to all schools (including academies), then as a religion and worldviews community we need to ask ourselves what would happen if RE is not part of a new national curriculum? Provision is already at crisis point, recruitment and retention of teachers of RE is hugely challenging and funding of the subject by previous governments has been inadequate. If the subject is not part of a new national curriculum, it could be further side-lined; it is I believe an existential moment for the subject.

So I offer a brief summary of the key points of our submission to the call for evidence. It sets out why we believe the only solution to the four areas of inequity is for RE to be in a new national curriculum. The RE community would need to work out what this meant in practice, but the National Content Standard for RE in England provides a very good starting point.

The issues:

Position: The subject has a vulnerable place in the basic curriculum. In addition, its position as a compulsory subject is not valued and the introduction of the EBacc has impacted negatively on the subject. Sitting outside a new national curriculum which would apply to all schools, including academies would place the subject in an even more vulnerable and inequitable position.

Provision: The amount of time given to the RE curriculum is inconsistent. In some cases RE is not taught in certain year groups or key stages. Some schools are not familiar with the current legal framework. Some curricula require all pupils to study GCSE religious studies to meet the current statutory requirement, whilst others do not. There is an evidenced correlation between studying GCSE Religious Studies and a better overall Progress 8 points score, particularly for those who are socio-economically disadvantaged but some pupils do not receive this opportunity. Some pupils are epistemically disadvantaged by not receiving a quality RE curriculum, leading to educational and social injustice.

Standards: There is no national benchmark for the subject leading to inequity in terms of standards. This means there is inconsistency in terms of expectations, pupil outcomes and therefore standards. There are over 100 different agreed syllabi, plus syllabi developed by MATs and providers of schools with a religious character. This makes it difficult to hold schools to account. It raises questions about effective progression and assessment when there is so much variation. There is often repetition of content leading to low standards, lack of knowledge and skills.

Content: There is inconsistent religious education content across all types of school due to the variety of syllabi (e.g over 100 agreed syllabi, numerous MAT curricula). This leads to poor sequencing, weak progression and diversity of pupil experience in terms of developing religion and worldview literacy. Pupils who move from one school to another or in/out of alternative provision, are from a transient community or whose parents are in the armed forces are particularly disadvantaged. The lack of consistency means there is no coherent progression between key stages. There is too much, and out-dated content at GCSE, which does not reflect the lived religion and belief landscape, nor different disciplinary lenses. Pupils (and teachers) are often unable to see themselves in the curriculum.

Restoring Equity- a proposed solution

After much discussion and consideration, there is only one way forward which adequately addresses all four equity issues. This is for RE (religion and worldviews education) to go into a new National Curriculum because it will confirm the status of RE as an equal subject to others and ensure it is not disadvantaged by weak resourcing and curriculum time. The National Content Standard for RE in England (2023) published by the RE Council of England and Wales provides an important way forward, a starting point for discussion, a place for negotiation to begin.

Position: This proposed solution addresses the issue of inequity of position by placing RE alongside national curriculum subjects. Parity is restored.

Provision: This proposed solution addresses the issues of inequity of provision. All schools would be required to follow a new national curriculum for the subject. I am aware consideration would need to be given to EYFS and to non-examined Key Stage 4 and 5 provision. In our submission we make suggestions for the latter relating in relation to preparedness for work and engagement in a complex, global society.

Standards: This proposed solution addresses the issues of inequity of standards by providing a common benchmark for all schools. There is already consensus among the religion and worldviews community around the National Content Standard for RE in England. Expectations of pupils would be the same regardless of what type of school pupils attended. Having a common benchmark would enable the subject to be compared to other curriculum subject standards more appropriately and would support bodies such as Ofsted to hold schools to account.

Content: This proposed solution addresses inequity of content by providing as a minimum a National Content Standard (2023). In addition, there should be a move towards a religion and worldviews approach, considering the lived religion and worldviews landscape, including the diversity in and between different worldviews. There should be a move away from a world religions paradigm. Steps should be taken to build an inclusive curriculum where pupils are be able to see themselves within it. A new GCSE, or equivalent, should consider the real religious landscape, disciplinary knowledge and different ways of assessing (including oracy) pupils’ substantive knowledge. There should be a focus on the educational intent of the curriculum for RE.

In addition, in our submission we have raised the following points which we believe contribute to ensuring equity for all pupils in all schools in relation to religious education. We are advocating for all these elements of a religion and worldviews education to become part of a new national curriculum.

The importance of:

• the contribution of religion and worldviews education to positive community relations
• the contribution of religion and worldviews education to preventing Antisemitism, Islamophobia and Far Right Extremism
• the contribution of religion and worldviews education to promoting and protecting freedom of religion or belief as a human right
• religion and worldviews education for positive mental health and well-being
• religion and worldviews education in preparedness for work and for university readiness
• a hermeneutical approach to religion and worldviews education for development of critical thinking and resilience
• the local dimension, including a role for local or regional advisory groups similar to those found in other humanities subjects.

I believe it is time for the religion and worldviews community to come together for the common good of all children and young people. Culham St Gabriel’s vision is to seek a broad-based, critical and reflective religion and worldviews education contributing to a well-informed, respectful and open society. We have a unique, once in a generation opportunity to move towards realising this vision.

Kathryn Wright
CEO, Culham St Gabriel’s
November 2024

This is the view of Culham St Gabriel’s staff and a significant majority of the Culham St Gabriel’s trustees.

As this is a summary I have not cited all our evidence. However it includes the following:

A New Settlement Revised (2018)
Annual Church of England SIAMS Report (2024)
DfE Workforce Data (2024)
NATRE Primary Survey (2022).
NATRE Secondary Survey (2023)
Ofsted Subject Report (2024)
Ofsted Annual Report (2023)
Policy Institute Report (2023)
RE for Real (2015)
The Bloom Review (2023)
The Commission on RE (2018)
The Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life (2015)
The Religion and Worldviews Suite of Resources (2024)
Understanding Unbelief (2015)

Culham St Gabriel’s Campaign Policy Briefings available at www.cstg.org.uk
Culham St Gabriel’s Focus Group (October Meeting, 2024)

Working with a mentor on the Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Programme was the springboard I needed to try something I had always been interested in. As a Secondary teacher I have often created curriculum materials for local Primary colleagues, as if I am the ‘expert’. However, this always bothered me. Not only is it disempowering for Primary colleagues, it completely overlooks their incredible expertise in pedagogy. An exchange of Secondary subject knowledge and Primary pedagogical expertise was the focus of my leadership year.

With the publication of Ofsted’s ‘Deep and Meaningful’ report, subject- specific CPD seemed even more urgent. I benefitted hugely from RE Hubs training on how to run a local group (full details below), and rekindled the Cambridgeshire group that had declined somewhat during the pandemic.

It was a steep learning curve. A well-attended launch of our Agreed Syllabus the year before meant my contact book was healthy, but I still had to work out by trial and error the best way to contact schools that elicited a response. A dedicated RE adviser for the country has been invaluable, both in connecting me to schools and the SACRE.

A mix of Primary and Secondary colleagues attended the first meeting of the Cambridgeshire RE local group network in December 2023. We had decided on face- to – face in order to build lasting relationships and a sustainable community. As Cambridgeshire is a large country, we agreed to move around, hosted by schools, to maximise attendance. It was immediately apparent that our Primary colleagues in our group were keen to hear about and develop accessible, good quality resources. Moreover, many were using ready-made curricula some of which did not lend themselves easily to adaptation and development.

Thus, we decided to embark on a shared curriculum audit. We found our new Agreed Syllabus allowed us to map progression of skills and knowledge across phases. We agreed it is important that secondary colleagues to not assume that pupils are coming to them as a blank canvas having not learned anything previously. Instead, I think we should be building on prior learning to make connections and links as we would within our own phase.

From this collaborative starting point we worked in smaller groups in our second meeting; sharing resources, identifying curriculum materials to collaborate on, and learning from each other. So much was achieved in one hour together!

Our final meeting of the term will be a keynote speech and workshop from a local Head of Department on using art in RE lessons. All those attending have been asked to bring an example of how they currently do this so that again we can continue to collaborate and learn from each other. Future meeting ideas include inviting in faith speakers, visiting places of worship together and continuing our shared commitment to curriculum.

The buzz of passionate people working together and the delight at leaving with takeaways they can immediately implement in their setting cannot be put into words. I am so pleased that the Leadership Programme has enabled me the time and focus to be able to revive this group and bring people together. I am hugely grateful that my work in this area also gave me the confidence to apply for a Trust Lead for RE position for September, in which I was successful. The power of cooperation, and particularly cross phase networking, cannot be underestimated and so I urge you, if you are not a member already, to reach out to your local group or even set up one of your own!

References:

Ofsted (2024) ‘Deep and Meaningful? The Religious Education Subject Report’.
RE Hubs training on how to run a local group.
Find a local group near you
NATRE RE in your region

RExChange is about ‘real world research for real world classrooms’ and so we asked three secondary school teachers Beth Blizzard, Ian Dover and Kelly Keatley to share some of their reflections. Beth and Kelly are all current participants in the Culham St Gabriel’s leadership scholarship programme.

If you were at the conference, consider how you are going to apply what you heard in your context? Who might you share what you heard with?

If you were unable to be at the conference recording of the Keynotes, In Conversation and Panel sessions will be available very soon. Also look out for the post conference newsletter which will have links to some of the research shared.

Keynotes

I loved the diversity of the Friday keynote session with Chine McDonald, Jasjit Singh, Iona Hine and Anastasia Badder on researching worldviews communities. It was interesting to reflect on how the public perception of religion and worldviews has shifted over recent years and why RE can be considered to be more important than ever. Jasjit’s input on the focus on how research is conducted with the Sikh community and the work from Iona and Anastasia on behalf of the water companies and the way water is used and seen by faith communities was fascinating. (Kelly)

I’m always looking for ways to engage students with real life examples of how worldviews are lived. Dr Iona Hine and Dr Anastasia Badders section of the keynote provided me with a brilliant project to use to demonstrate a catalyst into religious enquiry. I plan to implement this into lessons on the environment and ecology. (Beth)

Do listen to the recordings of this keynote and the very popular and much discussed keynote on AI.

Recordings are also available of the In Conversation and Panel discussions.

Seminars

Within my school and department, I am trying to incorporate more opportunities for improving literacy through work on vocabulary, extended writing and oracy and so I found the session on Using debating to teach argument and evaluation in GCSE Religious Studies by Beth Eades really inspiring. Beth’s approach with structured debates was so clear and practical and I am confident that as a result of this session, I will be incorporating lots of her strategies into my classroom with a view to conducting formal debates with my classes. (Kelly)

Personal knowledge is another area within RE that I definitely want to explore further, and I am keen to reflect on the space that I give within the curriculum for students to consider their own positionality and how they approach the topics we cover but also how the topics we cover affect their positionality. Emma Salter’s session provided a useful discussion around the concept of personal knowledge and how we incorporate it and whether we can assess it and report on it. Having attended Trevor Cooling’s session on ‘What is Knowledge?’, Emma’s session really drilled down into the practicalities of how we can support student development in this area. (Kelly)

My main area of focus in my role is the development of the RE and Worldviews curriculum here and to provide support to primary schools in my MAT. David Lewin and Kate Christopher’s session on the “After RE” curriculum framework provided me with questions and ideas to carry forward to support other colleagues. It has also prompted me to go back to the teacher led resources on the REC website and highlight these to other staff within my trust. (Beth)

Oli Aston’s session on supporting disadvantaged students made me consider more closely what it means for students to be disadvantaged. In many of our settings we have a narrow view about what disadvantage means in terms of Pupil Premium, SEND, Forces children etc. He encouraged careful consideration to other aspects of disadvantage, in my context, it has prompted discussion about how as a school we best support our students whose reading ages are well below those required to fully access the GCSE curriculums that we teach. (Beth)

In my context we are currently really focusing on using reading to support students overcome barriers to learning and so it was particularly interesting to hear Jane Yates focus on language use from a variety of languages and traditions in her session on ‘a culture of untranslatability in the RE Classroom’. Oli Aston talking about widening our understanding of disadvantage beyond the Pupil Premium label also supported our current focus. I feel these two sessions complemented each other nicely, as the acquisition of language, especially terms that students have not encountered before is one of the areas of disadvantage that is a focus for the department this year. (Ian)

Jas Butterworth’s session on the gender gap in RE made me consider the approaches that we use MAT and school wide to support boys achievement and the assumptions that we make. Some of these are drilled into school policy, leading me to think how we might open discussion as a school and a Multi Academy Trust to look at more research and effective strategies to support these students. In my wider role within school, I am beginning to embed a teacher led CPD programme, I want to explore in more depth the barriers to learning and research further to find out some clear strategies that can be delivered to whole staff to support these students in all areas of the curriculum across the school. (Beth)

So what as you return to school…

Sessions have provided a range of different sources of research to explore a bit more, and consider how they become embedded in our curriculum, and how we ensure that we allow students to appreciate, understand, and confidently engage with a range of highly specialised vocabulary without devaluing the ideas and concepts that they are a part of.

I am really looking forward to sharing the information from these sessions in the wider department and considering how best we can apply this research to support the whole of our diverse cohorts. (Ian)

Thank you to all three of our bloggers. What was your key takeaway?

RExChange is about ‘Real world research for real world classrooms’ and so we asked three primary school teachers Amy Clarke, Fiona Greening and Paul Marvin to share some of their reflections. Amy, Fiona and Paul are all current participants in the Culham St Gabriel’s leadership scholarship programme.

If you were at the conference, consider how you are going to apply what you heard in your context? Who might you share what you heard with?

If you were unable to be at the conference recording of the Keynotes, In Conversation and Panel sessions will be available very soon. Also look out for the post conference newsletter which will have links to some of the research shared.

Keynotes

In the first keynote, ‘Researching Worldview Communities’, we were presented with the idea of the role that religion and religious communities still play in today’s society. The work that Dr Jasjit Singh was doing with Sikh communities, made me consider the place that conversation and interview has in researching lived examples that can be shared in the classroom. He also made us consider our positionality when interviewing and researching.

The Keynote on AI seemed to provoke thoughts and wider conversations for everyone;

The Keynote session ‘Disciplinary perspectives on AI’, Wow is all I can say. Although this was a whole new area for me I found the discussion was at a level that I could understand and was presented in a way that I could see links into RE. I then spent lunchtime discussing it with my family!

This session left me considering how AI could be used by teachers to support their preparation for lessons. There is a serious concern around who is classifying and deciding upon the knowledge that different AI models have access to and whether this knowledge is biased or skewed in any way.

Do listen to the recordings of these two keynotes.

In conversation

Two of our bloggers attended the conversation between Adam Robertson and Fiona Moss on the research and evidence underpinning the new Oak academy RE curriculum and resources.

…the thinking and research from the RE Community that sits behind the curriculum has led to threads being created to link the different units together, with each unit also having a “disciplinary driver”.

OAK’s remit is to create a curriculum that will close the religion and worldviews “disadvantage gap”, to offer something that will support a range of people, including ECTs and non-specialist teachers. …

You can explore this in conversation and two others on our recordings.

Seminars

Trevor Cooling’s session on ‘What do we mean by knowledge in RE?’: I was left considering the question ‘What influences the formation of a worldview?’ I was also presented with the idea that proper knowledge in RE is personal, because it is influenced by our worldview (much like the idea of our positionality from Jasjit’s presentation). To be good knowers, we need to be aware of our own worldview. Trevor also compared the world religions approach (knowing information about world religions) with the religion and worldviews approach (including personal worldviews). He suggests the first is all about “information transmission”, whereas the second is about “reflexive dialogue” and “making sound judgements”. This helped to clarify the difference between the two, although Trevor did clarify that this portrayal was a crude binary model!

Clare Clinton: Tackling religious and worldview stereotypes in the RE Classroom: I wanted to revisit her work to support a project I am about to start. I was soon making notes on links to different videos and thinking about a way that I could use her toolkit in a primary setting effectively.

Ryan Parker Primary pupils can! A richer encounter with parables: Ryan was aware that too often we tell children the “correct” meaning of parables, without giving the children time to discover their own interpretation. As part of his doctoral studies Ryan has created two lessons based on hermeneutical questioning and the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Justine Ball Developing child voice in RE in EYFS and Key Stage 1: The references to different research I will now read as part of a small piece of research I am doing. As the teachers shared their practice, I found I was reflecting on my current practices and writing down ideas.

Carrie Alderton and colleagues: Engaging parents in their children’s Religious Education: ‘How do we learn?’ is a question we were asked at the beginning of the session. Is it just reading or is it about doing, experiencing through senses, and problem-solving? And how can we involve parents in this? My key takeaways

• Understand The Power of Objects: Instead of relying solely on textbooks the team encouraged us in how we can use religious artefacts to spark curiosity and discussion. A kanga (Sikh), mandala (Buddhist), Rose (Alevi), Red thread (Hindu), candle (Jewish) were given to parents to take home and share with children, to discuss who they may belong to and where they would place them in their home.
• Encourage ‘Take-Home’ Projects: The research considered a project where parents and children take religious objects home to host in their own space. This allows families to engage with the item in their daily lives, prompting discussions and reflections.
• To encourage ‘Interfaith Dialogue’: Exposing families to objects from various faiths opens up conversations about how others think and experience the world. One comment from a parent involved in the project particularly struck a chord with me as she said ‘it didn’t change my faith but it definitely increased my exposure’.
• To see Religion as a ‘Jigsaw Puzzle’: Each object, story, or practice is a piece that contributes to the bigger picture of identity .

By involving parents in this material approach to RE, we can help pupils and parents see religion differently. It allows for deeper connections, opens up learning, and makes RE a subject that reaches the deepest parts of our understanding. This material approach can be incredibly powerful I thought, going beyond Eurocentric views and de-hierarchising texts. This approach can engage even sceptical parents, making RE a truly inclusive and enriching subject for the whole family.

Thank you to all three of our bloggers. What was your key takeaway?