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Book review: Ways of Knowing: A Toolkit, Primary

Khadija Mahir | 20 May, 2026

Julie Childs, Julia Diamond-Conway, Stephen Pett and Debbie Yeomans

RE Today 2026

Sample pages are available to download here. 

Ways of Knowing: a Toolkit- Primary, which comes as part of a National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) membership and is also available to purchase separately, explores how ‘ways of knowing’ can be explicitly taught within the RE classroom. While pupils can often be given answers about religion and worldviews, this does not always equip them with the skills to investigate and make sense of ideas independently. Aimed at primary teachers and RE leaders, the resource addresses a key gap in curriculum design and offers practical strategies to support more meaningful and thoughtful learning. In a context where curriculum intent and implementation are under increasing scrutiny, it feels both timely and relevant.

A central idea in the toolkit is that RE is not only about what pupils know, but how they come to know it. It builds on a model of progression that moves beyond simply teaching facts and skills, towards helping pupils understand when and why to use different approaches. These are organised into the interconnected strands of tools, methods, and disciplines, shifting learning from the delivery of content towards a clearer focus on how knowledge is formed, tested and understood.

The toolkit introduces disciplines such as theology, philosophy, and the human and social sciences. While this may initially feel ambitious for primary pupils, it reflects a purposeful approach to RE that prioritises depth of thinking over surface coverage. This ambition, however, requires careful sequencing and teacher judgement to ensure it is developmentally appropriate and does not lead to cognitive overload.

One of the strongest features of the toolkit is its use of visual icons and practical resources. These create a shared language that can be used consistently across lessons and year groups, supporting both teacher clarity and pupil understanding. If embedded well, they have strong potential to improve curriculum coherence within schools.

There is also potential value beyond individual settings. A more consistent use of shared approaches to disciplinary thinking could support stronger continuity between primary and secondary RE, contributing to a more coherent and cumulative learning journey for pupils.

A key strength of the toolkit is its emphasis on gradual progression and explicit teaching. It aligns well with approaches commonly used in primary classrooms, such as “I do, we do, you do”, where learning is carefully modelled before being applied independently. This structured approach supports teachers in introducing complex ideas in manageable steps, which is particularly important in a subject often taught once a week.

Initially, the breadth of disciplines and methods presented can feel ambitious for a primary context, particularly given limited curriculum time for RE. However, the age-related guidance and staged approach help to address this by encouraging schools to start small and build over time. This reflects strong pedagogical understanding and feels realistic for primary classrooms, where teachers are constantly making decisions about how to balance depth with coverage.

From a leadership perspective, the toolkit provides a useful framework for strengthening curriculum design in RE. It supports schools in developing a shared language for learning, improving consistency across year groups, and embedding metacognitive discussion more deliberately into teaching. It also has clear potential as a driver for staff development, curriculum mapping, and improving subject leadership practice.

In my role as RE lead, I would begin with a small number of carefully selected ways of knowing, such as stories, objects and questioning. These would be explicitly modelled using consistent visual resources and embedded across Key Stage 1 before gradually being extended into Key Stage 2. This phased approach supports staff confidence, reduces cognitive overload, and ensures pupils build secure understanding over time.

Overall, Ways of Knowing: a Toolkit offers a thoughtful and practical framework for strengthening RE teaching. Its focus on how pupils come to know rather than only what they know has the potential to deepen curriculum thinking significantly. While it requires careful implementation and whole-school commitment, its long-term impact could be considerable in developing pupils as reflective, critical learners who can engage meaningfully with religious and worldview questions.

This is exactly the kind of CPD I’ve been waiting for to help move RE forward in my school – a toolkit that immediately shifts the way you plan and teach, and deserves a place on every teacher’s desk.

About

Khadija Mahir is a Primary RE Subject Leader and is currently taking part in our Leadership Scholarship Programme.

See all posts by Khadija Mahir

Looking at Data, Learning to See: A ‘Ways of Knowing’ Lesson in Primary RE

Chris Mooney | 20 May, 2026

Why ‘Ways of Knowing’ matter in RE

‘Ways of knowing’ have been spoken about for many years in RE (Ofsted, 2021) and it has become clear that in order to teach high-quality RE it is crucial that pupils are not just taught about ‘what to know’ (substantive knowledge) but that they must be taught ‘how to know’ (disciplinary knowledge). In our new Gloucestershire locally agreed syllabus this push towards explicitly discussing and exploring scholarly methods has seen a toolkit approach introduced so that pupils can consider the tools available to them to investigate concepts, practices or beliefs.

In my classroom, one lesson in particular, showed me the impact that ‘Ways of Knowing’ can have as it radically altered my relationship with my pupils.

Let me explain.

The tool I used: ‘Looking at Data’

One of the tools our syllabus encourages us to use while exploring the history and current​ situation of the Jewish community​ in our area is titled ‘Looking at Data’.

Now I have used data before but in a very limited way. My previous approach would have been to organise the latest national census so that I could highlight the responses of the local Jewish population. During the lesson, we would have briefly discussed how the local population was quite small and identified that the local population is focussed in one locality. I might have answered one or two of the children’s questions, but primarily the encounter would have been managed by me with pupils looking on. I would have been the tour-guide pointing out what I felt was interesting, relevant and useful while ignoring those I felt were irrelevant or confusing.

This time around I decided that embracing ‘Ways of Knowing’ meant me dropping the tour-guide role to become a fellow-traveller.

Moving from ‘tour-guide’ to ‘fellow-traveller’

I started the lesson by explaining what a census was and how the information was collected. We then explored census maps relevant to their locality. As we talked, questions were raised and some answers were suggested but there were also times where we recognised that to answer our questions we might need to explore the locality’s history or complete further surveys. I was reflecting, evaluating and analysing alongside my pupils. I felt that my position had shifted my tour-guide to experienced fellow-traveller. This experience only grew richer when I presented them with the local data responses.

Again, previously, I would have directed their attention towards the data I wanted them to see so that they could come to the conclusions that I wanted them to make. This time, I was determined that to hand the hermeneutical baton over to them.

So, we went through the data slowly allowing the pupils to review it themselves and identify what they felt was ‘noticeable’. This altered my comments from explanation to provocation from “This is because…” and “You can see that…” to “What might this mean for these people?”, “How might it feel to live here?” or “How could you explore that information further?” Interestingly, pupils began to reflect on the population data across different worldviews and how this might lead to them engaging with one another. We did eventually talk about the responses of Jewish people, but we came to it together.

This exploration allowed us to interpret pictures of the local synagogue and its community in a different light. Pupils reflected on how living in a place with fewer Jewish people might impact the way the community gathered or the buildings in which they gathered. We also considered how living in a place with people of similar or differing worldviews might impact your identity or relationships with others.

What changed when I taught ‘Ways of Knowing’ explicitly

After this lesson, I reflected on how explicitly using ‘Ways of Knowing’ altered our RE experience:

  1. Explicitly showing a ‘Way of Knowing’ had allowed me to transition from tour-guide who holds all the knowledge to fellow-traveller noticing, exploring and questioning alongside my pupils.
  2. The children had embodied the role social-scientists, activists, architects and theologians. Instead of being given my conclusions and those of others they had been empowered ‘to be’ the scholar and to come to their own conclusions.
  3. The children had seen that a person’s worldview as well as their traditions and practice might be shaped and formed by their local or national experience. For children in a school whose pupils are pre-dominantly from White-British backgrounds this is powerful. Might this have ramifications for their ideas on race, religion, politics? I would hope so.
  4. The children’s confidence with the census and data meant that I could use this in other areas of the unit such as exploring the concept of ‘ethno-religion’.

This experience has encouraged me to embrace ‘ways of knowing’ as a key aspect of my RE teaching. I know that I have a way to go, but I am determined to take that path as a fellow-traveller and not as a tour-guide.

About

Chris Mooney is a Deputy Headteacher and RE Subject Leader at a primary school in the Cotswolds. He is the lead practitioner for RE across The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust and is passionate about supporting teachers to deliver teaching across the curriculum.

See all posts by Chris Mooney

Thinking Like a Social Scientist in the RE Classroom

Charlotte Newman | 20 May, 2026

If students leave secondary school knowing what religious people believe, but not how we know it, have we missed something?

This question has shaped my thinking while developing a Religion and Worldviews curriculum across a multi-academy trust. I have made a conscious effort to ensure that students do not just learn content, but are introduced to the multidisciplinary nature of RE. Alongside theology and philosophy, they learn how social sciences help us understand religion and worldviews in the real world.

Why ‘how we know’ matters in RE

Our first unit in Year 7 is What is a worldview? From the outset, students are explicitly introduced to theology, philosophy and social sciences as different ways of knowing. Crucially, they are taught the tools and methods of each discipline so that, as they move through the curriculum, they can recognise these approaches and begin to use them independently.

Learning to think like a social scientist

For social sciences, we introduce a character called Sunil, a social scientist, who guides students through the process of setting up a small-scale sociological study. We start with a familiar context: how people celebrate Christmas. Students generate questions Sunil might ask and then distinguish between those best suited to a survey and those more appropriate for an interview.

Students then design their own small study with classmates. They consider whether they need qualitative or quantitative data and how to design questions that produce reliable results. Finally, we introduce published data from Big Questions Big Answers Vol. 2 – Investigating Worldviews, which explores how people celebrate Christmas. Students compare this with their own findings, identify surprises and discuss what conclusions they can draw.

As the Ofsted Research Review: Religious Education (2021) makes clear, students need to employ disciplinary skills as well as understand how these help us know more about the lived reality of religious and non-religious people.

Exploring lived religion through data

Sunil reappears throughout the curriculum so that students recognise when they are being asked to think like a social scientist. In a Year 8 unit on what it means to be a Sikh in Britain today, students use data from the 2018 British Sikh Report (available via Investigating Sikh Worldviews). Before seeing the data, they predict which of the Five Ks are most and least likely to be worn.

Comparing predictions with the data leads to rich discussion. Why might younger Sikhs be more likely to wear a kara? Why are Sikhs often portrayed as wearing a turban when only around half of Sikh men do?

Questioning evidence and challenging stereotypes

Students are encouraged not just to use data, but to question it. They consider how survey questions might be interpreted and whether a sample can ever fully represent a diverse community. Over time, this helps students move beyond stereotypes and engage more deeply with the complexity within religious traditions.

A further example comes in our Year 9 unit What is religion and is it dying? Students analyse 2021 census data, comparing national trends with their local area. They ask critical questions: what does it mean that the religion question is voluntary? What assumptions sit behind asking, ‘What is your religion?’

We then introduce frameworks such as Grace Davie’s believing, belonging and behaving to help interpret the data. Students also consider global contexts, including Nigeria and India, where patterns look very different. Alongside this, they engage with the work of Linda Woodhead on values, spirituality and the growth of alternative worldviews.

Building confident, critical RE students

As students progress through Key Stage 3, they grow in confidence handling data, questioning sources and recognising patterns in belief and behaviour. Most importantly, they come to see RE as a serious academic subject that requires evidence, interpretation and critical thinking.

If we want students to truly understand religion and worldviews, we need to induct them into how these are studied. RE is not just about what people believe, but about how we come to understand those beliefs in the real world.

About

Charlotte is a Trust Lead for Religious Studies for Archway Learning Trust. She is on the Steering Group for the National Association for Teachers of RE (NATRE) and the Oak Academy Expert Group for RE. She is also a member of Cambridgeshire SACRE and has until recently led an RE local group, only stopping due to a geographical job move. She has delivered much CPD on RE nationally.

See all posts by Charlotte Newman

Thinking Like a Theologian: Practical Tools for Reading Sacred Texts in the secondary RE classroom

Joanne Harris | 19 May, 2026

In developing Theology within our Key Stage 3 curriculum, our department has been heavily influenced by a session I attended several years ago at Strictly RE, where Professor Bob Bowie introduced ‘Teachers and Texts: The Practice Guide’. This has shaped both our thinking and classroom practice, particularly in how we explicitly teach pupils the disciplinary skills needed to “think like a theologian”. As the guide suggests, RE has the potential to allow pupils to “inhabit the place of a sacred text scholar”, grappling with texts, exploring multiple interpretations, and recognising the complexity of meaning-making within religious traditions.

Meaning then, meaning now: helping pupils connect sacred texts to contemporary life

Too often, pupils encounter religious texts in fragmented ways or as soundbites. This is especially evident at GCSE, where many learn a bank of quotations to support exam answers rather than developing a deeper understanding of the text, its context, and layers of meaning. We wanted to address this at Key Stage 3, ensuring that pupils begin their GCSE studies equipped with the theological knowledge and interpretive skills needed to engage meaningfully with sources of wisdom and authority.

To support this, we have embedded hermeneutics into our Key Stage 3 curriculum as a way of introducing pupils to the process of reading and interpreting texts. Pupils explore multiple meanings within a passage, consider the historical, cultural and religious context, and examine how different individuals and communities might interpret it in different ways. They are also encouraged to reflect on their own perspectives as readers.

Meaning then, meaning now: helping pupils connect sacred texts to contemporary life

We introduce pupils to the disciplines of RE through three characters: Thea the theologian, Phil the philosopher and Parker the social scientist. This helps them recognise the different lenses they might use in a lesson, as well as the types of questions and scholarly approaches associated with each discipline.

Before studying a text in detail, we focus on the person behind it:

  • Who is believed to have said or written this?
  • When did they live?
  • What was life and society like at the time?
  • Why is this individual regarded as a source of wisdom and authority today?

Establishing this foundational knowledge allows pupils to engage more confidently with the text itself. We also ensure that key vocabulary, both subject-specific (Tier 3) and more general academic language (Tier 2), is either pre-taught or clarified during reading.

Meaning then, meaning now: helping pupils connect sacred texts to contemporary life

Promoting reading has been a key whole-school and departmental priority in recent years. Our approach includes structured reading strategies, which you can explore further here: https://www.broughtonhigh.co.uk/docs/Curriculum/RE/Reading_strategies_in_RS.pdf

Initial engagement with a text typically involves a guided reading process, where the class reads together and responds to questions designed to support both comprehension and analysis. This often leads into more detailed exploration using the LAaSMO model, as set out in the Practice Guide. This provides a clear and structured approach to help pupils unpack sacred texts in increasing depth. For example, when exploring the Parable of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, we begin by considering the literary form, discussing why parables are used as a method of teaching and how storytelling shapes meaning. Pupils then explore author and audience, developing their understanding of Jesus not only as a religious figure but also as someone responding to the social context of his time. This is deepened through consideration of the setting and character choices, helping pupils recognise why the parable may have been controversial. With this contextual understanding in place, pupils are better able to consider the meaning at the time, interpreting the message as a challenge to social and religious boundaries. Finally, they explore meaning and application today, discussing what “loving your neighbour” might look like in contemporary contexts – locally, nationally and globally – and reflecting on the relevance of sacred texts in the modern world.

Meaning then, meaning now: helping pupils connect sacred texts to contemporary life

The Curriculum and Assessment Review in England emphasises that a successful curriculum should be fit for purpose and equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. In RE, exploring how sacred texts might inform responses to modern ethical, social and global challenges helps pupils to engage more meaningfully with the subject, develop critical thinking skills and see the value of what they study in their own lives. By encouraging pupils to evaluate whether religious teachings still hold relevance today, we support them in developing as thoughtful, reflective individuals who can engage with different perspectives and apply their learning beyond the classroom.

About

Joanne Harris is a Religious Education teacher at Broughton High School and Vice Chair of NATRE. She is widely involved in national work supporting high-quality RE, including curriculum development, teacher professional learning and advocacy for the subject. Joanne regularly contributes to discussions on classroom practice and leadership in RE across the UK.

See all posts by Joanne Harris

Empowering Students as Sacred Text Scholars: Three Ways to Support Pupils’ Reason as Theologians

Ryan Parker | 19 May, 2026

The move to disciplinarity in religious education is exciting. Helping pupils learn how to learn about, and reflectively engage with, religious and non-religious worldviews is crucial; through knowing and using appropriate tools, methods and questions they can more effectively make sense of and navigate future encounters with religion and belief both within the classroom and outside it.

One key discipline which helps pupils make sense of the diverse religion and belief landscape of which they are participants is theology. Theology, as contextualised for a school setting, is the study of beliefs. For me, theology is not a direct arrow to an answer, but a conversation. For instance, going beyond simple and often misleading notions of ‘this text/teaching/concept means X’, pupils can consider a range of questions, methods and tools to help them richly consider why different people hold the beliefs they do. I like the idea of bringing pupils into the scholarly conversations within theology. They are commentators of and contributors to these vibrant discussions – not merely observers.

Many theologians are interested in what happens when readers encounter sacred texts (an area called hermeneutics – a fancy word for interpretation).

  • How do different people engage with them?
  • What do different people think they mean?
  • And why do different people interpret them differently?

This is an area with lots of fascinating questions – particularly as there are wide-ranging views as to how texts could, should and should not be read. Helping pupils understand and consider some of the questions that theologians might ask of texts and readers supports them in understanding how the same text can be interpreted differently by different people and the implications of this.

Below are three ways to support pupils to reason as theologians when engaging with sacred texts. I wonder which of these you might try out this term?

Explore the context(s). Stories/texts emerge from particular places and times.

  • Who told/wrote this story?
  • Where?
  • When?
  • Why?
  • Who for?
  • What response were they hoping from listeners/readers?

Out of these, which ones can we ever truly know – and does this matter? Exploring different ideas, where possible, helps students recognise that discussions around context are continuing and shifting fields of understanding. Based on the ideas offered, what do pupils currently think?

Focus on people. Just as considering the (hypothetical) first reception of a story/text is useful, so is exploring how different people – from different times and contexts – engage/have engaged with a text. I particularly like using artwork here. For instance, here are three different artists’ responses to the Parable of the Prodigal Son:

Invite pupils to compare these artworks and then pose the following questions to help students consider the role positionality can play in interpretation:

  • Why do you think the artist painted it? What meaning(s) and response(s) do you think the artist was trying to convey/provoke?
  • How do you think the artist’s context and worldview has shaped their artwork? (AI can usefully bring some background information here)
  • Which artwork do you think most reflects your view of what this text is about?
  • If you were to represent this biblical text, what might you depict? Why? How might this idea be shaped by your worldview? Why might someone take a different view?

Additionally, if possible, invite actual people from inside or outside the school to share their thoughts on a text. What has shaped their view? Have they always thought this?

Power and parameters. Many theologians raise questions about power and parameters. Why not explore the following as a class?

  • Many texts are preceded by titles – the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a case it point. Yet, these titles vary in different parts of the world. To what extent do particular titles influence what readers takeaway from the text? Who decides on these titles? What could other titles be? Does this reflect our biases?
  • Can texts be interpreted however we want, or are some interpretations inaccurate, inappropriate, or even irresponsible? Who gets to decide this, and on what grounds? Anthony Thiselton’s responsible hermeneutics is great for ideas on the limits of interpretation here.

About

Ryan Parker is the RE and Christian Ethos Adviser for the Diocese of St Albans, with teaching experience across primary and middle school settings. He recently completed a PhD at the University of Birmingham, focussing on knowledge-rich textual enquiry in primary RE. You can read more about his PhD in this recent Research Spotlight. He also hosts the ‘Flourishing Together’ podcast series which invites discussion around various aspects of high-quality RE. X: @ryanparker1991 BlueSky: @ryanparker-91.bsky.social

See all posts by Ryan Parker

Book Review: Ways of Knowing: A Toolkit, Secondary

Lyndsey Leech | 18 May, 2026

Stephen Pett, Knut Aukland, Trevor Cooling, Chris Cotter, Julia Diamond Conway, Jane Gatley, Is’Haaq Jasat, Richard Kueh, Jon Lanman, Carissa Sharp, Rachel Shilltoe, Simeon Zahl

RE Today 2026

Sample pages are available to download here.

Intended as a contribution to the discussion on implementing ways of knowing into the secondary curriculum, this publication is a comprehensive guide which covers why it is a piece of work worth undertaking, what the disciplines entail and how to begin introducing them into the curriculum. It includes contributions from those in the RE world and the disciplines such as Theology, Sociology and Philosophy among others. It is a great resource for those looking for a place to begin in this area and is also food for thought for anyone wanting to take this work to a deeper level and therefore has pearls of wisdom for teachers at all stages of curriculum development.

The publication, which comes as part of a National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) membership and is also available to purchase separately,  begins with an introduction to where the term ‘ways of knowing’ came from. For many classroom teachers, their first exposure to this may have been the Ofsted research review (2021) and its follow up ‘Deep and meaningful? The religious education subject report (2024). The resource highlights that in order to fully understand what ‘ways of knowing’ truly are, we have to look at how this concept has evolved, beginning with the work of Rob and Giles Freathy on methods of study (Introduction to the RE:searchers approach, 2018)  This model introduced the practice of considering methods when teaching substantive knowledge. It was then adapted by the RE Today team in the Challenging knowledge in RE series (2021) before appearing in Ofsted reviews and being included in the RE Council’s Handbook for Curriculum writers (2024). Setting out the journey in this way for the reader shows that a focus on ways of knowing is not simply a requirement of Ofsted but that it has been considered an important part of teaching in RE for some time and is therefore worth investing in.

The toolkit then lays out a rationale for including methodology in the curriculum which is compelling. Hearing the different perspectives on why we should include this element in our curriculum can only inspire teachers to action.

Pett tells us that it brings a transparency to the curriculum so that pupils do not simply have to accept what they are being told. He notes that drawing students’ attention to methods and disciplines will also help them to apply these themselves, creating independent learners. Referencing the work of Jo-Fraser Pearce and Alexis Stones (2023) which calls those who are able to research and critically evaluate ‘epistemic haves’ and those who are not able to do these things ‘epistemic have -nots’ it is made clear to the reader that not including ways of knowing in the curriculum could cause some students to be further behind than their counterparts in other schools who have had this experience.

Dr Knut Auckland raises the issue that students need to become comfortable with the fact that scholars do not always agree and be able to take a neutral approach after looking at different sides of the argument. Given the content that we teach in RE and the reaction that it can bring from students, this is an important thing to consider. Introducing students to methodologies and disciplines can therefore support them in looking at questions they often find so challenging.

Dr Richard Kueh adds that it is important to support students in considering where evidence comes from and whose account should be accepted in a world of false information. This will help them to make informed decisions.

Finally, Professor Trevor Cooling proposes that to achieve the scholarly RE we all aim for, we can take lessons from how PHD students approach their work, with a focus question followed by selecting the best methods to find the answer and then examining their own position.

Therefore, to achieve academically rigorous RE which creates independent learners with the skills required to study our subject to the highest level, it is imperative that students are exposed to ways of knowing in our curriculum.

As a curriculum planner, it is difficult to know where to begin with this task. The resource continues by suggesting that we do not simply need to dive straight in to including different disciplines in our lessons. We can build in methodology in small steps with our younger students by asking questions, analysing data and observations. This introduces the skills that underpin the disciplines before exposing students to them on a deeper level. The icons in the resource are a helpful way to alert students to when they are using these skills and support dual coding in our resources. The icons are clear and easy to interpret. Repeated exposure to them in lesson materials will show students that they already have the skills required to think like a Theologian or a Sociologist and will alert them to where they need to apply these skills.

The publication moves on to show how we might move from incorporating methodologies into the curriculum to a position where students are able to consider issues through the disciplines. It includes a helpful guide from a Theologian, a Sociologist, a Philosopher a Religious Studies expert and an Anthropologist on what questions they ask and how they approach finding out the answers. This is a valuable overview for teachers which allows them to be crystal clear as to what each discipline is about. It is too easy to link any lessons on religious belief with theology and any challenging questions with philosophy and this section of the guide sets out what the discipline involves and which areas of the curriculum it might link to. This information supports teachers in ensuring they are not including surface level references to disciplines in lessons, but that they truly understand the value of each area and how it might enhance the student experience.

Finally, the publication exemplifies how we might take a multi-disciplinary approach to answering questions in the classroom. It uses the example of the Exploring Atheism project and shows how disciplines might be used to evaluate the reasons for non-belief in God. Using a step-by-step guide, the reader is shown how to introduce this in the classroom. The icons highlight which disciplines and methods are being used. Seeing the project broken down like this gives a clear structure for extending this kind of approach to other topics within the curriculum which require our students to evaluate. It makes the process of introducing ways of knowing on a deeper level more manageable.

Having read this publication, the reader will be left with a rationale for developing ways of knowing in their curriculum, a clear idea of the disciplines they might include, a step-by-step guide on how to do this and a way to take it to the next level. The toolkit ensures that this area of the curriculum is not simply paying lip service to the recommendations of documents but is in place and is enhancing the learning and skills of our students. It Truly demystifies this vital area of our subject.

This book is a must read for all secondary teachers of RE. It’s the guide I have been waiting for, whilst having a go on my own!

About

Lyndsey Leech is Head of Religious Studies in a Secondary School in Oldham. She is Vice Chair of Oldham SACRE and in Year 1 of the Culham St Gabriel Leadership Scholarship. Lyndsey is a passionate advocate of educating the whole child by emphasising the academic side of the subject inside of the classroom and providing opportunities for students to use and extend their learning outside of the classroom.

See all posts by Lyndsey Leech

Could You, Would You, Should You Use Multiple Disciplines to Study Sacred Texts With Year 5 and 6?

Sarah Dennis | 18 May, 2026

To really understand how religious and personal beliefs work, pupils need to understand where beliefs come from, how they are lived, and the deeper thinking that sits behind them.

One place many beliefs originate is in stories with rich layers of meaning. My idea was to design a lesson sequence for pupils aged 10–11 that allowed them to study beliefs through theology, lived experience through the human and social sciences, and deeper meaning through philosophy.

I also wanted to link as many stories as possible to people from our local community, so pupils could see that these stories are not just historical texts but have real influence here and now. A big ask, but was it possible?

Designing a disciplinary approach for Year 5 and 6

To make this work, I created a resource with three clear sections, each linked to disciplinary questions. I turned this into a bookmark (Figure 1) so pupils could make notes as they went, reducing cognitive overload.

The bookmarks were lightly taped into books so pupils could write alongside them. Notes were later developed into one paragraph per discipline. Over the course of the unit, the bookmark evolved as both the pupils and I refined the questions, focusing on those that generated the most thoughtful, open‑ended responses.

Figure 1. Disciplinary bookmark                                                                  

One text, three disciplines, one lesson

Over nine weeks, we studied nine texts. Yes, one text per week, covering all three disciplines in one hour.

Every lesson followed the same pattern. Over time, pupils became increasingly confident with the disciplinary thinking, knowing what kind of questions they were being asked and why.

When subject knowledge becomes the challenge

My first step was to trial the approach using a different text. That was when I realised my biggest problem: I did not always have the subject knowledge to confidently answer the questions I had written on the bookmark.

Using support from NATRE, RE:Online, TrueTube and BBC Bitesize, I took time to build my own understanding. This was an essential step and a reminder that disciplinary teaching requires ongoing subject knowledge development for teachers as well as pupils.

What the lesson sequence looked like in practice

Each lesson followed a clear structure:

  • Lesson objectives and dates were printed on stickers to save time and stuck onto a new page.
  • Pupils annotated their bookmarks while reading the text for theology. I modelled this for the first three lessons using my own exercise book and a visualiser.
  • Writing scaffolds were available for early writers. (Figure 2)
  • Pupils watched short videos showing lived experiences, often from members of our local community or carefully chosen online clips. They annotated the human and social sciences section of the bookmark.
  • Pupils considered what puzzled them about the story.
  • Annotations were written up into short paragraphs, with images from the lived experiences added to support writing.
  • Pupils pre‑read the next week’s story.

The consistent structure helped pupils focus their thinking and build confidence week by week.

Figure 2. Writing Scaffolds

What surprised me about pupil learning

A common mistake in my teaching, across all primary year groups, is underestimating what pupils can achieve.

I spoke honestly with both classes about trying something new, and they were incredible. Pupils suggested changes to the bookmark questions, refining them lesson by lesson. The feedback was thoughtful, and engagement with each text was high.

The lessons worked because the bookmark gave pupils a clear place to offload knowledge, freeing up their thinking rather than overloading their working memory.

Removing the scaffolds

In the final lesson, I wanted to see what pupils could do with less support. I removed the bookmark and asked pupils to generate their own questions.

They worked in groups of three, using two QR codes linked to texts and a BBC Newsround clip. I had the writing scaffolds ready and the pupils knew they were available. Not one pupil asked for them.

What I learned

In summary, Year 5 and 6 pupils can study texts through multiple disciplines, and do so successfully. This approach works particularly well with texts linked to lived experience or moral influence.

You may need to adapt the bookmark for your cohort. You will almost certainly need to spend time building your own subject knowledge. But the depth of understanding and the skills pupils develop might just surprise you as much as they surprised me.

About

Sarah is a member of National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) Exec and RE leader at Chadsmead Primary School in Staffordshire. She has led a NATRE affiliated local group for over six years and networking lead for RE for her academy chain Community Academy Trust. Sarah completed the Culham St Gabriel's Leadership Scholarship Programme in 2025. She teaches RE across a one form entry Primary school in Lichfield in Staffordshire.

See all posts by Sarah Dennis

“Join Your Local SACRE,” They Said…

Lyndsey Leech | 13 May, 2026

‘Join your local SACRE.’

It’s one of those bits of advice that floats around staffrooms, RE conferences, and slightly awkward CPD conversations. Said with good intentions. Usually followed by a vague nod. Rarely followed by action. And I get why.

Because my first experience of SACRE?
It wasn’t exactly inspiring.

The folder

Early in my teaching career, SACRE meant one thing: a folder. A common misconception was this folder which was the RE Agreed syllabus was called SACRE. A big, clunky, slightly intimidating folder full of guidance about what I should be teaching. It landed on my desk with all the warmth of a compliance document and none of the clarity of actual support.

No one explained what SACRE really was. No one showed me how it could help. So I did what most teachers do; I asked around. And what came back?

Words like quorate, monitoring, voting. Which, if we’re honest, don’t exactly scream, ‘this will transform your teaching.’ So I filed SACRE mentally under: Statutory. Necessary. Not especially useful.

And from conversations I still have today, I wasn’t alone.

Fast forward

A few years later, I hit that stage in my career. You know the one. Where you start thinking beyond your own classroom. Where you want to do something for the subject. Where ‘just getting through the scheme of work’ isn’t quite enough anymore. Someone suggested SACRE again.This time, I said yes. With hesitation.

I walked into my first meeting expecting… well, more of the same. Minutes. Motions. Mild confusion. Instead? A room full of people who actually cared. Teachers. Faith representatives. Council members. Real conversations. Real purpose. Not just ticking boxes but asking: ‘How do we actually support RE teachers in this area?’

It was a completely different experience. And honestly? It changed my view of SACRE entirely.

Two SACREs, two realities

Here’s the thing: not all SACREs are the same. Some are just… existing.

  • Struggling for members
  • Focused on being ‘quorate’
  • Minimal engagement with schools
  • Sending out syllabuses and hoping for the best

Others? They’re alive.

  • Actively recruiting diverse members
  • Building relationships across communities
  • Talking to schools, not at them
  • Offering real support, not just documents

I’ve now seen both. And the difference is night and day.

What good looks like

Take Oldham. What’s happening there isn’t magic it’s intentional.

  • A clear vision: We are here to support teachers and students in RE.
  • Strong leadership: Not one person doing everything, but a team driving things forward.
  • Actual communication: WhatsApp groups. Social media. Turning up to each other’s events. Being visible.
  • Real listening: Not guessing what schools need but asking them. And then acting on it.

If schools aren’t meeting RE hours, they challenge it. If teachers need support, they provide training. If a new syllabus is launched, they don’t just email it and disappear. They follow through.

This is the key change.  SACRE stops being about just approving documents. It becomes about supporting people and from my experience that is when it works.

There’s a phrase we’ve started using: Be more Oldham. Not because it’s perfect but because it’s purposeful. Oldham SACRE;

  • Celebrate success (not just flag problems)
  • Share what’s happening publicly
  • Create opportunities for schools to learn from each other
  • Recognise great RE through awards and showcases

And crucially they make the work visible. Because if no one knows what SACRE does…why would anyone care?

Why this matters

Let’s not pretend RE is in an easy place right now.

  • Curriculum time gets squeezed.
  • Specialists are stretched.
  • Support can feel… patchy.

SACRE, when it works, can be a genuine lever for change. But only if the right people are involved. And here’s the uncomfortable truth:

SACRE needs teachers more than teachers realise they need SACRE.

Because without classroom voices:

  • Decisions lack context
  • Priorities miss the mark
  • Support becomes guesswork

Since joining, I’ve gained;

  • Direct connections with faith representatives
  • People I can email (or message) and get real answers
  • Support with trips, visitors, and resources
  • A wider network beyond my school

And maybe most importantly… A sense that RE isn’t something I’m doing in isolation.

So… Should You Join?

Honestly? Yes. But not passively. Don’t join just to sit in meetings and nod. Join to;

  • Ask questions
  • Challenge things
  • Build connections
  • Make it better

Because if your local SACRE feels like my first experience? It won’t improve on its own. ‘Join your local SACRE’ can sound like a chore. But it doesn’t have to be. Done well, it’s not a committee. It’s a community. And the difference that community can make to RE in your area is genuinely huge?

So, join your local SACRE. Just don’t leave it the way you found it.

About

Lyndsey Leech is Head of Religious Studies in a Secondary School in Oldham. She is Vice Chair of Oldham SACRE and in Year 1 of the Culham St Gabriel Leadership Scholarship. Lyndsey is a passionate advocate of educating the whole child by emphasising the academic side of the subject inside of the classroom and providing opportunities for students to use and extend their learning outside of the classroom.

See all posts by Lyndsey Leech

Never Judge a Book by Its Cover: Reflections on Druidry as a Lived Worldview

Belinda Twiggs | 30 April, 2026

An unexpected encounter

I first stumbled across a group of Druids, fully decked out in white robes, at Avebury Stone Circle in the spring of 1988.

My first thought was blunt:
What on earth do they think they are doing?

Curiosity got the better of me and I struck up a conversation with one of them. He looked for all the world like Dumbledore, dressed head to toe in white. As he talked, calmly eating a cheese sandwich that seemed tiny in his huge hands, his answers to my questions were thoughtful and profound.

When he finished eating, he reached behind a standing stone, pulled out a harp, and began to play. The tune was beautiful, lively and unmistakably Celtic. Others began to drum and dance.

At the end of the afternoon, he put on biking leathers, strapped the harp to the back of his Harley-Davidson, and roared off.

I learnt an important lesson that day: never judge a book by its cover.

Coming out as a Druid

It took me around fifteen years to feel comfortable wearing a robe in public, and nearly thirty years to ‘come out’ openly as a Druid. Fear of criticism, especially for following something seen as outside the mainstream or a little ‘wyrd’ (the spelling is deliberate-look it up), held me back.

Eventually, though, it felt important to be honest.

Occasionally, this leads to amusing moments. Children sometimes say to me in the dinner queue,
“I saw you on TV last night, Miss. Dad loves Joanna Lumley!”

They are referring to a brief appearance in Home Sweet Home, a documentary filmed at Merrivale Stones on Dartmoor during the 2021 COVID restrictions. The episode shows Joanna Lumley meeting Druids and observing a Samhain ritual. It is short, but it mattered to me as an example of lived practice being seen, however fleetingly, on national television.

Samhain: remembering those who came before us

Samhain is one of eight seasonal festivals celebrated by many (though not all) Pagans. It takes place on 31 October and has ancient roots that long predate Christianity.

This is the time of year when people historically gathered around the hearth, as the days shortened and darkness increased. Stories of spirits and the dead grew more powerful as the light faded. The idea that “the veil is thin” reflects a sense of closeness between the living and the dead.

At Samhain, we honour our well and wise ancestors. Death is something we all face, and taking time to think about loss, legacy and meaning feels both honest and necessary.

For me, this raises an ongoing question:

How can I live my life fully and well, so that my short time here is of value?

Beltane and the turning year

As the Wheel of the Year turns, we now approach Beltane (also known as Beltain or Bealtaine), marking the clear arrival of summer.

At dawn, many of us gather on Haytor on Dartmoor to watch the sun rise. It has become a large public event, with musicians, flaming torches and the Beltane Border Morris dancers. Hawthorn blossom- the second of the May blossoms- is worn in hats and woven into garlands as part of the celebration.

Songs are sung with enthusiasm, including Hal an Tow from Helston’s Furry Dance:

“We were up, long before the day-o,
To welcome in the Summer…”

Later, our Grove meets more quietly (a group where we meet together for rituals and festivals) . Having been up at around 3am to reach Haytor, we take a nap before coming together again. In ritual, we step through an archway, guarded by figures representing the Lord of the Wild Wood and the Lady Ceridwen, before leaping between two fires to symbolise cleansing and renewal.

Druidry as lived practice

For me, Druidry is an authentic and meaningful path that honours nature, the Earth, and humanity’s place within the wider universe.

Through ritual, storytelling and communal feasting (often picnics), we mark the passage of time and celebrate the life-giving role of the sun. These gatherings happen roughly every six weeks and are as much about community as belief.

At the Spring Equinox in 2026, Dartmoor Grove met at Merrivale to celebrate the tipping point towards longer days. I am no longer concerned about how I look in public as a Druid. My practice feels honest, rooted and real.

Why this matters for RE

Stories like mine remind us that worldviews are lived, evolving and deeply human.

When pupils explore religion and worldviews, they are not just learning about beliefs. They are learning about identity, belonging, meaning and how people make sense of their lives.

Never judging a book by its cover is a good place to start.

About

Belinda Twiggs is a Primary RE Lead and teacher, LTLRE Hub Lead, Chair of Devon SACRE, Deputy Education Officer for the Pagan Federation and longtime member of OBOD working with a Grove of Bards, Ovates and Druids in Devon.

See all posts by Belinda Twiggs

The Sentientism Worldview : “Evidence, reason, & compassion for all sentient beings”

Jamie Woodhouse | 30 April, 2026

Part of the excitement of modern Religious Education comes from exploring non-religious worldviews with children, an important element of the REC’s Religion and Worldviews approach. That exploration is timely as around half of UK people now say they have a non-religious worldview.

One increasingly popular modern worldview, that builds on ancient ideas, is Sentientism. You may have seen it mentioned in this RE Today resource or heard about it on The RE Podcast or the What Even Is RME? podcast.

What is the Sentientism worldview?

Like other worldviews, whether religious or not, Sentientism looks to help us with the deep questions like “what’s real?”, “who matters?” and “how can we make a better world?” Sentientism suggests we start answering those questions with a commitment to “evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings”.

Sentience is the capacity to feel or to have experiences like pain or happiness or love or boredom. So sentient beings are, so far, human and nonhuman animals. But, maybe one day, we’ll create or meet artificial or alien sentient beings that should matter too.

Sentientism’s “compassion for all sentient beings” shares rich common ground with religious concepts like ahimsa, compassionate stewardship, ital and avoiding mafsada. At the same time, its “evidence and reason” shares the humble, open-minded, evidence-led naturalistic epistemology of Humanism.

Is Sentientism a new idea?

While Sentientism is a fairly new word, only coined in the 1970s, its core ideas are very old, maybe even pre-human. Naturalistic epistemology and sentience-focused ethics have deep roots in many regions and cultures and times. These themes can be found in African, Asian and ancient Greek thought, for example. Some thinkers even combined these ideas into something very much like an ancient form of Sentientism.

One example is the blind Arab philosopher poet Al-Ma’arri who lived over a thousand years ago. He used a naturalistic approach to challenge religious thinking and wrote about the ethics of veganism long before the word “vegan” was invented. He’s a fascinating historic character to bring into the classroom to complement modern sentientist thinkers like Greta Thunberg, Billie Eilish, Peter Singer and Joaquin Phoenix.

Sentientism seems to be of particular interest to young people as it resonates with their concerns about the environment, their care for nonhuman animals, the threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence (could AI be sentient?) and the risks of misinformation, disinformation, conspiracism, discrimination and exclusionary ethics. Sentientism also provides a secular framework for finding meaning and purpose that many young people find compelling.

An additional attraction of teaching the Sentientism worldview is that its commitment to “evidence and reason” can be a gateway into the wider worlds of philosophy, science and the humanities. Even younger children engage richly in questions like “how can we work out what’s true?” and “who should we care about?” All too often these deep questions are neglected because we’re busy focusing on lists of beliefs and practices and on narrowly intra-human ethics.

 How can Sentientism deepen philosophical thinking in RE?

Children of all ages also enjoy exploring the sometimes radical implications of this simple, pluralistic worldview. One of the most obvious implications of Sentientism is Veganism (see VinEs great resources here), now recognised in UK and EU Equalities Law as a cogent philosophical belief and a protected characteristic. But what about Sentientist Politics, Sentientist Justice and even a Universal Declaration of Sentient Rights? We can reimagine our entire world together.

Exploring the Sentientism worldview can help you bring real philosophical depth into your classroom in an engaging way that feels fresh and relevant to young people. In my own work with schools, I find children’s curiosity and compassion bubbles up with an irrepressible energy when we work on these profound questions.

If you’re interested in digging a little deeper, here’s a recording of a recent “Teaching Sentientism” webinar. I’m also registered with RE Hubs as a nationwide school speaker for Sentientism so I can help you run classes, workshops, deliver assemblies and shape curriculums. Please do get in touch if I can help in any way. And regardless, I’d love to hear you and your children’s thoughts on the Sentientism worldview.

You can find Jamie on BlueSky (and elsewhere) @JamieWoodhouse and @Sentientism. Full links here

Jamie Woodhouse (hello@sentientism.info)

Links: YouTube (suitable for older students and teachers) Podcast Sentientism.info Community (all welcome!) @Sentientism

About

Jamie is working to develop Sentientism (“Evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings”) as a worldview and as a global movement. He hosts the Sentientism Podcast and YouTube, speaks at schools and universities, and has published articles and presented academic seminars on the Sentientism philosophy and its implications. He is building a range of global Sentientism Communities (open to all) that so far span over 100 countries.

See all posts by Jamie Woodhouse