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A bold step for RE: Why the review got it right

Dr Kathryn Wright | 06 November, 2025

The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendation to embed Religious Education (RE) in a new national curriculum marks a watershed moment for education. Culham St Gabriel’s Trust celebrates this bold step toward equity, coherence, and justice. Over the last few years, we’ve championed a statutory national benchmark for RE- one that guarantees every pupil, in every school, access to high-quality, inclusive, and meaningful learning about religion and worldviews.

Why This Matters

I have often used this scenario in our advocacy over the last year…

Imagine being a 14-year-old student deciding whether to do RE as a GCSE option. Your experience of the subject has been fragmented – repeating content due to curriculum variations between local areas, missing key topics as you moved schools, or being taught by non-specialist teachers. You’re curious about how people live and view the world, but you feel unprepared and uncertain. This is the reality for many pupils across England.

The current system, with many different agreed syllabi and inconsistent provision, has led to widespread inequity. Some pupils receive rich, engaging RE; others receive none. This disparity is not just unfair – it’s educationally and socially unjust.

The report says:

‘Provision for RE is many schools is not good enough and does not prepare pupils adequately for life beyond school’ p. 108

The Case for Change

The Curriculum and Assessment Review recommendation affirms what those of us working this this field have long known: the status quo is untenable. At the recent Confederation of School Trusts Annual Conference 95% of those voting in our informal poll agreed that RE should go into a new National Curriculum. This included chief executives, headteachers, trustees, curriculum leads, inclusion leads, journalists, Diocesan Directors of Education and Year 10 pupils. This should encourage both the review panel, and the government as recommendations are taken forward. I believe the education world strongly supports this move as it will:

  • Restore Equity: All pupils deserve access to a coherent and inclusive RE curriculum, regardless of their school’s governance or location.
  • Ensure Consistent Standards: A national benchmark will help raise expectations, improve outcomes, and support accountability.
  • Improve Provision: Schools will be required to allocate appropriate time and resources to RE, ensuring it is no longer sidelined.
  • Modernise Content: A religion and worldviews approach will reflect the lived experiences of diverse communities, moving beyond outdated paradigms.

A Vision for the Future

The Curriculum and Assessment Review recommend a staged process, building on the National Content Standard for RE in England (2023) which could serve as the foundation for this new curriculum. I wholeheartedly support this approach. It offers a framework on which to develop further consensus and unite the education community. I am delighted that the report recommends Dr Vanessa Ogden chair a Task and Finish Group to lead this next stage.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. I urge the religion and worldviews community-educators, faith and belief groups and policymakers – to come together for the common good. Let us work through the challenges together, be open to compromise where needed, take a humble approach and listen to one another. I hope that we can build a curriculum that reflects the richness of human belief and experience, and ensures every child receives the education they deserve.

Six reasons why RE should be in a new National Curriculum https://www.cstg.org.uk/campaigns/religion-and-worldviews/

About

Dr Kathryn Wright is CEO of Culham St Gabriel's Trust

See all posts by Dr Kathryn Wright

Culham St Gabriel’s applauds proposed landmark RE curriculum reform

Dr Kathryn Wright | 05 November, 2025

Culham St Gabriel’s warmly welcomes the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s bold recommendation to embed Religious Education (RE) within a new national curriculum through a staged process. This marks a pivotal moment for education in England. We are proud to have championed this change throughout the last year through our advocacy and submission of evidence.

The Report states:

‘The Review believes that RE should be moved to the national curriculum to improve access to high-quality provision and prevent further diminishment… We believe a staged approach to reform is the most appropriate way forward’. P.109

We believe this move is essential to ensuring every pupil, in every school, receives equitable access to high-quality RE. It’s a vital step toward a more inclusive and informed society.

As this transformative vision takes shape through dialogue and negotiation with stakeholders, Culham St Gabriel’s stands ready to support policymakers and officials with our expertise and resources. We are committed to helping realise this once-in-a-generation opportunity. We strongly support the next steps and future approach set out in the report which seeks to create consensus, building on what has already been achieved through the establishing of the National Content Standard for RE in England.

We welcome the report’s recommendation that Dr Vanessa Ogden chairs a task and finish group to build on the constructive and collaborative work already undertaken as part of the review.

Our vision is clear: a broad-based, critical and reflective religion and worldviews education that fosters respect, understanding and openness. This recommendation brings us closer than ever to making this vision a reality.

Kathryn Wright, Chief Executive
Linda Whitworth, Chair of Trustees

To read more about our reasoning regarding RE taking its place in a National Curriculum please see: https://www.cstg.org.uk/campaigns/religion-and-worldviews/

For further information about our position contact Kathryn Wright, CEO, Culham St Gabriel’s Trust ceo@cstg.org.uk

Culham St Gabriel’s applauds proposed landmark RE curriculum reform

About

Dr Kathryn Wright is CEO of Culham St Gabriel's Trust

See all posts by Dr Kathryn Wright

Bringing RE to Life: Leading Lived Experience Encounters Across Diverse School Communities

Maddy Oakes | 21 October, 2025

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

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

Raising the Profile of RE: Starting from Scratch

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

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

One Trust, Many Contexts: Responding to Demographic Diversity

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

From Virtual Panels to Real-World Encounters

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

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

Helpful hints for embedding lived experience in RE:

  • Dream big (but start small). From the outset we thought carefully about the types of experiences that would deepen student learning beyond the classroom and when they would complement our curriculum. Although we were aiming for equity across all sites we started by rolling out the program at a couple of school sites, enabling us to iron out any issues before running it across all schools.
  • Think local. We have found the experiences to be much more impactful when students see the worldviews reflected from their own communities, whilst being mindful of avoiding echo chambers which meant a trip to the nearest city for some of our schools.
  • It’s all in the planning. Personally, I think this can be easily overlooked once you are bogged down in risk assessments and coach bookings. But taking the time to carefully select appropriate speakers and places to visit can truly be the making of your event. From recceing the place in advance to meeting the speakers ahead of time (it is important they are clear in your aims of the experience). Some examples of preparation I’ve done that paid off in the long-term include:
  1. Established clear boundaries i.e. students will not partake in worship activities during the visit
  2. Meeting with a speaker ahead of time to plan and tailor a session, I could then confidently share with parents/carers the aim of the session and it removed any on the day nerves of not knowing what would be presented
  3. Working with class teachers to build into lesson time an explanation of what students could expect during an upcoming visit and provide an opportunity to plan questions for students to ask to encourage dialogue rather than tumbleweed silence
  4. Sending specific topics ahead of time helps provide structure to the session and affords the worldview panel members thinking time
  5. Creating a contract all visiting speakers sign and adhere to, this has proved useful as a tool to provide constructive feedback for subsequent interactions.
  • Explain why. I’ve found it beneficial to engage with all stakeholders to share an understanding of why an event is happening; making sure that staff, students and parents understand the aims of the event. Be prepared for parent/student pushback and consider how you are going to tackle this. Some strategies we have found beneficial include:
  1. Inviting the senior leadership team to the events so they can see first-hand the benefits
  2. Providing discussion questions for at home
  3. Getting the students to write up their experience of the event and share this on the school websites/social media.
  • Collaborate. Utilise the experience of others around you, for instance, sharing the contact details of effective speakers. We also took the opportunity to collaborate with the Geography department, spending the morning completing our places of worship visit and in the afternoon completing an urban field study. This allowed us to share the coach fare but also allowed students to see that we can share interest and skills across our subject specialisms.

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

About

Maddy Oakes is the Director of Religious Education across a multi-academy trust based in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Maddy has recently completed her first year on the Culham St Gabriel's Leadership Programme.

See all posts by Maddy Oakes

From the Margins to the Middle: Co-creating space for Home Educators to explore Religion and Worldviews

Alice Khimasia | 27 September, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Voices from the community: Reflections from grant recipients

One grantee reflected:

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

Perhaps most powerfully, one child said:

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

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

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

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

About

Once trained as an RE teacher, Alice Khimasia is a long-term home educator committed to promoting good religion and worldviews education, enabling people to encounter and explore diverse ways of being, seeing and experiencing the world and to grow in compassionate citizenship. Alice's sons have followed different pathways into work aligned with their interests and she continues to support innovative learning beyond the classroom encouraging and empowering parents to co-create learning journeys with their children which reflect diverse needs and interests. Her youngest son continues to learn from home.

See all posts by Alice Khimasia

Culham St Gabriel’s Announces Four New Funding Priorities for 2025-26

Dr Kathryn Wright | 26 September, 2025

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

  1. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

    We believe every child deserves to flourish through their RE entitlement. That’s why we’re seeking to fund projects in special schools and enhanced resource bases. Whether you’re working with autistic children, pupils with complex physical needs, or exploring sensory and storytelling approaches, we want to hear from you! How can RE promote healthy bodies, minds, and spirits in these unique contexts? Let’s work together to make RE accessible and inspiring for all.
  2. Generative AI: Pedagogy and Ethics

    AI is here to stay, and its reshaping classrooms everywhere, including RE. We’re looking for projects that explore the ethical and pedagogical implications of using generative AI in religion and worldviews education. How can AI be used responsibly? What does social justice look like in an AI-enabled classroom? If you’re innovating in this space, we want to support you.
  3. Supporting Teachers of RE with other specialisms (TWOS)

    Did you know that over half of secondary RE teachers in the UK are specialists in other subjects? We’re committed to equipping these teachers with the tools, knowledge, and confidence they need to deliver outstanding RE. Whether it’s subject knowledge development, peer mentoring, or opportunities to engage with members of worldview traditions, we’re eager to fund projects that make a difference.
  4. Championing Diversity: UKME and GMH Teachers and Leaders

    Our community’s leadership should reflect its grassroots diversity. We’re especially interested in projects that support teachers and leaders from UK Minority Ethnic (UKME) and Global Majority Heritage (GMH) backgrounds. This could include mentoring, anti-racist RE initiatives, or diversifying the curriculum to better represent all voices.

Are You…

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

If so, we want to fund your project!

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

About

Dr Kathryn Wright is CEO of Culham St Gabriel's Trust

See all posts by Dr Kathryn Wright

Dates for your diaries!

Dr Kathryn Wright | 04 September, 2025

We know how busy the academic year can be, so we’ve gathered together key opportunities and events you might want to add to your diary. From Focus Weeks and thought-provoking In Conversation sessions to webinars, conferences and more, there’s plenty coming up to inspire, connect and support you in your work. Take a look at what’s on the horizon!

Autumn term

Wednesday 10th September: Religion and Worldviews Home Educators Fund Celebration. Sign-up here. Monday 15th September: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. Sign-up here. Monday 22nd – Sunday 28th September: Grants and Home Education Focus Week. Find out more here.
  • Monday 22nd September: “Teaching Sikhi in RE” online report launch. Sign-up here.
  • Tuesday 23rd September: “Creating Stronger Funder Applications” grant application masterclass. Sign-up here.
  • Thursday 25th September: “How do we Amplify Authentic Voices in Religion and Worldviews Education?” In Conversation session. Sign-up here.
Tuesday 23rd September: Project Grants EOI closing date. Find our more here. Friday 10th October: Masters and Doctoral application closing date. Find out more here. Monday 13th October: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. Wednesday 22nd October: RE:ONLINE A Level Digest. Sign up here! Monday 10th November – Sunday 16th November: Interfaith Focus Week.
  • Thursday 13th November: In Conversation session.
Tuesday 18th November: Religion and Worldviews Home Educators Fund closes to large grant applications. Monday 8th December: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. Wednesday 10th December: RE:ONLINE A Level Digest.

Spring term

Tuesday 6th January: Project Grants EOI closing date. Monday 12th January: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. Friday 16th January: Leadership Scholarship Programme opens for applications. Friday 23rd January: Masters and Doctoral application closing date. Wednesday 11th February: RE:ONLINE A Level Digest. Monday 2nd March – Sunday 8th March: Stories Focus Week.
  • Thursday 5th March: In Conversation session.
Monday 9th March: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. Wednesday 25th March: RE:ONLINE A Level Digest. Friday 27th March: Leadership Scholarship Programme application closing date.

Summer term

Monday 13th April: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. Friday 1st May: Masters and Doctoral application closing date. Monday 11th May: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. Wednesday 13th May: RE:ONLINE A Level Digest. Monday 18th May – Sunday 24th May: Ways of Knowing Focus Week. Tuesday 19th May: In Conversation session. Monday 8th June: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. Wednesday 8th July: RE:ONLINE A Level Digest. Monday 13th July: Culham St Gabriel’s newsletter. BONUS event! Friday 9th and Saturday 10th October 2026: RExChange

About

Dr Kathryn Wright is CEO of Culham St Gabriel's Trust

See all posts by Dr Kathryn Wright

A View From Primary ITE: From Deep Dives to Aim Highs

Ellen Coefield | 23 May, 2025

Ellen is both a teacher of 5-7 year old pupils and an associate lecturer in Primary RE at Sheffield Hallam University
RE is one of my favourite things to teach. It is a subject that some children will know lots about but for others it will be a window into an undiscovered world. However, recent years have seen changes in primary RE from it being covered, in some schools, only during focus days and, quite inappropriately, within assemblies, to when OFSTED introduced subject ‘deep dives’ in England which has led to clearer curriculum planning and higher expectations in primary schools that did not previously take the subject seriously.

I have been teaching for 20 years in primary and infant schools both with and without a religious character. Alongside this, for the last 8 years, I have also worked as an associate lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University preparing ITE students for the rich tapestry that is RE in the primary classroom. This has been an eye-opening journey.

I start the majority of my PGCE and undergraduate sessions with the question “what RE have you already seen in school?” Back in 2018 this was often met with a sea of blank faces – now the room is a little more alive. However, when I ask students about their own experiences of RE, the blank faces remain. The reality is in many schools without a religious character RE is not a high-profile subject, it’s not the one the inspectors want to look at and I’m regularly told “the Teaching Assistant teaches it in my non-contact time”. As a result, many of the trainees I teach know as little if not less than my current Year Twos! For many of our young trainees RE is (by their own admission) the subject they know the least about or worry the most about teaching, and when asked why the answer time and time again is “because I don’t want to get it wrong”.

However, all is not lost! Through our revised Initial Teacher Education (ITE) RE curriculum at Sheffield Hallam the mood is shifting. The students are now working through a clear programme of detailed and relevant subject knowledge, encountering creative, engaging resources and lesson ideas whist having the opportunities to ask questions and look at how stories both religious and secular can be the foundation for high quality RE teaching.

For example, sharing the story of the Good Samaritan with students and allowing them to unpick what they knew before we introduced the parable and what they know now and why they think Jesus thought his listeners need to hear the story helps them to see how they would talk to a key stage 2 class about the same story. Sharing with them images of classical artwork which depict the story and then looking at and planning how an image can be used is vital in enabling students to see what RE can be in their classroom

A big part of teaching the teachers has been not only improving their own subject knowledge but also their understanding of what good RE looks like and sharing with them key resources such as the SHAP audio glossary to help them overcome their fear of mispronouncing key vocabulary. We spend time signposting and discussing what makes a reliable resource – for example the BBC series My Life, My Religion can be key to engaging the children with previously unknown faiths. This also comes with the caveat that while film resources can be excellent, chose your resources carefully. The cartoon of the baptism of the white, blue-eyed Jesus is likely not the one you should be using. However, the clip that uses the words of scripture in a way children can access whilst portraying Jesus as a man who looks like a person from the Middle East is what you should be looking for.

RE is not a bit like circle time or drawing a picture of the story, it is a subject where expectations are high, vocabulary is key and introducing new learning is vital. This is a very long way from the days when the Vicar might come and deliver an assembly or children take part in an Easter Bonnet Parade or the focus day where every class takes part in a Diwali dance workshop. Our students are leaving us ready to challenge these tired and outdated methods of teaching if they find them and so begin shaping more well-rounded citizens of the world.

About

Ellen Coefield has been teaching for 20 years in primary and infant schools both with and without a religious character. She worked for many years as an RE lead teacher in the Hallam Diocese delivering support and training across South Yorkshire Catholic schools. Alongside this, for the last 8 years, she has also worked as an associate lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University preparing ITE students for the rich tapestry that is RE in the primary classroom.

See all posts by Ellen Coefield

Beyond Tolerance: Active Allyship in Religious Diversity

Amy Clarke | 21 May, 2025

“Miss it’s so cool that our school community is anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-everything really … I mean anti everything bad of course!! “

I reflect on these words with profound appreciation, noting a recent conversation during a pupil voice feedback session in my school in the North-East. This dialogue exemplifies the significant progress our school community has made, particularly in how eloquently our pupils now articulate our shared values and institutional identity.

In today’s diverse society being an ally to those with differing religious and non-religious worldviews requires more than just passive acceptance. As research such as that of Trevor Cooling* shows, simply bringing people together without intentional engagement doesn’t automatically destroy stereotypes or develop friendly attitudes.

True allyship in the context of religious and worldview differences requires several key principles and RE is a platform that can be used to promote this. It is a respectful window into them becoming advocates.

A well designed and balanced RE curriculum can promote modelled respectfulness, diversity of opinion. and how to disagree respectfully.
This all leads into developing pupils’ ‘personal” knowledge’.

Key principles in promoting active ally-ship

  • Create Equal Space
  • Ensure everyone has equal value in conversations and interactions
  • Foster an environment where all perspectives can be shared safely and respectfully
  • Promote Meaningful Dialogue
  • Move beyond superficial conversations to explore authentic experiences
  • Listen to diverse voices and encourage honest discussions about differences

When the RE platform is used well, the children themselves can them become advocates for each other. One effective approach is to actively engage with different interpretations and perspectives within religious traditions. For example, inviting people from different branches of the same faith tradition to share their unique viewpoints can help break down stereotypical portrayals and reveal the rich complexity of religious experience.
Most importantly, as the religion and worldviews approach promotes, we need to remember that being an ally starts with people, not abstract concepts. Each person’s worldview is shaped by their time, place, language, and cultural context. By approaching allyship through this human-centred lens, we can better understand and support those whose beliefs and practices differ from our own.

Children can become a beacon of hope by being an authentic voice in representing their own personal worldviews as well as engaging with and understanding the diverse views of others. Our future will be shaped by the young people we teach today therefore developing a culture of respect and an open dialogue of curiosity rather than hostility is essential. By doing this we will continue as adults to be astounded by our young people’s allyship and respect of others, in a world that can feed on exploiting extremes.

* Trevor Cooling (2025) Knowledge in a religion and worldviews approach in English schools, British Journal of Religious Education, 47:2, 130-139, DOI: 10.1080/01416200.2024.2304693

https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2024.2304693

About

Amy Clarke has been leading RE in schools for around ten years and is the current chair of her local SACRE. Amy is in her first year of the Culham St Gabriel's Leadership Scholarship Programme.

See all posts by Amy Clarke

Acceptance, Bridge Building, Critical Thinking, Deference, Empathy – Why Primary RE is Invaluable

Charlotte Hockin | 20 May, 2025

Becoming a parent of a primary school pupil has been an amazing learning experience for me so far! It has provided a scaffold for so many crucial parenting conversations. Things like personal safety, managing emotions and friendships and even online safety. I wouldn’t have known where to start. For all the issues there are in our current education system, there is much to be thankful for.

RE for example…

When I attended my son’s recent parent consultation, I was able to look at his books, he was particularly excited to show me his RE book as we have been having more and more conversations about faith at home. As a teacher of Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 English, I was absolutely astounded by the standard of the work being set. I read two comparative essays that compared Christian figures from the bible; tasks that had clearly been set to test skills and knowledge after detailed study of the stories. Previously, I valued RE in Jacob’s curriculum in the same way as I valued other subjects that I am not an expert in.

I imagined that in RE he would learn about other faiths and festivals that I didn’t know much about but reading that work, I saw that RE offers far more than that! It was abundantly clear to me that the subject has amazing cross-curricular implications, connecting to History, English, Geography and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). In one essay, Jacob showed that through RE, he was also learning about the world, people, history, and at the same time, was practising pretty high-level reading and writing skills. The label ‘Religious Education’ doesn’t really do justice to the subject.

However, the value of RE extends beyond its academic worth. It also provides children like my son (and hopefully my daughter when she gets to school) with a toolkit for navigating the rich, multicultural society that we are blessed to live in. It celebrates diversity by teaching about the differences between religious festivals and practices, which is vital as Jacob is surrounded by peers and teachers of different religious and non-religious worldviews. He shared with me recently that he believed he saw a member of school staff praying on a mat during the school day; he was able to link this experience with his studies of Islam in his RE lessons. In the same way that learning about physics has helped him to understand cooking in greater depth, learning about religious and non-religious worldviews has helped him to understand the people around him better.

We all exist within a belief system, whether we are members of a recognised religion or not – my household is both Christian and Atheist and that can be a challenge but it is also an amazing opportunity to model how different beliefs can co-exist. Where difference has the potential to divide, RE shows how the most important values underpin every faith; there is far more that unites us than divides us.

The idea that children may leave primary school with no formal religious education is frankly scary. Even in the unlikely event that children don’t encounter people of a variety of religious and non-religious worldviews in their communities, the news and media is saturated with complex and challenging presentations of religions and their histories. We must equip our children with the social and academic skills and knowledge to be able to engage with, interrogate and learn from these encounters.

As a minimum, RE will provide invaluable context for and knowledge of, different faiths but at its best, RE could galvanise our children to make stronger, deeper connections with those around them; motivate them to explore their own spiritual potential and ultimately build a more tolerant, outward-looking and compassionate world.

I’m not sure RE has ever been more relevant to our children than it is now.

About

Charlotte Hockin is a teacher of Secondary English and a mother of a three-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son.

See all posts by Charlotte Hockin

Empowering Primary RE Leaders: Why Expertise Matters in Curriculum Design and Leadership

Katie Freeman | 19 May, 2025

As a primary teacher who has taught in schools for nearly twenty years, I have had many opportunities to get involved in the wider world of education and leadership. I remember that at the start of my teaching career, my headteacher asked me if I had a plan and I told her that I just wanted to teach. This is something that has remained with me throughout my career. I firmly believe that to support other teachers and train the teachers of the future, we must be firmly rooted in our own classroom practice.

At the end of my NQT year (yes I am that old), I remember being asked to lead RE. I was aware that this role was a ‘beginning of the teaching career’ leadership role, one that would be mine for a bit and that I would then pass on as I became more experienced (but this was not true for me!). Over the last few years, I have increasingly wondered why this is something that is expected by the teaching profession when our subject with its complicated legal position, intricate pedagogy and sensitive nature, which by definition need a careful, experienced and well-trained hand.

The constant changes in primary schools can often leave RE leaders feeling lost, seeking support from curriculum models. Since Ofsted’s inspection framework review, discussions about curriculum have increased, including in RE. We have all learnt to research deeply, take holiday trips to places linked to the themes that we are due to teach and have many areas of ‘geeky’ level knowledge. As subject leaders in primary schools, we have had to deepen our understanding and knowledge of subjects that may not have been the ones that we studied at degree level but in all of this primary teachers work hard and do an incredible job.

Recently, multi-academy trusts have been handing over curriculum design to secondary colleagues, frustrating many primary RE specialists. Comments like “I’m designing the primary curriculum so I know what I’ll get in Year 7” or ‘I have primary aged children at home so I know what they can do’ are common and infuriating. Like the rest of my primary colleagues, I trained for four years to do my job, I have taken part in RE CPD, I lead RE CPD and I aim to inspire primary RE leaders of the future so that curriculums can be designed with primary specific pedagogy in mind. Primary curriculums should be designed and led by those trained in primary pedagogy.

This trend is causing talented primary RE leaders to leave the field. I have been deeply saddened to see many talented primary RE leaders leave national RE communities and discussions to head towards other leadership areas because the doors are closed to them because they teach in primary rather than secondary. As the first primary National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) chair in 28 years, I sometimes worry about being taken seriously because I teach younger children. The assumption that secondary teachers can plan for primary but not vice versa is flawed.

I’m fortunate to work in a school that values RE and supports my leadership. This should be the norm. Primary RE leaders spend all week with their pupils, understanding their needs and are able to carefully consider the pedagogy and steps to learning that their children will need in order to tackle tricky concepts and ideas within the RE classroom.. We must consider the whole child’s educational journey in RE.

Dr. Richard Kueh’s tree analogy at Strictly RE highlights the importance of phase-specific care. He explained that a child’s journey through RE starts at the roots (Foundation stage), moves through the trunk (Key Stage One and Two) and branches out in secondary schools. This image has stuck with me, we need cross-phase discussions but must respect each other’s roles.

I call on schools, trusts and other organisations to remember the importance of valuing leadership that is firmly rooted in experience, training and pedagogy that is phase specific.

  • Primary RE curriculum and leadership requires primary expertise
  • Value and champion Primary RE leaders, providing them with opportunities and invest in primary specific CPD. The teaching community should champion primary RE leaders, acknowledging their hard work and dedication, and ensuring that primary leadership roles are valued and supported.
  • Cross phase collaboration is essential it’s crucial to respect the roles and expertise of primary and secondary educators, ensuring that primary RE leaders have a voice in curriculum design.
    Primary RE teachers, you are amazing. Thank you for your dedication and hard work. Let’s champion primary RE leaders and ensure we don’t wait another 28 years for a primary NATRE chair.

About

Katie is the Chair of the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) and RE leader at Bickleigh Down CofE Primary School in Devon. She has led the Plymouth RE hub for over ten years and is part of the LTLRE area one team. Katie serves on Plymouth SACRE as Vice Chair, is a member of the RE Policy Unit and is part of the Church of England's working party for RE.

See all posts by Katie Freeman