Global terms: Blog Categories

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

Is Your RE Curriculum Helping Pupils Flourish?

Dr Kathryn Wright | 13 October, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Does Flourishing RE Look Like?

We believe flourishing RE:

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

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

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

Download the Flourishing Together guidance document here.

About

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

See all posts by Dr Kathryn Wright

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

Investigating the Ethics of Conversations About Religion in Primary Schools

Sarah Holmes | 26 September, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

About

Sarah Holmes is senior lecturer in the School of Education, Liverpool Hope University and Director of Research at CYM. She researches faith and spirituality in children and families, with particular interest in ethics and children's rights and participation.

See all posts by Sarah Holmes

Leading for Equity in RE: Building Connections and Challenging Misconceptions

Beth blizzard | 09 September, 2025

From Walsall to Shropshire: A Shift in Context and Challenge

When I worked in Walsall, I was surrounded by a vibrant network: diverse classrooms, a dedicated team of four, and a wealth of voices and perspectives. Collaboration came naturally. But when I moved to rural Shropshire three years ago, I knew things would be different.
Leading as a Department of One: Building Equity from the Ground Up
Now, I’m a department of one in a small trust of one secondary and three primary schools. A quick glance at the census data reveals what I’ve come to see firsthand: our area lacks the diversity found in many other parts of Britain. Without intentional exposure and thoughtful curriculum planning, this can lead to misconceptions and even prejudice in the classroom.

Determined to stay connected and make a difference, I joined Shropshire SACRE, where I now serve as vice chair. I also founded the Local Groups Shropshire Gateway Hub, a space for educators to come together with humility and honesty; to share ideas, admit when we don’t know something, and support one another in our shared mission to provide equitable Religion and Worldviews education.
Curriculum as a Catalyst: Designing for Inclusion and Impact
As I reflected on how I could make the biggest impact as a leader, one answer stood out: curriculum.

By bringing together Religious Education (RE) leads from across the area, we’ve begun to critically examine our curricula; identifying gaps, challenging assumptions, and striving to build rigorous, inclusive programmes that help students grow into respectful, globally-minded citizens. I’m passionate about inspiring students to continue their RE journey into Key Stage 5 and beyond, and I believe that starts with excellent curriculum design.

Challenging Misconceptions: Why Context Matters in RE

One concern I raised at our hub’s first meeting was the persistence of misconceptions. During the Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Scholarship programme, we read Justine Ball’s article “Decolonising the Teaching of Jesus in English Primary Schools.” It sparked a powerful conversation. A colleague shared how, during her first year at university, she called her mum and exclaimed, “Mum, why didn’t you ever tell me Jesus wasn’t white?”

This moment stuck with me. Too often, students arrive in Year 7 believing Jesus was a white European man. These misconceptions aren’t always due to poor subject knowledge, these misconceptions often stem from a lack of context. For example, understanding that Jesus was a Palestinian Jew is crucial. We need to create safe spaces where educators can ask questions, acknowledge gaps in their knowledge, and grow together.

Equity in Action: Conversations That Transform Practice

Equity of provision in RE is not optional, it’s essential. We must have open, honest conversations about curriculum and assessment to ensure we’re offering the very best to every pupil. One of the things I love most about the RE community is its openness. No question is too small, and there’s always someone willing to help.

Leadership in RE isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating a culture of support and humility. I recently saw this in action at Worcestershire SACRE, through the brilliant Stephen Pett and with Chris Giles as a teacher representative. The atmosphere was electric; everyone had a voice, and everyone was there to lift each other up.
This year, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have Jane Yates as my mentor. Her knowledge is vast, but what stands out most is her humility. She’s never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” and always points me in the right direction. That’s the kind of leadership we need; leaders who empower others by admitting what they don’t know and helping them find the answers.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s how much I still have to learn. But I’m grateful to be part of a subject, and a community, where curiosity is celebrated and support is always within reach.

If you’d like to join our hub meetings, we welcome both online and in-person attendees. Keep an eye on the RE Hubs website for updates. We’ll soon be diving into the National Content Standard, using tools like the “Religion and Worldviews” infographic on page 21 of the curriculum writers’ handbook to guide our planning.

Let’s keep learning, leading, and lifting each other up.

About

Beth Blizzard is the Curriculum Lead for Religious Education at a secondary school in Shropshire, Vice Chair of the Shropshire SACRE, and Lead for the Shropshire Gateway Hub. She is currently supporting three primary schools within her trust—as well as other local school in developing a curriculum rooted in equity and inclusion. Beth has recently completed her first year on the Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Scholarship Programme.

See all posts by Beth blizzard

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

My Leadership Journey: What is it Like to be an ‘RE and Christian Distinctiveness Lead’ in a Mixed Multi-Academy Trust?

Paul Marvin | 21 July, 2025

I had spent most of the morning speaking with and listening to different adults working within the school and also with some of the children. It had been a busy morning and I had gathered lots of information to support the school in moving forward. It was now my penultimate meeting and a small group of children aged 8-11 were packed into a corner of the headteacher’s office. They were about to talk about religious education and what they enjoyed about it. The children had obviously been ‘cherry-picked- as each child was able to talk about their learning and some of the experiences they had had. Just before finishing, I decided to ask them why they thought we did RE in schools. One of the younger boys raised his hand. ‘What’s good is that even if you don’t believe in a religion, you find it comfortable to learn about other religions.’ He didn’t elaborate on this statement, but I understood exactly what he was trying to say. He was sharing that he didn’t follow an organised religion or worldview, but he could see there was real value in learning about what different people believed, even though they may be different to his own beliefs. I was amazed by his wisdom and from someone so young. This is what makes this job so brilliant! Originally, my role was created because the CEO of our trust wanted someone to spend some time focusing on the trust’s responsibilities towards their church schools that had recently been raised by our local diocese. This perhaps explains the dual aspects of this role.

A developing role

So it was that in September 2018, I started working on a part-time basis as the ‘Christian Distinctiveness MAT Lead’. Even with this title, I was also given the responsibility for overseeing and raising standards in RE for all primary schools. This was alongside being fully responsible for a Year 3/4 class in the school I was still teaching in. In fact, for the first three years, I was teaching every morning with an HLTA teaching in the afternoons so I could do my new role. It was a tricky balance. My first year was spent finding my feet. I visited our seven church schools, trying to prepare them for SIAMS as best I could. The whole thing was still new to me, but I did have 10 hours a week to work out what a SIAMS inspection would look like and what schools would need in place to demonstrate their church school distinctiveness. Within six months, our first church school had had its SIAMS inspection with an ‘excellent’ grading. I couldn’t accept much of an accolade for this, but I had offered some guidance where I felt it was appropriate. By 2019 there were eight church schools in my trust and soon, there was a second SIAMS inspection, with a ‘good’ outcome. I could safely say that I had managed to support this school more closely (even taking on the mantle of foundation governor for a year) so I was happy to accept some thanks here. In March 2020, my involvement changed quite a bit. I ended up teaching Year 6 in my school (something I hadn’t done before), but I was also planning RE work for children in Years 2-5 within the trust, who were now learning at home. At this point, RE still didn’t feature in my role title, but it was a big part of what I was doing.

Support and challenge

By September 2021, I started to explore other RE avenues to support and challenge me in my role, something I fully recommend to others. I signed up to anything that might support me;
  • NATRE membership was essential, getting the magazine and resources three times a year and accessing the website.
  • Back in 2018, I started attending my local Learn Teach Lead RE (LTLRE) meeting which was run by two teachers – primary and secondary. It just so happened that the primary teacher was moving on and so I asked if I could take her place, which opened up lots more opportunities for me, including training, conferences and RE contacts.
  • A Farmington scholarship on ‘Teaching Christianity through Art’ allowed me to explore the wealth of artwork available online to support teachers in using the Understanding Christianity resource. Next time, I hope to research visual imagery and artwork to support the teaching of other religions and worldviews.
  • The Shared Space project. The University of Bristol and NATRE worked in partnership to investigate the claim that RE promotes warmer community relations through knowledge exchange. Teachers from across the phases worked with academics, developing our subject knowledge and going on to create a unit of work and lessons with lived examples, real and imagined, to introduce pupils to different branches of Islam with the enquiry question, ‘What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today?’ The unit challenges stereotyping and the idea that ‘all Muslims’ are the same and also supported pupils to enter into meaningful dialogue around diversity within worldviews. You can find the resources here.

A full time role

I was ready to make the move to full time advisory work, but initially this proved difficult. I was keen to keep the RE role within my trust and many of the advisory roles on offer were full time. In May 2024, I was resigned to spend another year doing my split role, this time teaching within a Year 5/6 class with children I had taught in Year 3/4. It was just as we were reaching the end of Term 5, the point of no return, that my CEO emailed me to say that the local diocese wanted to offer me a seconded role three days a week as a school advisor. I sat up and sent an immediate reply of yes, desperately wanting to add my favourite catchphrase, ‘Does Carmen Miranda wear fruit!’ I have been doing this role since September 2024, both roles work in tandem as the diocese is keen to work more closely with RE and Christian Distinctiveness leads, and my trust is keen to work more closely with the diocese. It was because of this that I was able to enjoy the experience I first started with along with so many other interesting and exciting experiences. And long may it continue!

About

Paul Marvin has been involved with primary schools for over twenty-five years, teaching and now advising. He is the primary lead in his local RE Hub, serves on his local SACRE and is the 'RE, Christian Distinctiveness and SIAMS Inspection MAT Lead' in the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership. He also works as an education advisor for the Diocese of Bath and Wells and is a trained SIAMS inspector. Currently, Paul is in his first year of the Culham St Gabriel's Leadership Scholarship Programme.

See all posts by Paul Marvin