RE teaching in Britain will experience significant innovation

The Religious Education Council of England and Wales has introduced an innovative ‘toolkit’ designed to improve the quality of religious education (RE) in schools across England, in response to Ofsted’s call for greater depth in RE lessons.

After an extensive three-year initiative titled Religion and worldviews in the classroomthis toolkit emerged as a solution, rooted in academic research, classroom insights, and suggestions from the 2018 Commission on RE report.

The report called for an academically robust approach that accurately reflects the diverse beliefs and practices in modern Britain.

The toolkit provides teachers with a curriculum development handbook, three different curriculum frameworks and the National Content Standard for RE in England. It aims to enrich educational practices by utilizing established best practices in different educational environments.

Ed Pawson, vice chairman of the Council for Religious Education and a devout Christian, shared First Christian News: ”In some ways (this new) approach makes it a little more complex, but it also makes it much more relevant to individual students.’

He added that they want to encourage students to explore their own spirituality: “You often get kids who come into class and say, ‘I’m not religious, I won’t learn anything here.’

“Every child should learn in every classroom. A mature RE classroom actually starts in part with where the student is, and values ​​the fact that every student has an interest in the subject.”

Sarah Lane Cawte, Chair of the REC, emphasized the importance of the toolkit. In a statement, she said: “This is a major project that reflects a broad consensus within the RE community to help all schools provide personally enriching and academically challenging religious education.”

Professor Trevor Cooling, who led the academic effort on this project, explained its benefits in a statement: “This scientific approach to the study of religious education enables students to develop substantive knowledge about religion, religious and non-religious worldviews… It builds on many years of research literature into effective approaches to creating one that is fit for purpose in the 21st century.”

Fiona Moss, CEO of the National Association of Teachers of RE, also praised the toolkit: “These curriculum resources build on the many examples of what good RE looks like and what many teachers are currently practicing in classrooms across the country.”

By providing teachers with these resources, this initiative promises to revitalize religious education in England and promote deeper engagement with religion and belief systems among students.

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