Latest News

Ofsted criticises the government for its lack of clarity about and support for Religious education

23/11/2023

The Ofsted Annual Report published today presents the organisation’s findings for the areas they inspect including schools. NATRE is pleased to see the recognition of the challenges faced by teachers of RE and the impact on children.

Analysis of a survey of teachers on the impact of political policy on student opportunity to study RE/RME and RVE

21/11/2023

This is an analysis of the data gathered from a questionnaire on impact of political policies on Religious Education in England, RME in Scotland and RVE in Wales.

New Editor for REtoday magazine

12/10/2023

Exciting news in the world of Religious Education (RE) as Angela Hill, NationalRE Adviser based in Cardiff, assumes the role of Editor for the widely acclaimed REtoday magazine.

Winners announcements - Spirited Arts 2023

10/10/2023

NATRE are delighted to announce the winners of the 2023 Spirited Arts competition. Congratulations to all of our winners and their teachers. As always, the standard of entries was high, so selecting winners was challenging for our team of judges.

Good news for Religious Education bursaries!

10/10/2023

Good news for Religious Education bursaries, but challenges remain in the recruitment of secondary RE specialists.

RE Council launches National Content Standard

03/10/2023

NATRE is pleased that the RE Council of England and Wales has launched its National Content Standard for Religious Education in England.

NATRE Speak at Oral Education Select committee hearing on Recruitment and retention

20/09/2023

NATRE spoke to the Education Select Committee about the impact of teacher training shortages in RE, highlighting its importance in a session reported by Schools Week and TES. RE was recognised as a shortage subject, and an open letter was sent to the Secretary of State calling for more support for RE.

Open letter published about RE in the Telegraph today!

18/09/2023

An Open Letter has been published today by the Daily Telegraph. More than 30 MPs and peers have written to the Education Secretary, highlighting that school pupils receive tokenistic religious education or none.

NATRE analysis of GCSE and A level examination data for Religious Studies reveals interesting variations between nations and regions

14/09/2023

Reports compare RS in England & Wales. Short course removal impacted qualifications; A level entries stable in England, declined 33% in Wales (since 2020). Further investigation needed.

RE Today Services Welcomes Ian Nicholson as National RE Adviser.

14/09/2023

RE Today Services is thrilled to announce the latest addition to their Adviser team at RE. Ian Nicholson, a highly experienced and passionate teacher, Ian will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the organisation.

Welcoming Ian Nicholson as National RE Adviser.

14/09/2023

RE Today Services is thrilled to announce the latest addition to their Adviser team at RE. Ian Nicholson, a highly experienced and passionate teacher, Ian will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the organisation.

Strictly RE is back with a twist!

08/09/2023

Everything you love about Strictly RE without having to leave your home.

Shortage of RE teachers “dangerous cycle” within religious education

08/09/2023

The shortage of religious education teachers has been highlighted in a Religion Media Centre briefing. Only six people have come forward to train as RE teachers in Wales, and in England, no RE teacher training courses have reached their target of entries.

Your Voice Matters: NATRE's Call to Action to ask your MP to meet us now!

08/09/2023

NATRE needs you, our members to support this work. You can get involved by contacting your local MP or Councillor and asking them to meet with our team to talk about high-quality RE for all pupils in all schools.

Religious Studies remains a popular GCSE despite specialist teacher recruitment challenge

24/08/2023

Quarter of a million students risk being neglected" says Father of the House, as teacher applications fall.

Guidance for local authorities about membership of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACREs)

23/08/2023

DfE's guidance to local authorities: Non-religious representatives can be part of SACREs, as clarified by recent legal case. Balancing beliefs in education.

Fall in A level RS entries sees calls for action for specialist teacher recruitment

17/08/2023

Recruitment challenges mean schools are now struggling to offer the subject at A level after decades of growth in entries.

NATRE Executive 2024-2027 Election results

14/07/2023

We are really pleased to share the excellent group of people that have been elected as the NATRE executive. We know they will work hard for the whole RE community.

Bromsgrove schools take part in creative art competition - Spirited Arts

10/07/2023

An article in the Bromsgrove Standard reports that Bromsgrove schools take part in creative art competition on theme inspired by late MP Jo Cox

The RE Hubs website is LIVE!

27/06/2023

RE Hubs, led by Claire Clinton, has launched www.re-hubs.uk, a one-stop website for the RE community. It offers resources, CPD, event listings, and connects teachers, speakers, and local groups. The aim is to enhance communication, confidence, and sustainable RE provision.

NATRE calls for the DfE to read its own data and reinstate bursaries for trainee teachers of RE.

21/06/2023

NATRE urges DfE to reinstate RE bursaries based on own data. Prioritization of EBacc negatively affects RE workforce. 51% of secondary RE teachers focus on other subjects. Shortage of qualified RE teachers evident. Urgent action needed. NFER predicts low trainee recruitment.

Shared Space project features in a DfE research report on social integration in schools and colleges.

12/06/2023

The Department for Education (DfE) has released an independent research report examining approaches to promote social integration in schools and colleges. This report includes the highly anticipated Shared Space project, a collaboration between NATRE and the University of Bristol. Discover how this project applied contact theory to Religious Education, fostering social cohesion among students.

Religious Studies provisional examination entries holding steady in England but a worrying decline in entries for A level in Wales.

12/06/2023

At GCSE, data for England published by Ofqual on 1st June shows Religious Studies GCSE entries have seen an increase of 6% to more than 245K. However, it is disappointing that several other subjects threatened by the English Baccalaureate and associated school performance measures are continuing to see a fall in numbers.

NATRE Secondary Survey 2023

12/05/2023

NATRE is conducting this secondary survey (its tenth) to obtain information about the current state of RE in all types of schools so that it can continue to support the teacher in the classroom by raising awareness of the impact of government policy on RE. Surveys like this help us when talking to key stakeholders and that is critical at the moment given the ongoing recruitment crisis for teachers of RE.

Two-thirds of secondary early career teachers rate subject knowledge training as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’

02/05/2023

The National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) has conducted a flash survey among secondary school teachers in their first two years in the profession. The survey found that almost two-thirds of respondents rated the programme’s teacher standard of developing good curriculum and subject knowledge as either poor or very poor...

Job Vacancy: RE Today RE Adviser

28/04/2023

This job opportunity has now closed and we are no longer accepting anymore applications. Thank you to everyone that has applied, we will be in touch in due course.

New RE teacher recruitment campaign kicks off as popular GCSE subject faces staff shortage

07/03/2023

Parliamentarians and faith and belief groups join calls to attract a new generation of teachers to the subject

North West RE Hubs Lead Needed!

21/02/2023

We are seeking RE Hubs Leads for the North West of England for the revised infrastructure project, which aims to provide a platform for all those who support and resource the teaching of Religious Education/Religion and Worldviews.

Why does the rate of entry for GCSE Religious Studies vary so much around England? Does the 2021 census provide part of the answer?

13/02/2023

In answer to a parliamentary written question asked by Janet Daby MP and answered by Nick Gibb MP in January, the minister provided a table ranking each local authority in relation to the number of entries for GCSE Religious Studies in 2022.

Children's commissioner shares her view on RE

13/02/2023

A member of the NATRE executive, Shammi Rahman, recently interviewed The Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza.

Another great Strictly RE!

07/02/2023

NATRE hosted its annual virtual conference Strictly RE this year on January 28 & 29. We had over 30 practical sessions, numerous exhibitors and we welcomed circa 400 delegates.

The shortage of specialist secondary RE teachers

07/02/2023

We are pleased to have collaborated with Culham St Gabriel’s Trust and our partners in the RE Policy unit on this Policy Briefing on the current shortage of subject specialist secondary teachers for religious education.

Minister admits that most teachers of secondary RE mainly teach another subject.

31/01/2023

In response to the parliamentary written question asked by Janet Daby MP, minister for school standards; Nick Gibb MP admitted that 51% of the total number of secondary teachers of RE spend most of their teaching timetable delivering a different subject.

Veganism as a worldview in RE

20/01/2023

FREE RESOURCES to support teaching about the moral status of animals and Ethical Veganism as a worldview in RE

National Plan for RE

12/12/2022

Would you like to support our campaign for a National Plan for RE and call on the government to invest in teachers and teaching of RE?

2021 Census Data

29/11/2022

The 2021 England and Wales census results are a great opportunity to discuss the changing nature of belief in modern Britain.

“The real measure of a person isn't the challenges but how you respond to them”

24/11/2022

What do primary teachers say about RE in their schools?

08/11/2022

The results and findings from the 2022 NATRE Primary survey are in.

Cross-party calls for RE National Plan after Westminster debate

03/11/2022

Shadow Education Minister Stephen Morgan says a Labour government will deliver a ‘well-rounded’ education and challenged the Government for its failure to introduce a National Plan for RE.

Curriculum Support? It's already out there

02/11/2022

Where can busy teachers, subject leaders, managers and teacher trainers get support with developing curriculum and finding high-quality resources?

Research suggests Religious Studies at GCSE and A level supports ‘levelling up’

28/10/2022

There is a growing body of research linking the study of Religious Education/Studies with improved outcomes for pupils identified as ‘disadvantaged’.

Farmington Scholarships 2023/24 are now open!

27/10/2022

These are Scholarships available to teachers of religious education and associated subjects in UK secondary, primary, and special needs schools...

Record number of young people enter ‘big picture’ competition

12/10/2022

30,000 young people from across the globe have taken part in a major competition to express their views on some of the biggest questions in life through art. A record-beating total of 3,196 entries from 523 schools were submitted for judging, an 18 percent increase on last year.

Bursaries desperately needed for RE

11/10/2022

Please use this infographic to write to your MP about this today, and ask them to speak to ministers. You can make a difference.

A National Plan for Religious education is urgently needed!

26/09/2022

A National Plan for Religious education is urgently needed as one in five schools report including no lessons of the subject on their timetables.

The Regional RE Hubs team is ready to go!

09/09/2022

Céline Benoit, Chair of the Regional Hub Steering Group, is delighted to announce the full team of Regional Leads that will be representing and supporting their region in the new RE Hubs project.

Take your RE teaching to the next level!

05/09/2022

Exciting news, we are adding new member benefits from 1st October 2022!

Take action on RE say leading politicians as more students take the subject at GCSE

25/08/2022

Five year funding gap is letting down a ‘record number of students’ as new data suggests many disadvantaged GCSE students go on to take it at A level. The number of students in England and Wales taking a GCSE course in Religious Studies GCSE has risen to 253,225, an increase of 0.6% from last year.

A level Religious Studies results prompt call for government support

18/08/2022

Two decades of growth in A level RS at risk over a five year funding crisis says the Religious Education Council as Father of the House Sir Peter Bottomley warns the Government must not ‘let down’ young people.

Poor (or no) RE is a gaping hole in the curriculum

17/06/2022

In this Schools Week news article, a data review of religious education paints a mixed picture, writes Sabah Ahmedi, yet it is crucial to human experience and a broad and balanced curriculum.

Snatching defeat from victory

31/05/2022

How the Department for Education has managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Keep reading for further information.

School and government performance on religious education failing record number of students, says landmark data review

16/05/2022

Neglecting RE leaves ‘gaping hole in the school curriculum’, says Father of the House Sir Peter Bottomley in the wake of the Government’s commitment to level up education across the country.

Regional Hub Leads needed! Apply today!

09/05/2022

We are seeking Regional Hub leads to support the Regional Infrastructure Project. Closing date for applications has been extended to 5PM Wednesday 15th June 2022!

Draft Handbook for Religion and Worldviews in the Classroom

05/05/2022

The RE Council has published its Draft Handbook for Religion and Worldviews in the Classroom: Developing a Worldviews Approach project.

NATRE Primary Survey 2022 - Have your say!

28/04/2022

NATRE's bi-annual primary survey is now live! This survey to obtain information about the current state of RE in all types of schools for Primary age children so that it can continue to support the teacher in the classroom by raising awareness of the impact of government policy on RE.

Appointment of a new Lead Director for Regional Hubs

28/04/2022

The Religion and Worldviews Infrastructure Steering Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Claire Clinton as Lead Director for Regional Hubs. Claire is taking up her consultant role in May.

Minister recognises implications of White Paper for structures that support RE

27/04/2022

A question tabled by former SACRE member Janet Daby MP has prompted this important statement by Minister for Schools, Robin Walker MP. NATRE will be pleased to take up this offer to work with the new 'arms-length curriculum body' in partnership with other stakeholders in high quality RE.

Schools Minister commits to working with teachers on curriculum resources.

22/04/2022

We were pleased to read the statement from Minister for schools; Robin Walker MP in response to parliamentary questions tabled by Kim Leadbeater MP in partnership with the RE Policy Unit.

Religion and Worldviews: What parents need to know.

11/04/2022

Deborah Weston, NATRE Research Officer explains what parents need to know regarding teaching religious education with a worldview approach in schools via

A round up of this month's RE news

01/04/2022

NATRE along with key RE stakeholders have been busy lobbying to raise the profile of RE. Here is a summary of this months activity.

New report from the Parliamentary Round Table: Religious Education

22/03/2022

New report from the Parliamentary Round Table: Religious Education in England: Underfunded and Undervalued?

‘Once in a career’ opportunity for RE leaders and teachers to help shape the future of the subject

10/03/2022

The Religious Education Council (REC) is calling on the country’s most talented leaders in RE to participate in an influential project to help shape the future of RE in England and Wales.

Parliamentary talks over the future of religious education in schools sees call for a National Plan

04/03/2022

MPs and Peers met with students, parents, academics and subject leaders in March over concern that religious education (RE) in schools is being both underfunded and undervalued.

RECRUITMENT OF Lead Director of Regional Hubs

25/02/2022

We are seeking a lead for the revised infrastructure project the ‘Regional Hubs’. We need a leader for this unique Regional Hubs project, which aims to provide a platform for all those who support and resource the teaching of Religious Education / Religion and Worldviews.

Failure to meet statutory requirements on RE will be taken into consideration in the Ofsted ‘quality of education’ judgement

03/02/2022

Dame Christine Ryan: Chair of Ofsted, gave evidence to the parliamentary Education Committee in September 2021 and was asked about the inspection of RE by the Chair; Robert Halfon MP. The committee showed real concern about schools and academies breaking the law by not teaching RE to pupils in all year groups.

Religion and Worldviews in Religious Education

01/02/2022

This new page on the REC website hosts a series of resources relating to worldviews.

The Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Programme

31/01/2022

The programme is a one to two year mentoring and coaching programme developing leadership skills in middle leaders. It is free to schools. Applications are open now for a September 2022 start. The closing date is 31 March.

Inspecting RE: An examination of OFSTED inspections

26/01/2022

The publication of the Religious Education Research Review was greeted positively by many teachers. We investigate whether inspectors are taking account of the factors identified in the research and if this is improving the potential of inspections to drive up standards in RE.

New pupil competition 'Lessons that make a difference'

24/01/2022

CSTG through REonline have launched their blog writing competition!

Religious Education and the lack of support by government funding

21/01/2022

64% of UK adults agree that RE is an important part of the school curriculum today, however Religious Education has received no Central Government subject specific support for 5 years.

Guidance for RVE published by Education Wales

13/01/2022

Guidance for Religion, Values and Ethics in the Humanities Area of Learning of the Curriculum for Wales has now been published by Education Wales.

An analysis of a survey of teachers on the impact of government policy on student opportunity to study GCSE RS

15/12/2021

This is an analysis of the data gathered from a questionnaire on the impact of government policy including accountability measures and the English Baccalaureate on Religious Education.

Spirited Arts 2021 received its highest number of entries!

02/12/2021

Annually we run the Spirited Arts competition which is engaged with in schools within Religious Education lessons. This year we worked with the Jo Cox Foundation, and one of our 5 themes was Jo's quote from her parliamentary speech "We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us."

NATRE Primary Vice Chair wins international award for her RE work

16/11/2021

BIC Cristal Pen Award for Naomi Anstice.

Kim Leadbeater, MP for Batley and Spen asked the following Parliamentary Question on RE

10/11/2021

NATRE were very pleased to see that after their joint meeting with Kim Leadbeater, the REC and RE Today she asked this question of the DFE.

Joint initiative with CSTG: Progression with the Infrastructure project

02/11/2021

Between 2018-2020 a grant was awarded to RE Today Services by Culham St Gabriel’s Trust and The Jerusalem Trust to develop an infrastructure of regional support across 10 regions in England. Read the full article here.

New government minister for school standards acknowledges the value of studying RE for a range of careers

07/10/2021

Nikki Nabavi and Callum Phillips look at the value for aspiring medics of studying the humanities

Strictly RE: 29-30 January '22

24/09/2021

The annual conference will be held online with a strong focus on Worldviews, Dharmic traditions & Ways of knowing. BOOK YOUR TICKETS & spread the word!

Strictly RE: 29-30 January '22

23/09/2021

The annual conference will be held online with a strong focus on Worldviews, Dharmic traditions & Ways of knowing. BOOK YOUR TICKETS & spread the word!

Research into public perception of an education in religion and worldviews

17/09/2021

What do the British public think about the role of understanding religious and non-religious worldviews and RE in our schools? A poll commissioned by Culham St.Gabriel’s Trust.

NATRE CEO AND CHAIR FEATURE IN RE:ONLINE

07/09/2021

As part of a series of blogs from the main RE/R&W organisations, NATRE was asked to share our reflections on 2020-21 and the coming academic year. Read the blogs from Fiona Moss, CEO NATRE and Katie Freeman, NATRE Chair.

GCSE level examination results 2021.

23/08/2021

Data to support the writing of examination reports. This report is FREE for all NATRE members.

Call for National Plan as Religious Studies GCSE entries slip

12/08/2021

The number of pupils taking GCSE Religious Studies in England and Wales has fallen slightly in 2021, despite previously remaining stable since 2017. To safeguard the subject, the Religious Education Council of England and Wales and the National Association of Teachers of RE are calling for a National Plan, as recommended by the Commission on RE in 2018, to be funded by Government.

A level examination results 2021.

12/08/2021

Data to support the writing of examination reports. This report is FREE for all NATRE members.

Hundreds more opt for Religious Studies at A-level in 2021

10/08/2021

The number of Religious Studies A-level exam entries has increased 6.1 percent year on year. The subject outperformed other A-level subjects as a whole, which increased by 5.1 percent, with a greater increase than most other humanities subjects.

Role of RE in schools debated on BBC One

30/06/2021

NATRE CEO Fiona Moss takes part in a discussion on BBC1’s Sunday Morning Live on 27th June to address recent media misrepresentation of our anti-racist RE materials.

The Truth about the NATRE Anti-Racist Resources

22/06/2021

Two recent articles in The Telegraph made allegations about our Anti-Racist resources for the RE classroom. We feel it important to rectify and clarify the misreporting and misrepresentation presented in both articles.

National newspaper misrepresent NATRE and Anti racist resources

15/06/2021

NATRE are disappointed to see that a national newspaper have produced an article misrepresenting our anti-racist RE materials. The resources do not ‘tell’ teachers what to teach they provide resources to inform teachers about the different concepts and provide a glossary of terms so teachers understand the terms used in this area.

Catch-up curriculum must include RE for all pupils in all years

07/06/2021

Reply received from Department for Education following several discussions around 'catch up curriculum'.

SACRE funding in England

19/05/2021

NASACRE publishes research report on SACRE funding following a freedom of information request to local authorities

NATRE welcome OFSTED’s RE research report

12/05/2021

Ahead of NATRE's special #REchatuk twitter conversation with Subject lead Dr Richard Kueh HMI on 17 May, NATRE warmly welcomes Ofsted’s Research review report on religious education, which highlights the priority Ofsted places on the importance of high quality RE in all schools.

Ofsted Research Review: “Review spells out essential role of RE”

12/05/2021

In light of Ofsted's Research Review on Religious Education, the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) and the Religious Education Council of England and Wales have shared their views.

Research reports from OFSTED: #REchatUK planned

10/05/2021

NATRE are going to host a special #REchatuk twitter conversation with Subject lead Dr Richard Kueh HMI on Monday 17 May between 8-9pm.

NATRE Secondary Survey 2021

20/04/2021

NATRE is conducting this secondary survey (its eighth) to obtain information about the current state of RE in all types of schools so that it can continue to support the teacher in the classroom by raising awareness of the impact of government policy on RE.

"Learning to Listen" report

20/04/2021

The “Learning to Listen” report from the APPG on Religion in the Media this week, draws attention to the importance of education in religion and worldviews.

Templeton Grant Award Project

14/04/2021

The Tempelton Grant Award Project Project will bring vision for worldviews in RE a step closer to the classroom with the plan to create materials for building Religion & Worldviews syllabus and curriculum.

Welcome to the team, Adam!

14/04/2021

RE Today are delighted to announce the appointment of Adam Robertson as National RE Adviser.

RE Today appoint new Adviser

14/04/2021

RE Today are delighted to announce the appointment of Adam Robertson as National RE Adviser.

Time for the government to address the consequences of their neglect of teachers of RE?

07/04/2021

The demands of teaching Religious Education are generally poorly understood. A teacher of RE in modern Britain, must not only understand the principal religious and non-religious worldviews, but also the diversity within and between those traditions. Fewer than a third of the 633-trainee secondary RE teachers in this academic year have a degree in Theology or Religious Studies.

Does studying RS GCSE improve your overall academic attainment?

26/03/2021

Local Authorities where there are higher rates of entry for GCSE RS, fair well in a range of performance measures. Data published by NATRE on GCSE RS entries in 2020 shows that rates of entry vary widely between local authorities.

Funding boost to get ‘Understanding Christianity’ resource to over one million pupils.

08/03/2021

The Understanding Christianity (UC) resource commissioned by the Church of England and developed by RE Today has reached over 5000 schools and over 1,000,000 pupils across the UK since it first launched in 2016. Now thanks to generous funding from Allchurches Trust this project will be rolled out even further with an aim to reach 1000 community schools.

Interesting and positive report about the vitality of RS in the UK

25/02/2021

The publication of the British Academy’s Report, Theology and Religious Studies Provision in UK Higher Education, in May 2019 was widely reported in the press, where the study of religion was presented as a relic in terminal decline.

Shared Space Toolkit- The DFE need your evidence.

12/02/2021

In 2017, many of you helped the Shared Space project to gather information about how RE might promote warmer community relations. This resulted in a toolkit informed by research and written by RE teachers.

New Data and Research page now available on the NATRE website!

12/02/2021

In response to member requests, we have created a new area on our website to make it easier to find reports produced by NATRE based on our research.

Primary Teacher Katie Freeman announced as NATRE Chair elect

31/01/2021

In November at the final Exec meeting elections were held to choose the new Chair and vice chairs of NATRE these positioned will be ratified by the incoming Executive in March.

NATRE Curriculum Symposium: expression of interest

30/01/2021

NATRE is excited to announce that it will be running a 24 hour residential curriculum symposium in Autumn. We have been planning to run this for almost a year but took the decision to wait until it can be run as a face to face event as we want to create a curriculum learning community.

Videos of Careers for Graduates in Theology and Religious Studies

28/01/2021

What can you do with a degree in Theology and Religious Studies? Almost anything! A huge number of pathways open out from this degree, which gives knowledge and skills that are in high demand among employers.

A National Plan for RE summarised

28/01/2021

This document was produced by the RE Policy Unit (REPU) in collaboration with the REC’s Education Committee. It attempts to summarise the vision for our subject set out in the Commission on RE Final Report including the Statement of Entitlement published in September 2018.

Strictly RE 2021 – Dawn Cox

26/01/2021

Oxford Education Blog. Dawn Cox shares her thoughts on this year Strictly RE.

REC - new events for January 2021

12/01/2021

To kick off 2021 the REC have an exciting series of three online events coming up this month.

GCSE / A level exams 2021

12/01/2021

NATRE and Ofqual have an ongoing and positive working relationship, with representatives of both meeting and talking frequently.

FREE Lockdown learning from NATRE and RE Today

08/01/2021

To help you during this lockdown, we are making our NATRE member lockdown resources for free.

The Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Programme

07/01/2021

Following a successful pilot programme in 2020-21 CSTG are now inviting applicants to be part of a new Cohort of Leaders for Change in 2021-22. This is an amazing opportunity for teachers.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: RE Adviser

18/12/2020

We are seeking a full-time specialist Religious Education Adviser to complement the work of our well-respected RE Team.

Stephen Timms; MP for East Ham asked the following parliamentary questions on RE

18/12/2020

Stephen Timms; MP for East Ham asked the following parliamentary questions on Religious Education which were answered by Schools’ Minister Nick Gibb MP this week

Evaluation Study of Understanding Christianity

11/12/2020

Dr Rachael Shillitoe, of the University of Birmingham has published an evaluation report of the Understanding Christianity project.

Ofqual Consultation on GCSE Support Material for 2021

11/12/2020

The Ofqual Consultation on GCSE Support Material for 2021 is closing soon. Have your say!

Faith Engagement Review

30/11/2020

The government has appointed a Faith Engagement Adviser, Colin Bloom. He has launched an open consultation to collect views that will underpin a Faith Engagement Review.

Conversations about religious literacy: creativity and the classroom

26/11/2020

The Lincoln Diocesan Board of Education (LDBE) is curating and working with the support of Culham St Gabriel's to deliver a national arts and RE symposium to be held virtually on the 23 February 2021.

Teacher survey on black history and diversity in the curriculum.

25/11/2020

The Petitions Committee held an oral evidence session on 18 November and have launched two surveys; one for primary and one for secondary teachers. The survey will close at 9am on Monday 7 December.

GOOD NEWS! NATRE members can now access Professional REflection articles online!

10/11/2020

RE Today have launched a brand new site making all articles from REtoday and Professional REflection accessible from the last six years.

1000 articles at from REtoday at your fingertips

10/11/2020

We are excited to announce that we have launched a brand new website to give teachers access to over 1000 articles from REtoday magazine online.

Teaching Islam: Challenging prejudices

05/11/2020

How can we teach about Islam more authentically in RE lessons? Ahead of Interfaith Week – November 8 to 15 – Lat Blaylock, co-author of a new resource, considers the duty of education to tackle stereotypes and challenge prejudices. Written by Lat Blaylock featured on SecEd

New anti-racist Religious Education resource for teachers

05/11/2020

A new suite of free teaching materials to help teachers of Religious Education plan and provide learning around racism and prejudice has been launched by RE Today and the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE). The project was initiated by the Free Churches Group and Methodist Schools and funded by the Westhill Endowment.

Think Tank Theos launch report online

26/10/2020

An important report was launched at an online event hosted by the think tank Theos. The three report authors; Professors Trevor Cooling and Bob Bowie, and Dr Farid Panjwani explained the argument of their new report.

Shadow Minister for Faiths; Janet Daby MP asks the Minister for Education Nick Gibb MP a question about RE

14/10/2020

NATRE, the REC and RE Today had a very productive meeting with the Janet Daby MP in October 2020. They learned that the Shadow Minister, who is the MP for Lewisham East, had served on Lewisham SACRE and was fully conversant with the issues surrounding the subject.

Removal of the bursary for those training to be secondary teachers of RE

14/10/2020

NATRE was very disappointed to read that bursaries for teacher training are to be severely cut for 2021-2022.

Success for persistent parent in complaint about RE at an academy

13/10/2020

NATRE was approached by a parent who was dismayed that discrete lessons in RE were being replaced by a combined life skills style programme and wanted to challenge the academy about it.

What are worldviews and why should schools teach them?

12/10/2020

Theos launches latest report ‘Worldviews in Religious Education’. In celebration of the launch of Theos’s latest report, ‘Worldviews in Religious Education’, join Theos and Culham St Gabriel’s Trust on 21st October at 7.30pm for an evening of panel discussion and Q&A, as we consider the concept of “worldview” and how it can enhance religious literacy in the UK – with particular implications for how Religious Education is taught in schools.

Farmington Scholarships now open!

08/10/2020

Open to Head teachers and UK secondary and primary school teachers, teachers of RE to children with Special Educational Needs. Academic Year 2021-22

Over 95% of primary teachers report time spent on teaching RE has increased or stayed the same

06/10/2020

Almost a half (46%) of Academies without a religious character, almost a third (29%) of Agreed Syllabus Schools and a fifth (21%) of Schools including academies with a religious character report increasing their time for teaching RE, new research by the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) has revealed.

Inter Faith Week 2020 opportunities for schools

17/09/2020

Inter Faith Week starts on Sunday 8 November and concludes on Sunday 15 November. The Week is a great opportunity for pupils to explore inter faith issues and for schools to build relationships with faith, belief and inter faith groups in their community.

GCSE results - Message from NATRE Chair

20/08/2020

Congratulations to those pupils receiving their GCSE RS results today...

Religious Studies GCSE proves its relevance as entries hold firm

20/08/2020

The number of pupils taking GCSE Religious Studies in England and Wales has remained stable in 2020 despite ongoing challenges, reflecting the relevance of the subject and its popularity among young people.

NATRE response to A Level and GCSE U-turn

17/08/2020

In response to the problems of A level results last week, NATRE along with many others called on the government to act to ensure that students did not unfairly miss out on their chosen future pathways.

A level results 2020

14/08/2020

NATRE was disappointed to hear of so many instances of students missing their university places because of the way A level results were awarded. Too many teachers have reported too many examples of results that have been significantly downgraded to the detriment of students’ options for the future.

Religious Studies A-level entries compare well against other humanities

13/08/2020

The number of Religious Studies A-level exam entries has declined at a lower rate than other humanities in 2020, performing better than some subjects despite a backdrop of overall declining entries and changes to the examination system.

Ofqual confirms changes to some GCSEs, AS and A levels next year but not to examinations in RS

05/08/2020

NATRE responded last month, to the Ofqual consultation on examinations in 2021. You can read our comments in this news piece. Ofqual released their decisions on 3rd August regarding the cohort of students who will be taking their GCSE’s, AS or A levels in 2021.

Schools Minister reiterates schools duty to teach RE to all pupils aged 5-18

05/08/2020

NATRE was pleased to see that Nick Gibb MP, Minister for schools, has given a clear and fulsome answer to a question from Luke Pollard MP regarding schools and RE.

Welsh consultation on the newly named subject Religion, Values and Ethics

17/07/2020

NATRE have sent in a consultation response but encourage teachers in Wales and in other nations to send in their own response.

Ofqual consultation on 2021 exams

16/07/2020

NATRE has been involved in meetings with Ofqual throughout the ongoing Covid-19 period, representing the concerns of teachers of RE as decisions have been made about exams in 2020 and 2021.

NATRE Executive 2021-2024 Election results

10/07/2020

We are delighted to announce that the following people have been elected to serve on the NATRE executive committee.

Ofqual consultation

06/07/2020

Ofqual are consulting on arrangements for the 2021 GCSE and A level exams, including proposals for RS exams.

Guidance for full opening of schools - Implications for teachers of RE

02/07/2020

The Department for Education has issued some guidance this week to schools to support their planning for full opening in September 2020. NATRE have identified some key points in relation to RE.

Black Lives Matter: A statement from NATRE

15/06/2020

The protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd have drawn attention to the ongoing presence of racism in our society and has given many people the opportunity to reflect on issues that ought to have been more prominent.

OFQUAL responds to queries from NATRE members

11/06/2020

We are pleased that our Examinations and HE officer was able to meet with OFQUAL for a one to one conversation. She was able share your questions and queries regarding the ranking and grading process and the subsequent results that students of RS will receive this year. The following document records the questions asked and the responses given by OFQUAL.

Making the case for RE

29/05/2020

NATRE often receives requests from teachers of RE who have been asked to make presentations or attend meetings to make the case RE in the curriculum. Here is all you need to know...

Teachers lack confidence in teaching about Islam

29/05/2020

Many teachers, including RE specialists, lack confidence when it comes to teaching about Islam, research by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) has revealed.

Guidance for teacher representatives on SACREs using school websites to support their evaluation of RE

28/05/2020

This suggested criteria will aid teacher SACRE members to guide schools to incorporate RE into their websites.

Latest news from OFQUAL

26/05/2020

NATRE remain in conversation with OFQUAL about approaches for grading examinations. In a joint meeting of subject associations the information below was shared. We will continue to email them with queries.

Increasing number of RE trainees will need school placements - can you help?

13/05/2020

Could you help provide an environment where trainee RE teachers can come to schools with good RE teachers to develop best practice?

Number of RE trainee teachers increases - to their highest in a decade

12/05/2020

There has been a surge in the number of trainee RE teachers, as we see students swap to RE from other humanities.

Dr Bill Gent

04/05/2020

We were extremely sad to hear of the death of Bill Gent, a wonderful friend and colleague to so many in the RE world.

#REChatUK produces huge list of video resources

29/04/2020

NATRE held it's weekly Twitter chat, #REChatUK, on Monday 27th April 2020. The topic of discussion was 'Using video clips to aid remote learning'. All the links shared were captured and have been collated as a free resource.

Subject associations respond to surge in demand for home learning support

28/04/2020

UK Council for Subject Associations launches directory to support educators

BBC Bitesize Daily: Update

23/04/2020

An update from the BBC about RE content for BBC Bitesize Daily.

#REChatUK and 'Reforming RE'

20/04/2020

NATRE plans to run two #REChatUK sessions to further discuss the ideas in the new 'Reforming RE' book.

OU course on Religious Literacy

17/04/2020

This 4 week (12 hours) course from the OU presents some of the latest university-level thinking on religious literacy as skills and principles in a free, accessible and interactive course.

RE teachers’ engagement with research

16/04/2020

Culham St Gabriel’s and the Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter are collaborating on a research study exploring RE teachers’ engagement with research.

#REChatUK runs weekly

09/04/2020

#REChatUK to run weekly rather than monthly to support RE teachers at this unusual time.

How GCSE, AS and A levels will be awarded this summer

03/04/2020

After consultation with NATRE and other subject associations, Ofqual have published details of how GCSE, AS and A levels will be awarded this summer. You can find the details and the relevant documents here.

Invitation to Tender - REC Interim Executive Officer (IEO)

31/03/2020

Following the appointment of our CEO, Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, to be CEO of the Independent Schools Association with effect from 1st August 2020, the REC is looking to appoint a contractor to manage the REC on an interim basis.

New RE films from BBC Bitesize

30/03/2020

Brand new relgious studies resources for KS3 from BBC bitesize.

Can you make a difference and support teachers of RE?

24/03/2020

Our current Executive Committee ends its terms of office at the end of February 2021, and this term we are seeking nominations from serving RE teachers to work on this national body for three years from March 2021 – February 2024.

FREE home learning resources for you and your pupils

20/03/2020

Keep learning from wherever you are!

Preparing for school closure: Covid-19

19/03/2020

Teachers give a brief outline of how they are planning for the upcoming school closure.

COVID-19 – Business As Usual

16/03/2020

With Corona virus, your school will be waiting for the latest Government guidance and advice on how it will affect schools and the possibility of schools closure.

NATRE Primary Survey – Have your say!

25/02/2020

NATRE is conducting a primary survey to acquire information about the current state of RE in all types of schools for primary age children.

National RE and the Arts Symposium

18/02/2020

The Symposium is the first of its kind in the UK to bring RE teachers, creatives and policy makers together to specifically focus on the potential impact of creative processes on the development of religious and worldviews literacy.

We want to hear from you!

03/02/2020

NATRE member survey now live!

Strictly Success!

03/02/2020

In its sixth Strictly has received the biggest turnout to date! Read more to see photos of the day and captured tweets.

REXChange Conference

30/01/2020

Culham St Gabriel’s Trust is delighted to be partnering with all the main RE Organisations and the Templeton World Charity Foundation to host RExChange 2020.

New Local Group Officer Appointed

16/01/2020

Saima Saleh, Member of the NATRE Executive, Local Group Leader of Frimley RE Hub and SLE for Ravenscote Junior school will be taking over from Juliet Lyal who has been our fabulous Local Groups Officer for the past decade.

Are you able to help?

16/01/2020

Rachael Jackson Royal is on the NATRE Exec and runs the Birmingham Secondary RE Group. This is some work that Rachael is involved with and would like some secondary based volunteers.

Equipping and building a community of leaders for change

19/12/2019

Want to develop your expertise as a leader for change? What to work more regionally or nationally? Culham St Gabriel’s Trust is partnering with all the main RE Organisations including NATRE to pilot a new fully-funded leadership programme.

Updated Guidance on RE and Collective Worship

13/12/2019

NATRE was pleased to work with the DfE on this guidance document on RE and Collective worship in academies and free schools which has been redrafted from the original (2012) version.

A bumper crop of trainee teachers but more needs to be done

29/11/2019

Recruitment for secondary trainees of RE has seen a dramatic boost this year after the DfE accepted our argument that it needed to do more to encourage and support recruitment.

101 RE mentions in Ofsted primary and secondary reports

25/11/2019

This latest publication from NATRE includes all the Ofsted reports published so far that mention RE that we can find. There are 101 of them! Teachers including middle and senior leaders might find it interesting to discuss some of the points that have emerged so far.

NEW Online resources to support Primary ITT

30/10/2019

Culham St Gabriel’s, with support from NATRE, have funded two new resources to support primary teachers of RE.

DfE statement on Religious Education and Collective Worship in Academies and Free Schools

29/10/2019

In 2012, NATRE supported the Department for Education in the production of some ‘Questions and Answers’ about Religious Education and Collective Worship in Academies and Free Schools. This document has now been updated to a new format and should be helpful to teachers and others looking for guidance on Government Policy with references to legislation.

What are secondary school inspection reports saying about Religious Education?

21/10/2019

NATRE has been monitoring references to RE in both primary and secondary school Ofsted reports under the new framework. The primary reports have been shared here and the four secondary examples are set out below.

What are primary school inspection reports saying about Religious Education?

20/10/2019

NATRE is continuing to monitor comments on Religious Education in reports of schools inspected under the new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework this term. The following document includes excepts from 14 primary school inspection reports that provide a window on how the vision for the process we discussed here is working out in practice.

Renowned Poet judge’s national poetry competition!

14/10/2019

Paul Cookson, Poet and Performer from Retford has been busy judging pupils’ poems from across the UK this month as part of the National Association of Teachers of RE’s (NATRE) national competition: ‘Spirited Arts and Poetry’.

Spirited Arts 2019 winners announced!

09/10/2019

We would like to thank all of the schools, teachers and pupils for taking the time to enter their pupils’ work for the 2019 Spirited Arts & Poetry competition. Congratulations to all the winners this year.

NATRE statement on the new Ofsted framework

08/10/2019

NATRE is pleased that the new Ofsted framework emphasises the importance of the broad and balanced curriculum including RE for all pupils in all school types.

NATRE’s response to the Welsh Government's consultation on RE

04/10/2019

The Welsh Government has announced that it is consulting on key potential changes to the teaching of Religious Education (RE). Read NATRE's response here.

Number of schools flouting Religious Education laws rises

27/09/2019

Half of academies without a religious character and 40 per cent of community schools are still failing to meet their legal or contractual agreements to provide Religious Education, new research NATRE has revealed.

Discovering Sacred Texts: highlights from the British Library is now online

24/09/2019

Discovering Sacred Texts is a new free British Library online learning resource, inviting visitors to explore the world’s major faiths through the Library’s extensive collection of sacred texts.

Strictly RE 2020!

23/09/2019

NATRE's national RE conference is back! Book before 31 October and get £25 off your ticket, with our early bird rate!

Massive improvement in recruitment of trainee teachers of RE

13/09/2019

We are delighted to report that based on the UCAS figures released this week, there are 505 trainee teachers of RE placed or conditionally placed which is 100 up when compared to last year.

NATRE thanks Shadow Minister of State

06/09/2019

NATRE want to thank Shadow Minister of State; Mike Kane for asking these useful questions to the Department for Education and sharing our concerns about Religious Education.

Religious Studies GCSE 2019 (part two)

24/08/2019

Data to support the writing of examination reports

Religious Studies A level 2019 (part one)

23/08/2019

Data to support the writing of examination reports

Religious Studies GCSE entries fall despite popularity among pupils

22/08/2019

The number of pupils in England and Wales taking GCSE Religious Studies full course has fallen for the third year in a row, down 1.6% against 2018 to 237,862.

Schools’ failure to meet legal requirements on RE continues to impact A-level entries

15/08/2019

The growing number of secondary schools in England and Wales that are failing to provide Religious Education to all pupils until the age of 16 is continuing to impact Religious Studies A-level entries.

The new and improved RE Today website is now live!

12/07/2019

RE Today is delighted to announce that its refreshed website is now live. The website showcases how RE Today works with schools, SACREs, Dioceses, MATs and funders supporting them with high-quality, bespoke RE consultancy services.

How satisfied are RE teachers?

02/07/2019

Looking for a career that lets you explore the big questions in life? Teaching Religious Education could be for you.

Withdrawal is "no longer required" say heads

28/06/2019

A survey, published in the British Journal of Religious Education suggests the majority of heads are in favour of abolishing the right to withdraw in RE.

AQA writes about the reports of a ‘leak’ of a GCSE RS paper

25/06/2019

Esther Zarifi, Head of Curriculum Religious Studies at AQA, writes about the reports of a ‘leak’ of a GCSE RS paper

Innovative RE project

11/06/2019

The Faith and Civil Society unit at Goldsmiths University are running a project that looks to explore and showcase good quality RE, especially approaches that are influenced by the Commission on RE report.

NATRE Chair shares his view on the new school inspection framework

04/06/2019

NATRE Chair Ben Wood and REC Chief Executive Rudolf Eliott Lockhart share their views.

Tell us why you love teaching RE and help inspire the next generation

23/05/2019

A new survey by the RE Council, NATRE and RE Today to find out why you love teaching RE.

NATRE welcomes the new Russell Group ‘Informed Choices’ website

23/05/2019

Russell Group have changed their advice on 'facilitating subjects' read more.

Start a NATRE affiliated local group

20/05/2019

Read why teaching professionals should create new Local RE Groups, or affiliate existing ones. NATRE adds gravitas, credibility and offers additional resources to RE groups.

DfE and OFSTED reiterate that RE must be taught in all schools

16/05/2019

A recent letter from the DfE to the Chair of NASACRE highlights that that RE must be taught in all schools to all pupils in all year groups.

New Ofsted Framework and its implications for RE

15/05/2019

The new education inspection framework from Ofsted was recently published along with the inspection handbook. Here we have highlighted how this will impact RE.

The summer Retoday magazine is here!

08/05/2019

NATRE members –This terms magazine looks at Religion and Animals, with heaps of professional REflections, learning activities and a variety of viewpoints.

Innovative practices in teaching about religions and worldviews

03/05/2019

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN PROJECT: The Faiths & Civil Society Unit, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the Education for Social Justice research group at London South Bank University, are launching a new project to explore and showcase innovative approaches to education about religion(s) and worldviews in schools.

Does your school want to celebrate its RE?

25/03/2019

The RE Quality Mark is a subject award scheme, managed by the RE Council. Its aim is to celebrate good RE in all schools, and to be a mechanism for whole school improvement beyond religious education, since its main focus is enhanced pedagogy.

ACCELERATE Programme Applications Closing March 31st 2019

15/03/2019

ACCELERATE is an evidence-based PD programme specifically designed for teachers beginning their careers. It offers a mix of coaching sessions, online resources and face-to-face activities. The ACCELERATE programme is fully funded by the DfE. Apply today!

Full-time PhD scholarship

13/03/2019

The National Institute of Christian Education Research (NICER) is a centre in the Faculty of Education at Canterbury Christ Church University. Our aim is to develop world-leading research in areas of interaction between Christianity and education.

NATRE Vice Chair speaks at APPG on RE

08/02/2019

NATRE were pleased that Katie Freeman, Vice Chair NATRE, was one of 4 teachers asked to speak in the Houses of Parliament to MPs, Lords and others interested in RE.

Strictly bigger and even better!

30/01/2019

In its fifth Strictly has received the biggest turnout to date! Read more to see photos of the day and captured tweets.

NATRE secondary survey is now live!

29/01/2019

NATRE secondary survey: 'Impact of curriculum change in RE' 2019 is now live!

Teachers report a lack of training to teach RE

26/01/2019

Nearly half of trainee primary teachers have had between zero and three hours of RE training, new research by the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) has revealed.

Regional Ambassadors Announced

21/01/2019

National Ambassador for RE Networks, Naomi Anstice explains the project that she will be leading for the next two years and introduces the regional ambassadors who have now been appointed.

Primary RE 1000

21/01/2019

NATRE has a new project to promote RE in one thousand of the schools where it needs to improve.The project will enable 1000 primary schools to offer ‘Better RE’ – which means: RE for thinking, creativity, standards and challenge.

DfE response to Commission on RE report – NATRE’s view

17/12/2018

The Secretary of State for Education recently replied to the Commission on RE report. The letter can be seen within this news piece, along with the RE Council response. Read more to hear NATRE’s response.

Raise the profile of the CoRE report!

29/11/2018

Many RE teachers have been contacting their MPs in response to the publication of the Commission on RE report. Another way you could raise the issue of the report with MPs is by asking students in your school to write a letter.

NATRE member honoured as secondary teacher of the year

13/11/2018

Romayne Charles, secondary teacher of RE at Higham Lane School – Nuneaton, Midlands wins the Pearson Gold Award for Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School.

NATRE Executive Committee statement on the Commission on RE report

12/11/2018

The NATRE Executive warmly welcomes the final report of the Commission on RE and strongly endorses ‘A national plan for RE’.

Wanted: Regional RE Networks Ambassador - part time contract

07/11/2018

RE Today Services and NATRE are running a 2-year project to build a national support infrastructure for Religious Education. Key to this project are 10 x part-time contracts to take the lead in each region – helping shape the project and then manage the project, budget, deliverables and reporting.

New Subject Knowledge Enhancement Programme

30/10/2018

NATRE and Culham St Gabriel’s Trust are delighted to be partnering together to offer a new 8 week/200-hour Religion and Worldviews Subject Knowledge Enhancement Programme for those entering teacher training in September 2019.

Appointment of the National RE Networks Ambassador

26/10/2018

The National RE Infrastructure Project, funded by Culham St Gabriel and The Jerusalem Trust, is delighted to announce that the key role of National RE Networks Ambassador has been awarded to Naomi Anstice.

How can you support the Commission on RE?

24/10/2018

We need your help in encouraging the government and its agencies to act on the recommendations of the report. One of the best ways you can do this is to either write to your MP, Find out more...

Student wins national art competition

18/10/2018

Scarlett Millar from Shrewsbury High School is one of the winners of national art competition ‘Spirited Arts – Art in Heaven’ held annually by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE).

GOOD NEWS: DfE extends RS teacher training bursaries

27/09/2018

NATRE is very pleased to note that the DfE is taking positive action to recruit RE teachers. An increase to £9,000 for those with a 2:2 or above is a great first step.

Wanted: National RE Networks Ambassador - part time

26/09/2018

National RE Networks Ambassador - part time RE Today Services - Birmingham, West Midlands. £250.00 per day / 1 day per week (approx.)

Support for subject leaders in writing reports on the exam performance

26/09/2018

This analysis of data gathered in a one-week survey of secondary teachers was conducted in order to support subject leaders in writing reports on the examination performance in the autumn term 2018.

Limited training provided for primary teachers of RE

23/09/2018

NATRE has been meeting with a number of MPs and raised the issue of the limited training provided for primary teachers in relation to RE.

Youth debate report 2018

20/09/2018

On Monday 9th July 2018, 80 Year 10- 12 students from schools across England came to Parliament to debate some of the key issues around the teaching of Religious Education (RE).

Shrewsbury student wins national art competition

14/09/2018

Scarlett Millar from Shrewsbury High School is one of the winners of national art competition ‘Spirited Arts – Art in Heaven’ held annually by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE).

Press release: NATRE response to the report of the Commission on RE

09/09/2018

NATRE's response to the Commission on Religious Education Final Report Religions and Worldviews: The way forward. A National Plan for RE.

Extended NATRE response to the Commission Report

09/09/2018

Extended NATRE response to the Commission Report. Link to the report is included.

NATRE calls on the DfE to hold secondary schools to account

07/09/2018

A report from NATRE which analyes the school workforce data, collected in November 2016 by the Department for Education.

Warning of ‘factory-farmed kids’ as curriculum narrows with EBacc

23/08/2018

GCSE entries to subjects outside the Government’s EBacc school performance measure slide.

Falling numbers of Religious Studies GCSE entries suggests schools struggling to meet legal obligations

23/08/2018

The number of pupils in England and Wales taking GCSE Religious Studies full course has fallen for the second year in a row, down 10.4% against 2017 to 241,749.

What I think about Religious Studies...

22/08/2018

A student from Haslingdon High School shares his experience of studying GCSE RS.

Religious Studies A level entries decline by 22.8% as the subject is squeezed out of the curriculum

16/08/2018

MEDIA RELEASE Concerns cited by the Religious Education Council and NATRE over the effects this will have on society in modern Britain.

A new settlement revised: Religion and Belief in schools

18/07/2018

A report by Professor Linda Woodhead and Charles Clarke suggesting that our more diverse society makes reform to current legislation even more overdue.

England’s young people challenge MPs

12/07/2018

School students debated relevance of religious education in Westminster. 80 students from across England travelled to Parliament on Monday 9 July for the second Youth Debate on the role of religious education in schools.

Amanda Spielman's speech to the Policy Exchange

11/07/2018

The speech is a reminder that all pupils (unless they are withdrawn by parents) in all schools should be taught RE.

Sharing free RS GCSE revision resources

26/06/2018

Seneca is a social enterprise that offers free revision and homework to over 130,000 students.

Why schools should pay careful attention to the school workforce census

18/06/2018

In response to our State of the Nation report in September 2017, the DfE has taken some small steps to improve schools’ accountability for their Religious Education. In May 2018, the detail of what schools including academies must publish online was amended slightly to ensure there was absolutely clarity that Religious Education must be included in the published curriculum.

Why SACREs should pay careful attention

18/06/2018

In response to our State of the Nation report in September 2017, the DfE has taken some small steps to improve schools’ accountability for their Religious Education.

Non-Ebacc subjects see a decline in exam entries

11/06/2018

On 30th May Ofqual published provisional figures for entries in public examinations in Summer 2018.

Just a quick hello...

08/06/2018

Just a quick hello... From Ben Wood, Chair of NATRE, Head of RE and Subject Leader for Religious Studies at Haslingden High School

Greater clarity for Academies in relation to RE?

29/05/2018

At the end of March 2018, minister for schools; Nick Gibb MP responded to a parliamentary question about RE. NATRE has received clarification of his response.

Withdrawal survey – share your experience

21/05/2018

A further survey has been launched to gather more data on this phenomenon. Liverpool Hope University are inviting RE teachers and school leaders to share their experiences.

New2RE programme September 2018

10/05/2018

Are you likely to be a newly qualified secondary RE teacher in September 2018? Are you keen to extend your repertoire of strategies for teaching RE? Would support with deepening subject knowledge be helpful as you teach six religions and non-religious worldviews? Would you value having an experienced RE teacher/leader as a personal mentor? If so, you'll be pleased to hear about the New2RE programme from the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE).

NATRE Primary survey 2018

30/04/2018

We have launched our bi-annual NATRE Primary survey. The data from this survey is crucial to help NATRE plan how to support our primary teachers.

DfE offers support to SACREs

18/04/2018

NATRE is pleased that the Department for Education has offered support for SACREs facing financial and other challenges in meeting their statutory duties.

Job opportunity: RE Adviser wanted

13/04/2018

We are seeking a full-time specialist Religious Education Adviser to complement the work of our well-respected RE Team.

Parents 'abusing right to withdraw children from RE lessons'

12/04/2018

NATRE has become increasingly concerned about reports that the use of the legal right of parents and guardians to withdraw their children selectively from parts of RE; especially from trips to mosques, synagogues and other places of worship has been becoming more common.

How RE lessons can reduce prejudice and improve community relations

09/04/2018

With hate crime on the rise in UK schools, researchers are calling for schools and policy makers to adopt new approaches to reduce prejudice and foster positive community relations.

Answer from Nick Gibb, Schools Minister

27/03/2018

Is this answer from Nick Gibb, Schools Minister, to a question by Stephen Timms MP an encouragement to people and SACREs to complain if schools aren’t providing statutory RE?

Profile of Religious Education raised in revised Academy Funding Agreements

27/03/2018

We are delighted to report that following our negotiations, the DfE has raised the profile of Religious Education in the revised academy funding agreements published today.

RE in Ofsted reports

21/03/2018

NATRE are pleased to note an increase in mentions of RE in Ofsted reports this term. Three examples included.

Religious Education in the media!

16/02/2018

Some excellent media coverage this morning supporting the Beyond the Ordinary recruitment campaign on two fronts – highlighting the need for greater Government support for RE teacher recruitment and showcasing the career path to potential candidates.

Chronic shortage of RE teachers in schools

16/02/2018

Campaign aims to attract RE teachers to boost religious literacy and combat stereotypes

Strictly RE is growing!

29/01/2018

Year on year Strictly RE is growing with even more RE professionals attending the NATRE national conference to be inspired. Read more to see photos of the day and captured tweets.

20% off Teach RE course

28/01/2018

Are you a NATRE member? Apply to take any Teach:RE course before 31 August 2018, and we will reduce the fee by 20%.

Call for contributors!

16/01/2018

Could YOU offer a Workshop, Seminar, Talk or Paper at our 20:20 RE Conference?

NATRE Vice Chair speaks on BBC Radio 4

20/11/2017

Secondary Vice-Chair; Ben Wood and Exeter University's Rob Freathy discuss the recent Big Ideas in RE project on BBC Radio 4 Sunday morning programme.

25 schools put the Archbishop’s under the spotlight

16/11/2017

Leicester Diocese asked RE Today to host a live webinar with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

#REchatUK: ‘Chatting to the RE commissioners'

07/11/2017

#REchatUK took place on Monday 06 November 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

RE Teaching: Beyond the Ordinary

30/10/2017

A campaign to attract more trainees to take up secondary Religious Education PGCEs.

Dispelling some myths about SACRE funding

26/10/2017

NATRE members who serve on SACREs often contact us about problems with funding. There seems to be a certain amount of misinformation being shared suggesting that Local Authorities no longer receive funding for SACREs and Agreed Syllabus Conferences. This is simply not true.

Spirited Arts 2017 gallery is now live!

13/10/2017

We would like to thank all of the schools, teachers and pupils for taking the time to enter their pupils’ work for the 2017 Art in Heaven competition. Congratulations to all the winners this year.

NATRE complaint to the Secretary of State for Education results in a school reinstating Agreed Syllabus RE.

06/10/2017

This report describes the outcomes of a complaint NATRE made against a school with the aim that all pupils on the roll would receive their entitlement to RE as described by the local Agreed Syllabus.

Interim report from the Commission on RE (CORE)

21/09/2017

NATRE are pleased to note that CORE has produced a substantial interim report of their work. This uses much evidence from the State of the Nation report, published by the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE), the Religious Education Council and RE Today on September 18th.

800,000 secondary pupils lose out on religious literacy

18/09/2017

No Religious Education (RE) taught in a quarter of all state secondary schools, raising serious implications for community cohesion and inclusivity

NATRE campaign for high quality provision for RE

18/09/2017

Take a look at our 'must-read' reports where we are continuing to support teachers by highlighting the issues that impact on the teaching of Religious Education.

Media coverage from the State of the Nation report

18/09/2017

A brief round-up of the media coverage from the State of the Nation report.

NATRE speaks to BBC Radio Berkshire about GCSE RE

29/08/2017

In case you missed you can catch the recent interview with Ed Pawson, former Chair of NATRE Chair, who was interviewed on BBC radio on the Sunday morning breakfast show.

IMPORTANT message for ALL NATRE members

25/08/2017

Introducing a new way to access your termly mailing resources If you are a NATRE member you will shortly be receiving your termly mailing of REtoday magazine and curriculum book(s). To make things easier for you, we have created a space on the NATRE website for you to easily access your eResources.

26 short films for 11-14s in the ‘A-Z of Religion’

24/08/2017

New RE programmes from BBC for 11-14s

Falling numbers of Religious Studies GCSE entries suggests schools struggling to meet legal obligations

24/08/2017

The number of pupils in England and Wales taking GCSE Religious Studies full course has fallen for the first time in more than a decade, down 4.6% against 2016 to 269,839.

BBC interview with an RS teacher on the recent A level results

21/08/2017

Entries for Religious Studies A level remain high with the fastest growth among arts, humanities and social sciences

Entries for Religious Studies A level remain high with the fastest growth among arts, humanities and social sciences

17/08/2017

The key outcomes of the 2017 A level results in England and Wales for Religious Education are as follows:

Government consultation response: Implementing the English Baccalaureate

20/07/2017

NATRE notes the long awaited response to the Government consultation on the English Baccalaureate.

‘How do we teach pupils to be religiously literate about Islam? What do they need to know?’

04/07/2017

#REchatUK took place on Monday 03 July 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Class of 2017!

29/06/2017

On Saturday 17 June, 17 secondary teachers of RE graduated from NATRE's New2RE programme, making that a total of 70 teachers who have benefited from the scheme.

BBC Sunday radio interview with headteacher, Tina Newton

15/06/2017

Tina Newton, Headteacher from Church of England St Denys Infant school, in Leicestershire, and also regional Chair of the Standing Advisory Council on RE (SACRE) spoke to the BBC about whether RE can help prevent radicalisation?

#REchatUK:'What can RE learn from cognitive psychology? Memory, remembering and learning’

12/06/2017

#REchatUK took place on Monday 12 June 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

JOB VACANCY: Customer Operations Manager

07/06/2017

RE Today have a very exciting opportunity; they are looking to recruit a permanent Customer Operations Manager to join the team.

JOB VACANCY: Finance Manager

05/06/2017

RE Today have a very exciting opportunity; they are looking to recruit a permanent Finance Manager to join the team.

NEW: RE films from the BBC

05/06/2017

New from the BBC for 4–7s: Religions of the World is a series of ten animated ‘Octonaut-style’ stories from six different world religions.

NEW: RE films from the BBC plus resources

05/06/2017

New from the BBC for 4–7s: Religions of the World is a series of ten animated ‘Octonaut-style’ stories from six different world religions.

The votes are in!

09/05/2017

The new NATRE executive committee are as follows...

#REchatUK:'How do we teach pupils to be religiously literate about Judaism? What do they need to know?’

08/05/2017

#REchatUK took place on Monday 08 May at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Withdrawal from RE

28/04/2017

NATRE position on the right to withdraw children from RE lessons.

#REchatUK: 'What makes for excellent assessment in RE?'

24/04/2017

#REchatUK took place on Monday 25 April at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

NATRE & RE Council's joint statement on Religious Education and the 2017 General Election

21/04/2017

With the General Election fewer than 50 days away, and political parties hurrying to put together their manifestos, here are four things that we would like to see them include in order to help ensure that all pupils are able to have high quality religious education...

RE teachers' beliefs about Religion and RE

23/03/2017

Are you currently teaching Religious Education in a school? If so, we are really interested in your thoughts.

New2RE programme September 2017

14/03/2017

Are you likely to be a newly qualified secondary RE teacher in September 2017? Are you keen to extend your repertoire of strategies for teaching RE? Would support with deepening subject knowledge be helpful as you teach six religions and non-religious worldviews? Would you value having an experienced RE teacher/leader as a personal mentor? If so, you'll be pleased to hear about the New2RE programme from the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE).

Ofsted are continuing to highlight RE in reports

10/03/2017

We are delighted that Ofsted are continuing to highlight religious education (RE) in their reporting on primary and secondary schools. Here we highlight a range of comments from recent reports.

#REchatUK 'How do we teach pupils to be religiously literate about Christianity? What do they need to know?'

06/03/2017

#REchatUK took place on Monday 06 March at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Challenging proposals to reduce RE provision

02/03/2017

A teacher of RE recently asked NATRE for assistance on how they should go about challenging the changes to RE being proposed by the head teacher of their school.

'How can you successfully incorporate visits and visitors into RE? What do they add to our subject?’

06/02/2017

#REchatUK took place on Monday 6 February January at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

RE State of the Nation research

02/02/2017

This is a formal request for information around the provision of Religious Education (RE) in your school, as part of the first nationwide project to collect information on RE in all ~4,500 state-funded secondary schools in England and Wales.

5 things you can do to support RE teacher recruitment

31/01/2017

Now in its third year of the Beyond the Ordinary RE Teacher recruitment campaign. This year Teach:RE are working with extremely limited funds and would value your support in promoting RE teaching as a job ‘beyond the ordinary’!

Strictly RE 2017 - sell out success!

31/01/2017

This years Strictly RE was a great success! Read more to see photos of the day and captured tweets.

Chartered College of Teaching has been launched!

18/01/2017

NATRE members get £10 off!

A Religious Education first from the REC and NATRE

16/01/2017

Research project to drive development of secondary RE for next generation

Want to get involved in the NATRE Executive?

09/01/2017

Our current Executive Committee ends its terms of office at the end of February 2018, and this term we are seeking nominations from serving RE teachers to work on this national body for three years from March 2018 – February 2021. We will elect up to 8 primary teachers and 8 secondary teachers.

NATRE on BBC Three Counties Radio

09/01/2017

Juliet Lyal Vice Chair of the NATRE Executive Committee gives her view on whether or not Religious Education should be taught in Schools.

#REchatUK 'How do we teach pupils to be ‘religiously’ literate about non-religious worldviews?

09/01/2017

#REchatUK took place on Monday 09 January at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Motion for Conference Concerning Religious Education: REtain RE [motion 40]

05/01/2017

The NASUWT shares NATREs concerns about the increasing non-compliance of schools regarding the teaching RE. There is a motion up for selection for the NASUWT annual conference to enlist the union's support in strengthening the compliance of teaching RE in schools.

NEW tour to support your teaching of British Values

03/01/2017

Westminster Abbey Education Department has launched a new tour for KS2 and KS3 to support the promotion of British Values in primary and secondary schools.

The Commission on Religious Education Call for Evidence

03/01/2017

The Commission on Religious Education (CoRE) is an independent body that was established to review the legal, education, and policy frameworks for religious education (RE) and to make evidence-based recommendations for policy makers and educationalists to consider.

Over 2,300 teachers have been trained using the 'Understanding Christianity' resource

12/12/2016

Understanding Christianity is a new resource which seeks to develop and enhance the quality of teaching about Christianity in RE in all schools, raising the standards of pupil achievement.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK December

08/12/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 5 December at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

2016 Spirited Arts Gallery is now live!

02/12/2016

Check out this year's winners and commended entries.

Concerns over non-compliance in RE

02/12/2016

As readers will be aware NATRE has been in discussion with senior officials from OFSTED to highlight issues of concern to teachers of RE including non-compliance in the teaching of Religious Education in schools and academies. NATRE has recently noticed possible signs that our concerns are being taken more seriously although we are not yet at the point where we can say that an Ofsted inspection will automatically identify issues with RE.

NATRE Exec Member and former Chair receives OBE

28/11/2016

On the 11 October, Deborah Weston received her OBE from HRH Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, for services to Religious Education, and inter and intra-faith dialogue.

New Guidance on Assessment in RE

28/11/2016

Based on a series of expert summits, hosted by Culham St Gabriel’s, on assessment after levels in RE, Dave Francis has produced the following guidance documents on assessment for RE:ONLINE.

Final opportunity for your school to get £3,375+

28/11/2016

This is the last chance for your school to get over £3,375 of funding,* free training, support from a Global Learning Programme's Local Advisor and full access to the vast bank of materials available on the GLP website.

RE Prefects have a Theology Taster Day at the Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University

28/11/2016

RE Prefect Beatrice Duffett shares her experience of a Theology Taster day at Cambridge University ...

Funding continues for Locally Agreed Syllabuses for RE

15/11/2016

The Government have promised to continue to provide funding for Local Authorities to produce Locally Agreed Syllabus for RE

The Secretary of State for Education supports RE

12/11/2016

NATRE, RE Today and the REC were pleased to be visited by the Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for Education, Minister for Women and Equalities, at this year’s Conservative party conference.

BBC Radio Manchester interviews Fiona Moss

11/11/2016

Catch up on BBC Radio Manchester’s interview with Fiona Moss, NATRE Executive Officer and RE Today Adviser last Sunday (6 November)

Latest conversation on #REchatUK November

07/11/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 7 November at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Scholarships for teachers of RE & Headteachers

27/10/2016

The Farmington Institute scholarships are now open to UK secondary and primary school teachers, teachers of RE to children with Special Educational Needs, and Headteachers.

Words Beyond Words - a great success!

11/10/2016

Over 140 RE teachers, advisers, academics and others interested in RE gathered from across the UK over the weekend in Blackburn to attend the Words Beyond Words Religious Education conference.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK October

10/10/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 3 October at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

NATRE at the Conservative party conference

07/10/2016

NATRE, RE Today and the RE Council are pleased to work together at the Conservative party conference.

NATRE raising the profile of RE

30/09/2016

NATRE waves the flag for Religious Education at the Labour and Conservative party conference this year.

An analysis of the provision for RE in Primary Schools

30/09/2016

This is an analysis of the data gathered from a questionnaire on primary religious education conducted by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE). Autumn Term 2016

September UCAS figures have been published

29/09/2016

The September UCAS figures have been published, giving the anticipated PGCE starter number for 2016/17. Actual take-up will be reported at the end of October, closing this cycle.

Funding boost to promote inter-religious and cultural dialogue

27/09/2016

The National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) and the University of Bristol have successfully won two research bids for a joint project exploring better ways of promoting inter-religious and cultural dialogue in the classroom.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK September

13/09/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 12 September at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Media coverage on GCSE RE

01/09/2016

Read the media coverage we have received, as a result of our recent press release on this years GCSE results.

Why I chose RS at GCSE?

26/08/2016

Student from Groby Community College, Leicestershire, talks about her experience in studying Religious Studies.

Highest number of entries for full course GCSE in Religious Studies since 2002

25/08/2016

The number of pupils in England and Wales taking the GCSE Religious Studies full course is at its highest since 2002.

Entries for Religious Studies A level rising faster than for any other arts, humanity or social science

18/08/2016

The key outcomes of the 2016 A level results in England and Wales for Religious Education are as follows.

Reflection on the new A level specifications

26/07/2016

Observations and reflections on the final A level specifications.

England’s young people challenge MPs with fresh ideas on RE

14/07/2016

Over 60 students from across England came together this week at the Houses of Parliament for the inaugural Youth Debate on the role of religious education in schools.

In case you missed #REdebate2016

14/07/2016

Tweets captured from yesterday's RE debate 2016, where over 60 students from across England came together at the Houses of Parliament for the inaugural Youth Debate on the role of religious education in schools.

Young people share their view of RE on air!

12/07/2016

Young people talk about RE on Radio 4 and BBC Radio Nottingham.

Young people take fresh ideas on RE to Parliament

11/07/2016

A group of around 70 students from schools across the country will travel to Westminster on Wednesday 13th July to take part in a debate at the Houses of Parliament.

The REC have launched an independent Commission on RE

08/07/2016

Independent Commission to make wide-ranging recommendations for change within Religious Education in schools.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK July

05/07/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 4 July at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

New RS Exams: Update

28/06/2016

Update from the awarding organisations of GCSE and A level Religious Studies – 28 June 2016

New RS Exams: Update

14/06/2016

Update from the awarding organisations of GCSE and A level Religious Studies – 14 June 2016

New to RE? Only a few places left, don't miss out

13/06/2016

Will you be new to secondary RE in September 2016? If so you’ll be pleased to hear about our 'New to RE' programme.

New to RE? Only a few places left!

13/06/2016

Will you be new to secondary RE in September 2016? If so you’ll be pleased to hear about our 'New to RE' programme.

NATRE exec member to receive OBE in Queen's Birthday honours

11/06/2016

NATRE Executive Steering Group member Deborah Weston has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours for services to Religious Education, inter and intra-faith dialogue.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK June

07/06/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 6 June at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

New RS Exams: Update

06/06/2016

Update from the awarding organisations of GCSE and A level Religious Studies – 6 June 2016

Understanding Christianity- Launch

27/05/2016

May 26 saw the launch of an exciting new resource 'Understanding Christianity' at Lambeth Palace.

Teaching non-religious worldviews

24/05/2016

Over the past weeks and months several documents offering guidance on the teaching of non-religious worldviews have been circulated.

#REchatUK on A level specifications

24/05/2016

An extra #REchatUK took place on 23 May to discuss the new A level specifications.

New RS Exams: Update

17/05/2016

Update from the awarding organisations of GCSE and A level Religious Studies – 23 May 2016

Latest conversation on #REchatUK May

10/05/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 9 May at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

BBC Radio 5 Live- Interview

03/05/2016

Listen to former NATRE chair Ed Pawson debating with Keith Porteous-Wood about RE in schools on BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday 1:19:50 in to programme.

Beyond the Ordinary update- May 2016

03/05/2016

Secondary RE PGCE applications are now up by around 40% year-on-year! It’s a fantastic achievement for the Beyond the Ordinary campaign, and we can be pleased by NATRE’s contribution to this success.

REtoday summer mailing

14/04/2016

This terms REtoday summer mailing will be posted out to all members the week beginning 2 May. This is slightly later than usual due to the earlier Easter break.

Essentials of dialogue - a free resource for educators

13/04/2016

Face to Faith have launched a series of free resources for secondary schools.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK April

12/04/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 11 April at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

RE PGCE Figures 2016- Update

01/04/2016

RE PGCE Figures March 2016

REC joint statement with NATRE on the APPG on RE

01/04/2016

On 8th March the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Religious Education met in order to discuss changes to its purpose statement.

New RS Exams: Update

23/03/2016

Update from the awarding organisations of GCSE Religious Studies – March 2016

Latest conversation on #REchatUK March

08/03/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 7 March at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Teacher Focus Groups- Ofqual

03/03/2016

Details of Teacher Focus Groups being organised by Ofqual.

March Madness!

03/03/2016

For the month of March we have a special offer exclusively for NATRE members.

NATRE on Premier Radio

23/02/2016

NATRE Executive Officer and RE Today Adviser Fiona Moss was interviewed for Premier Radio on Monday 22 February

Trainee RE teacher applications soar - Press release

22/02/2016

RE teacher recruitment far outperforms other subjects as Beyond the Ordinary campaign makes impact

New RS Exams: Update

16/02/2016

Update from the awarding organisations of GCSE Religious Studies – February 2016

Ofsted RE National Lead announcement

10/02/2016

Ofsted have announced the appointment of two HMI with shared responsibility for the RE National Lead Position.

Beyond the Ordinary- Teacher recruitment update

05/02/2016

Beyond the Ordinary- Teacher recruitment campaign update

NATRE Secondary Survey 2015

04/02/2016

An analysis of a Survey of teachers on the impact of government policy on student opportunity to study GCSE Religious Studies.

Strictly RE 2016

04/02/2016

Strictly RE 2016 was a great success. Find out more about the day and read the tweets from #StrictlyRE

Latest conversation on #REchatUK February

02/02/2016

#REchatUK took place on Monday 1 February at 8pm-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK January

12/01/2016

The first REchatUK of 2016 took place on Monday 11 January at 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

2016 NATRE Primary Survey

04/01/2016

NATRE is conducting this survey to obtain information about the current state of RE in all types of schools for Primary age children.

NATRE office Christmas opening hours

22/12/2015

NATRE office opening hours over the Christmas period

New RS Exams: Update

18/12/2015

Update from the awarding organisations of GCSE Religious Studies – December 2015

Latest conversation on #REchatUK December

09/12/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 7 December 2015 at 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

New primary resource!

09/12/2015

A Christmas Unit of Work for Upper Key Stage 2 produced by 'The RE-searchers'.

Commission on Religion and Belief in Public life recognizes the “vital” role of religious education

07/12/2015

Living with Difference, the report of the Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life, makes an important contribution to the growing debate over the future of religious education.

NATRE on BBC radio!

02/12/2015

On Friday 27 November, NATRE Executive member Ed Pawson was interviewed by BBC Hereford and Worcestershire to discuss the RE for REal report.

Promoting and delivering RS effectively at Key Stage 4- Making the case effectively with Senior Leadership

01/12/2015

This document has been put together by NATRE Executive to support you as you make the case for examination Religious studies.

Major report highlights wide support for Religious Education in schools

26/11/2015

Today the Faiths & Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London release a major new report on RE in secondary schools.

RS GCSE JUDICIAL REVIEW 2015

25/11/2015

NATRE sought clarification from the Department for Education on today’s High Court ruling on GCSE Religious Studies and non-religious worldviews.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK November

03/11/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 2 November 2015 at 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Farmington Scholarships for Teachers of Religious Education

27/10/2015

Applications are now open for the 2016-17 Farmington Scholarships for Teachers of RE.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK October

06/10/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 5 October 2015 at 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Media and School visit toolkits for RE Teachers

01/10/2015

Created by PR agency 3:nine on behalf of NATRE, Religious Education Council and RE Today; these toolkits offer RE teachers tools and guidance on media coverage and MP school visits.

Free event: What should young people leave school knowing about religion and belief?

29/09/2015

Free event on Thursday 26 November to launch a new national study of teaching and learning about religion and belief in schools in England.

NATRE Local Groups Meetings

28/09/2015

Details of NATRE Local Groups meetings taking place across the country this Autumn term.

We're moving!

24/09/2015

Over the next couple of days NATRE will be moving offices.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK September

15/09/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 14 September 2015 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

New RS Exams: Draft specifications

10/09/2015

The four awarding organisations have released their draft assessment specifications for GCSE and A Level Religious Studies.

New RS Exams: Accreditation timeline

10/09/2015

A timeline of the process for the specifications for the Religious Studies GCSE and A-level.

NATRE on BBC Radio!

24/08/2015

On Sunday 23 August, NATRE Executive members Ben Wood and Ed Pawson were interviewed by BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Leicester to discuss Religious Studies A Level and GCSE results.

Full course GCSE Religious Studies entries rise, but number of schools with no RS students at all is increasing

20/08/2015

The number of pupils in England and Wales taking GCSE Religious Studies full course has risen again this year, up 5.3% against 2014 to 283,756. This echoes the increase in A Level entries, which are up 6.5% this year compared with 2014.

NATRE on BBC Radio Oxford

17/08/2015

On Sunday 16 August, NATRE Executive member Ben Wood was interviewed by BBC Radio Oxford to discuss the Religious Studies A Level results.

Entries for Religious Studies A level rising faster than for any other arts, humanity or social science

13/08/2015

The key outcomes of the 2015 A level results in England and Wales for Religious Education are as follows.

Does RE work: Small scale practitioner inquiry funding

12/08/2015

The book based on the AHRC/ESRC “Does Religious Education Work?” won the Society for Educational Studies book prize and the research team have donated the prize money of £1,000 to NATRE to fund a small-scale practitioner inquiry into one of the themes raised by the project.

Examination Reform: CPD opportunities

06/08/2015

The four awarding organisations have released details on upcoming CPD opportunities on the new Religious Studies GCSE.

New RS Exams: more information for teachers

05/08/2015

Lots of new materials from the different awarding bodies about their new examination specifications have been released today.

Professor John Hull - Funeral Arrangements

05/08/2015

Following the passing of Professor John Hull on 28 July, his funeral will be held on Monday 17 August.

RE Today Autumn CPD Courses

28/07/2015

View the RE Today CPD timetable for the Autumn term.

New2RE: Places still available!

21/07/2015

Will you be new to secondary RE in September 2015? If so you’ll be pleased to hear about our 'New to RE' programme.

2015 NATRE Secondary Survey- Deadline approaching!

08/07/2015

NATRE has launched its annual survey on RE in secondary schools in England and urges all those who teach RE to complete it.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK July

07/07/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 6 July 2015 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Examination Reform 2015: Your one-stop shop for all the materials published so far

30/06/2015

Draft specifications for GCSE and A level RS will be submitted to Ofqual for accreditation in the first week of August 2015.

New2RE? Find the best support for your start here!

29/06/2015

Will you be new to secondary RE in September 2015? If so you’ll be pleased to hear about our 'New to RE' programme.

Westminster Faith Debates Report

15/06/2015

Today saw the release of a new report by Charles Clarke and Linda Woodhead on the proposals for the reform of religion and belief in schools.

Buddhism Module for Key Stage Three launched - University Learning in Schools Project

05/06/2015

Achievement for All and the Brilliant Club launch event for new modules and learning resources for KS3 teachers in London on 2 July.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK June

02/06/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 1 June 2015 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

2015 NATRE Secondary Survey

02/06/2015

NATRE has launched its annual survey on RE in secondary schools in England and urges all those who teach RE to complete it.

Impact of Government Policy on GCSE Religious Studies

28/05/2015

NATRE report on the impact of government policy on GCSE entry patterns for Religious Studies short and full course.

RE: Beyond the Ordinary campaign gets picked up by the BBC!

15/05/2015

BBC East Midlands feature the new RE: Beyond the Ordinary campaign.

RE: Reviving and Thriving #NATRENorth Twitter Chat

11/05/2015

RE: Reviving and Thriving took place on 9 & 10 May. Read the Twitter chat #NATRENorth

RE Thinking Days 2015

07/05/2015

March and April's 'RE Thinking Days' organised by Culham St Gabriels Trust, gave RE practitioners the opportunity to discuss their visions for RE in 2020.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK May

05/05/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 4 May 2015 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

Visits and visitors in RE

01/05/2015

With the current interest in visits to places of worship teachers may find this guidance document useful.

'Beyond the Ordinary' campaign gets picked up by the BBC

15/04/2015

Kate Christopher, RE Today Adviser and Neil McKain, Member of NATRE Executive Committee were interviewed by local BBC radio stations around the country to talk about the Beyond the Ordinary campaign.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK April

14/04/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 13 April 2015 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

WANTED: Digital Communications and PR Manager

01/04/2015

MATERNITY COVER – up to 12 month fixed term contract Salary: £25,000 – £28,500 (depending on skills and experience) Birmingham

Ask your Prospective Parliamentary candidates to sign the pledge!

26/03/2015

As we approach the general election prospective Parliamentary candidates are happy to listen to the views of the voter. This is a good opportunity to ask candidates in your area to sign the 'Make Religious Education Flourish' pledge.

Did you miss it? Catch it on BBC Learning Zone

25/03/2015

More episodes of BBC Two's ‘Watch My Life, My Religion’ available on BBC learning Zone.

RE Teaching: Beyond the Ordinary

23/03/2015

When was the last time someone asked: “So what do you do?” “I teach RE” will spark a reaction. Just as the subject itself generates positive reactions and inspires school children of all ages. Beyond the Ordinary is a new campaign to find extraordinary individuals who have what it takes to train to become RE teachers.

Don't miss out - 5 new RE programmes on the BBC

18/03/2015

Lat Blaylock RE Today Adviser, has been working over the last few months with the BBC on 5 new RE programmes for 7-11s. Will be featured w/c 23 March - Don't miss out!

Latest conversation on #REchatUK March

03/03/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 2 March 2015 8-9pm. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

The great debate - new GCSE for Philosophy

02/03/2015

Catch up on the debate between Professor AC Grayling and Professor Robert Jackson about a new GCSE for Philosophy.

Have your say - Newly Qualified Teacher Survey 2015

25/02/2015

The 2015 Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) Survey, on the quality of initial teacher training, opened on Monday 9 February 2015. It is aimed at NQTs who successfully completed their training in England during 2014. Complete the survey by 2 March and have a chance of winning an iPad Air 2.

NATRE welcomes release of exam criteria

12/02/2015

The National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) welcomes the release of the examination criteria for GCSE and A level in Religious Studies.

Religious education classes 'needed' in schools

03/02/2015

The BBC featured an article on Strictly RE Conference and the importance of RE.

Great turn-out for Strictly RE!

02/02/2015

The first-ever NATRE national conference was a great success! Read more to see photos of the day and captured tweets.

NATRE Survey 2014

02/02/2015

Access the most recent NATRE survey here.

Win £600 for your School and a bursary of £600 for you!

30/01/2015

The Hockerill Educational Foundation and NATRE have joined forces to provide the educational world of Primary and Secondary education with a prize which recognises the work and dedication of all those who teach Religious Education.

Funding available to pay for supply cover

27/01/2015

Teachers who wish to attend meetings during the day often decline these opportunities through a reluctance to place strain on their school’s finances. A ‘Leadership Fund’ is now available for practising RE teachers.

Getting to Good in Primary RE

19/01/2015

Culham St Gabriel’s Trust is looking to appoint two part-time consultants to help reach primary schools.

Lord Nash writes to SACREs

08/01/2015

Letter from Lord Nash regarding the work of SACREs

Latest conversation on #REchatUK

06/01/2015

REchatUK took place on Monday 5 January 2015 8-9pm. This month's topic looked at Teaching contentious issues in RE. If you missed it you can catch up on the discussion here.

What do graduates in Theology/Religious Studies do?

11/12/2014

New statistics are available for those of you promoting the study of Religious Studies at A level or as the focus of a degree.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK

02/12/2014

#REchatUK took place on Monday 1 December 2014 8-9pm. If you missed it and want to catch up on the discussion on you can see it here.

Consultation on GCSE RS annex on Humanism

02/12/2014

!The British Humanist Association are seeking feedback on an Annex on Humanism that has been drafted by RE experts to be submitted for inclusion in the new GCSE religious studies subject content.

NATRE talks to the BBC about teaching sacred text

24/11/2014

On Sunday 23rd November Daniel Hugill, NATRE Executive member and Secondary School RE teacher was interviewed 11 times on local radio stations around the country. These interviews followed the Bible Society's recent report on the teaching of sacred text www.biblesociety.org.uk/news/more-sacred-texts-in-schools-would-help-children-love-thy-neighbour-as-yourself-say-teachers/

In case you missed it #REchatUK on draft GCSE reform

18/11/2014

The collection of tweets from last night's #REchatUk on the proposed GCSE/A level RS Exam criteria.

@NATREupdate #REChatUK Questions

18/11/2014

These questions are a record of the questions asked during #rechatuk on #reconsult.

Examination Reform in Religious Studies 2014 – Frequently asked questions

17/11/2014

What do you think about the reform of GCSE and A level Religious Studies exams? We want to hear what you have to say and so NATRE will be hosting an extraordinary #REchatUK on Twitter on Monday 17 November at 8pm -9pm.

NATRE welcomes exam reform consultation

07/11/2014

The National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) welcomes the consultation on the reform of criteria for GCSE and A level examinations in Religious Studies.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK

04/11/2014

#REchatUK took place on Monday 4 November 2014 8-9pm. If you missed it and want to catch up on the discussion on you can see it here.

RE: definitely, massively, totally thriving

28/10/2014

Secondary school teacher and NATRE member shares is view on teaching RE.

2014 Spirited Arts Gallery is now live!

23/10/2014

Check out this year's winners and commended entries.

Winners of the 2014 Hockerill Prize are ...

22/10/2014

NATRE and The Hockerill Foundation are pleased to announce the 2014 Prize Winners.

Get your copy of Reform magazine

22/10/2014

Reform, a magazine of religious comment, reflection and debate is making free copies available to RE teachers for use in schools. The magazine, published monthly by the United Reformed Church, is a forum for discussion across a range of ethical and theological issues.

The relaunch of RE:Quest

21/10/2014

NATRE were recently invited to attend the relaunch of RE:Quest

New bursary support secured for RE teacher trainees

07/10/2014

A new commitment from the Department for Education to restore bursaries for prospective RE teachers has been welcomed by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) and the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE).

Latest conversation on #REchatUK

06/10/2014

#REchatUK took place on Monday 6 October 2014 8-9pm. If you missed it and want to catch up on the discussion on you can see it here.

RE 4 Real – What do school leavers really need to know about religion and belief?

25/09/2014

The Faiths & Civil Society Unit (FCSU) at Goldsmiths, University of London is undertaking a cutting-edge project to explore what school leavers really need to know and understand about religion and belief in the contemporary world.

RE is on the map at the political party conferences

24/09/2014

This year for the first time ever there are stands showcasing RE to MPs, parliamentary candidates and party activists at the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Party conferences.

REtoday Restyled

17/09/2014

REtoday has a new look, check it out.

A new adviser joins RE Today

12/09/2014

RE Today are really pleased to announce the appointment of Julia Diamond-Conway as its new national adviser.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK

10/09/2014

#REchatUK took place on Monday 8 September 2014 8-9pm. If you missed it and want to catch up on the discussion on you can see it here.

Urgent action needed to curb GCSE Religious Studies decline

21/08/2014

The key outcomes of the 2014 GCSE results in England and Wales for Religious Educationare as follows ...

Religious Studies A level entries prove subject ‘is great preparation for university'

14/08/2014

Key outcomes of the 2014 A level results in England for Religious Education are as follows ...

Helping teachers interpret the DfE standards in relation to RE

15/07/2014

This is a support tool to help individual teachers interpret the DfE standards in relation to RE. It could be used for self audit or in the context of professional development.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK

08/07/2014

#REchatUK took place on Monday 7 July 2014 8-9pm. If you missed it and want to catch up on the discussion on you can see it here.

Impact of Government policy on GCSE RS

20/06/2014

Two elements of government policy since 2010 have been described as having ‘unintended negative consequences for Religious Education’. The first of these was the English Baccalaureate introduced in 2010.

2014 NATRE Secondary Survey

13/06/2014

NATRE has launched its annual survey on RE in secondary schools in England and urges all those who teach RE to complete it.

A new adviser joins RE Today: introducing Kate Christopher

04/06/2014

We’re really pleased to announce the appointment of Kate Christopher as RE Today’s new National Adviser.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK ‘Creative approaches to RE’

03/06/2014

#REchatUK took place on Monday 2 June 2014 8 - 9pm. If you missed it and want to catch up on the discussion on ‘Creative approaches to RE ’ you can see it here.

The new EAG meetings are underway

01/06/2014

An excited group of teachers gathered on Saturday 10 May in London and Monday 12 May in Birmingham for the first meeting of the new expert advisory groups (EAG) for RE convened by the REC.

New2RE? Find the best support for your start here!

29/05/2014

Will you be new to secondary RE in September 2014? If so you’ll be pleased to hear about our 'New to RE' programme.

NATRE joins the Global Learning Programme (GLP)

29/05/2014

NATRE are pleased to be partners in the Global Learning Programme (GLP) along with several other subject associations.

'Respect for ALL' at Aston Villa FC

27/05/2014

Approximately 100 pupils took part in a ‘Respect for ALL day’ at Aston Villa FC hosted by RE Today and NATRE and funded by Culham St Gabriel’s and Sandwell SACRE.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK - GCSE RE

13/05/2014

#REchatUK took place on Monday 12 May 2014 8 - 9pm. If you missed it and want to catch up on the discussion on ‘GCSE RE’ you can see it here.

BRAND NEW: Online seminars for primary and secondary

12/05/2014

Getting out of the classroom for CPD opportunities can be difficult; to support you we are launching a range of NEW termly virtual seminars, which you can take part online wherever you are!

Young Ambassadors for RE

09/05/2014

The Religious Education Council’s Young Ambassadors scheme has been piloted in 10 schools and sees students promoting the vital role that the subject has to play in the 21st century. Lynsey Wilkinson explains her school’s experience.

RE regional strategy pilot launched

09/05/2014

A new strategy for RE professional development has been launched. It aims to make sure there are more robust arrangements for training and supporting teachers of RE and is based on Recommendation 4 of the Religious Education Councils’ (REC) Review of RE in England (2013).

Statement on GCSE and A Level reform

09/04/2014

NATRE and The Religious Education Council (REC) are delighted that the Department for Education has accepted the case for the reform of GCSE and A level examinations in the subject on the same time scale as EBacc subjects such as History and Geography, with first teaching from 2016.

Latest conversation on #REchatUK ‘Using visual media’

08/04/2014

#REchatUK took place on Monday 7 April 2014 8 - 9pm. If you missed it and want to catch up on the discussion on ‘Using visual media in RE’ you can see it here

A Question Of Faith, BBC Two - classroom activities included!

26/03/2014

Five new short films for RE at 14-16 were broadcast this week on BBC Two at 4am. Films and RE Today classroom resources can be found here.

Your school could win £600 and £600 for the teacher!

19/03/2014

The Hockerill Educational Foundation and NATRE have joined forces to provide the educational world of Primary and Secondary education with a new prize which recognises the work and dedication of those who teach Religious Education in primary and in secondary RE.

Religious Education can reduce religious misunderstanding and conflict, say MPs

18/03/2014

An inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Religious Education (RE) has found that RE lessons have a key role to play in reducing religious misunderstanding and conflict. The investigation heard that when schools provide young people with a good education on religion and belief, the potential for tension and friction in multi-faith communities is reduced.

Women Bishops in the news

16/03/2014

If you are a teacher of RE at a secondary school you may find this resource from REtoday magazine useful: An interview with Bishop Victoria Matthews of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Charities react to funding gap for trainee RE teachers

24/02/2014

A new fund to support trainee Religious Education teachers wanting to work in secondary schools is being set up by a group of four independent charitable trusts. The fund has been established to dampen the impact of a Government decision to cut training bursaries for RE PGCE students.