Religious Education News

 

Secondary Curriculum

The secondary curriculum can be reached online on www.qca.org.uk/curriculum  Religious Education is included, using the National Framework as the basis for new style programmes of study. This is good news for us as our locally Agreed Syllabus is based on the concepts set out in the National Framework. Schools should be introducing the new secondary curriculum from September 2008. It is expected that it will be fully in place by 2011. Schools will continue to teach RE alongside the Agreed Syllabus or trust deed (in the case of VA schools with a religious character). RE subject leaders need to ensure that they are involved in the planning for increased flexibility for cross curricular projects/studies. Also, they should make as much use as possible of the online (QCA) support material developed to help design ‘compelling learning experiences’.

Support materials

  • The secondary curriculum website provides support materials for subjects. It can be accessed from the home page of NATRE’s website – http://www.natre.org.uk/  You might want to look particularly at the Resource Library and the Curriculum Planning Wizard.
  • ‘Materials used to Teach about World Religions in Schools in England’ – report commissioned by the DCSF, carried out by the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit.

 

GCSE News

GCSE criteria reflect the non-statutory national framework by creating two evenly balanced outcomes corresponding to ‘learning about’ and ‘learning from’ and by encouraging the use of the full range of concepts, skills and content including religions and beliefs. Awarding bodies are submitting their specifications. First examinations for short courses will take place in 2010 and for full course in 2011.

 

All schools

Circular 1/94 –New guidance

The above circular has (at last!) been replaced by an up to date document -  RE in English

Schools: Non-statutory Guidance 2010. Despite the misleading title, this does include legal requirements. It can be found on http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/

 

Religious Education CDP Handbook can be found on the AREIAC website: http://www.re-handbook.org.uk/  This is a very useful document, for specialists and non specialists alike.

 

Code of Practice for RE teachers – this useful document can be downloaded from http://www.religiouseducationcouncil.org/  - left hand menu, under ‘Resources.’

 

Review of Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus

There is a statutory requirement to review locally Agreed Syllabuses every five years and the consultation process has begun. An update will be provided in the autumn term.

 

Projects

REsilience – ‘building confidence to handle contentious issues in RE’ – a new dimension to community cohesion: an exciting training opportunity for teachers of RE. Resilience is a project for teachers of RE in maintained secondary schools. Its purpose is to increase their confidence in addressing contentious issues, particularly when such issues  are sometimes used to justify violent extremism. This project is managed by the Religious Education Council and funded by the DCSF. REsilience will be offered to schools during the period September 2010 t0 March 2011. Mentors will help individual schools and teachers through face to face meetings, emails or telephone contacts, as dictated by the needs of the school. If you are interested in signing up to this, or in applying to be a mentor, please go to the website: http://www.re-silience.org.uk/

NATRE ‘Art in Heaven’ competition 2010 – see http://www.natre.org/ for details.

Celebrating RE – ‘exploring values and beliefs for tomorrow’s world’ – a month long celebration of RE in England and Wales in March 2011. See http://www.celebratingre.org/

 

In the news

MPs debate the role of RE in schools: Fiona Bruce leads a debate in Westminster hall - watch here - and read the transcript from here.

Cameron under pressure: Article in the TES re the RE:ACT campaign to get RE in the EBacc - link

 

EBacc: Nick Gibb appears before the House of Commons Select Committee - link

Ebacc is more pressure on children and parents: Article in the Guardian by Fiona Millar - link