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Ofsted’s recently published Deep and Meaningful? The religious education subject report (2024) is a sobering read. However, there is hope.

Others have provided some helpful summaries[1] outlining Ofsted’s call for updated guidance from the DfE, the lack of depth and substance to the curriculum, over emphasis on teaching to an exam, long gaps between lessons and the need for subject specific professional development. The report foregrounds issues which those of us working directly in this field have raised for some time and have lobbied government about alongside our partners such as NATRE and the RE Council of England and Wales.

However, there is also hope. There are examples of effective practice where teachers are exemplifying scholarly and ambitious approaches to the subject. There are signs that some senior leaders are taking the subject very seriously despite the pressures on curriculum time, valuing its importance for young people in an increasingly complex world. In many ways this report is a call to action within educational establishments and a call for action by the current and future governments.

The recommendation that government should urgently update guidance reinforces the significance of the recently published National Content Standard for RE in England (RE Council 2023). As a charity which champions religion and worldviews education we have actively supported this publication and continue to lobby for its wider endorsement. In addition, we look forward to the publication by the RE Council in early May of a curriculum toolkit to support a religion and worldviews approach based on research and good practice.

Two of the factors which Ofsted highlight as contributing towards better quality RE are strong teacher subject knowledge and access to professional development. Culham St Gabriel’s provides freely accessible subject knowledge support through RE:ONLINE and our e-learning platform. Our varying scholarships, particularly our leadership programme exemplify the areas of professional development which Ofsted highlights- namely policy, curriculum subject knowledge, pedagogy and research. Some of our grant funded projects are also contributing to an understanding of assessment and curriculum breadth and depth.

At Cullham St Gabriel’s we will continue to do all we can to secure a religion and worldviews education which is deep and meaningful for all children and young people.

To find out more about our support for teachers:
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[1] see for example:

NATRE – OFSTED ‘Deep and Meaningful The Religious Education Subject Report April 2024’

RE Counci of England and Wales – Comment on Ofsted’s report on RE “Deep and meaningful? The religious education subject report” from RE Policy Unit.

Schools Week – Ofsted criticises ‘limited and poor quality’ RE lessons

Many of you will know that government funding for subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses for RE has been cut from 10^th April this year. In light of this a small group have got together to create a list of largely free alternatives that may be of interest to all ITT providers. We hope you find it helpful.

 

Developments at Culham St. Gabriel’s Trust

We are sure many of you will have noticed the recent changes within the staff team at Culham St Gabriel’s. In the last few months, we have welcomed Taylor as our Communications Officer, Liz as our Finance and Administration Officer, and most recently Julia as our Grants, Governance and Partnership Manager.

Today we are advertising one final new role, an Education and Programmes Manager. You can read more about this here. The changes to personnel structure, including this latest new role, will enable us to fulfil our strategy as effectively as possible, build capacity, support more teachers and be an even greater ambassador for religion and worldviews education.

However, this change also means that we will be saying goodbye to some of our consultants at the end of August as their work will be taken forward by the person who is appointed to this role. We want to say publicly that the work of our consultants has been of outstanding quality over the last few years. Each of them has contributed greatly to the work of the Trust and they have been a dedicated and creative team. We know that many of you have benefited from their expertise, advice and support. We plan to continue partnering with many of them in new ways over the coming years.

We plan to say a huge thank you to our consultants later this term.

Education and Programmes Manager

• Reports to: Chief Executive
• Hours of Work: Full Time, 35 hours a week
• Location: Home based, with once-a-month in person meetings
• Salary: £55,000
• Key Benefits: 10% employer pension contribution, Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Holiday Entitlement: 25 days per annum, bank holidays and four discretionary days

Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses are indispensable in the realm of teacher education, especially in the preparation of teachers for intricate subjects like Religious Education (RE). The recent decision by the Department for Education (DfE) to withdraw funding from SKEs for RE has sparked significant concerns within the RE community. This decision, attributed to budget constraints and policy shifts within the DfE, was made without adequate notice, exacerbating apprehensions among training providers.

The ramifications of this decision are profound, particularly in the recruitment of RE trainee teachers. Despite efforts such as the introduction of an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) bursary to stimulate RE recruitment, projections indicate that recruitment will still fall short of targets. The DfE’s stance on prioritizing funding for subjects facing significant recruitment challenges, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, computing, and languages, disregards the persistent under-recruitment in RE over the past decade. RE attracts candidates from diverse backgrounds, enriching the teaching landscape, but this diversity underscores the crucial role of SKE courses in ensuring a versatile and well-prepared teaching workforce. The future of RE teacher training now hangs precariously in the balance.

Critiques of the DfE’s justifications are warranted. The assertion that the number of RE trainees engaging with SKEs is relatively small belies its significance, as it constitutes 30% of the current training cohort, without which the subject would be in a considerably worse position. Additionally, the claim that RE SKEs account for only 3% of the overall SKE budget overlooks their vital contribution to RE training and any reasoning behind cost saving. Suggestions that trainees can supplement their knowledge post-ITT using generic resources contradict the imperative of high-quality specialist subject knowledge and training advocated by Ofsted. Moreover, the persistence of non-specialist teachers teaching RE underscores the inadequacy of such justifications.

The importance of SKE courses is exemplified by individuals like Syara Bano, a former Edge Hill University PGCE trainee, whose valuable RE teaching career continues to thrive thanks to the SKE boost. Her testimony underscores the invaluable role of SKE courses in shaping proficient RE teachers: https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/person/syara-bano/student/

It is imperative that the current and future governments address these concerns and reinstate funding for RE SKE courses to ensure the continued excellence of RE teacher training.

As we come to the end of 2023, I thought I’d reflect in a seasonal way on our last year….

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me a CRM system created by Tracey

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me five funding awards, four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me six e-learning courses, five funding awards, four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me seven conferences attended, six e-learning courses, five funding awards, four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the eight day of Christmas my true love sent to me eight new connections and partnerships, seven conferences attended, six e-learning courses, five funding awards, four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the nineth day of Christmas my true love sent to me nine (hundred) online meetings, eight new connections and partnerships, seven conferences attended, six e-learning courses, five funding awards, four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me ten research of the months, nine (hundred) online meetings, eight new connections and partnerships, seven conferences attended, six e-learning courses, five funding awards, four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me eleven masters and leadership scholars, ten research of the months, nine (hundred) online meetings, eight new connections and partnerships, seven conferences attended, six e-learning courses, five funding awards, four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me twelve recommendations of the National Content Standard, eleven masters’ and leadership scholars, ten research of the months, nine (hundred) online meetings, eight new connections and partnerships, seven conferences attended, six e-learning courses, five funding awards, four Board meetings, three doctoral scholarships, two new members of staff and a CRM system created by Tracey.

Have a great festive season, however and whatever you may be celebrating! We look forward to working with and supporting you in the New Year.

Kathryn Wright
CEO, CSTG

Please note: Numbers do not necessarily equate to reality except in some cases!!!!!!

The latest official government statistics released today show that ITT recruitment for 2023 entrants was only 44% of the target for secondary religious education beginner teachers. This equates to 285 new entrants into the profession, with a target of 655. This is well below the average for all subjects and phases (62%), and below the overall secondary subject average of £50%. Whilst the target had increased significantly from previous years (from 450 to 655), this is a very worrying picture. Under-recruitment over many years has led to 51% of RE lessons in secondary schools being taught by non-specialist teachers, with pupils now three times more likely to be taught Religious Education by someone with no qualification in the subject.

Without well qualified teachers of the subject, the drive to improve standards as highlighted in the of the recent Ofsted Annual Review (2022-23) will be even more of a challenge. In the absence of consistently high-quality RE, our children miss out on an essential opportunity to learn knowledge and skills that will equip them to create harmonious and cohesive workplaces and communities, especially in the context of a diversifying and globalised world.

Whilst Culham St Gabriel’s Trust welcomes the reintroduction of a bursary for those training to teach from September 2024, this is not enough to resolve the ongoing recruitment issues from previous years. Culham St Gabriel’s has long been an advocate and supporter of initial teacher education both in the primary and secondary phase. Empowering highly skilled and well-informed teachers of religious education/religion and worldviews is a core part of our mission. The Trust will continue to promote teaching of the subject through its campaigning work, and resourcing of the profession. We will continue to lobby for further government funding and support for the recruitment of teachers and ongoing professional development for the increasing number of teachers who are called upon to teach religious education without a qualification in the subject. Urgent action is needed.

For detailed information about the Initial Teacher Training Census see: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census

“RE in schools is generally of poor quality” and “as a subject on the curriculum, it is under-valued” says the Chief Inspector of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, in her annual report.

Whilst these statements from the Chief Inspector are sobering, Culham St Gabriel’s Trust are pleased to see Ofsted identifying barriers to better RE and how the lack of clarity and support from government is making improvements within the subject much more difficult.

The report presents a list of challenges for Religious Education in schools:
• Many schools are failing to meet the statutory requirement to teach RE to all pupils in all year groups;
• pupils not being taught enough substance to prepare them to engage in a complex, multi-religious and multi-secular society,
• non-examination provision typically not being of high quality;
• schools not teaching topics in the RE curriculum deeply enough for pupils to develop a substantial understanding of the subject matter.

Ofsted have called on the government to provide “clear expectations about RE provision in schools. Schools should follow these. Current non-statutory guidance for RE should be updated and include clear information for schools about the breadth and depth of the syllabus they are expected to teach”.

One of the Trust’s recently revised strategic objectives is to influence English government’s policies in supporting a high-quality education in religion and worldviews. Although the publishing of a National Content Standard for RE in England by the Religious Education of England and Wales has acted as one step towards this, Ofsted’s report has further confirmed our decision as a Trust to advocate even more strongly for clear expectations in all schools. We will continue to strive for a broad-based, critical and reflective education in religion and worldviews contributing to a well-informed, respectful, and open society. We hope you will partner with us as we continue to work towards this.

Kathryn Wright
CEO, on behalf of the Trust

To read the Ofsted Report 2022/23 in full, please see here.

At Culham St Gabriel’s we award project grants up to £30K. We welcome applications for small, new innovative projects or seed-corn funding; as well as applications for larger research projects or initiatives which support the Trust’s vision and strategic goals.

Within our applications, we look for a clear theory of change: What is the issue, why is it an issue, how will you try and change or improve the situation, what change will you bring about, what impact will it have, how will you evaluate the impact…

One particular theme that was popular amongst applicants was interfaith dialogue, and the need for supporting/building on deeper literacy of religious traditions.

In celebration of InterFaith Week, we would like to highlight our grant funded projects who have/are contributing to the strengthening of good inter faith relations at all levels…

From 12-19 November it is Interfaith Week! In honour of this, members of our team have taken part in a ‘share and learn’ activity that showcases a variety of beliefs.

One of the main aims of Interfaith Week is to increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK and this has been a fun way to get our wider team involved. Let’s see what everyone’s been up to…

Barfi

Made by our CEO, Kathryn. Here she explains the meaning behind it..

I have wonderful memories of barfi. When I started work as a teacher in East London many years ago, some of the young people from many different faith and belief backgrounds would bring in barfi for staff to share. It was particularly popular at Diwali. I have never made it, but to celebrate Interfaith Week I thought I’d give it a try. It reminds me of the incredible positive interfaith relations in the Year 7 form class I was tutor of when I was began teaching. In my class we had Sunni and Shia Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians from a range of different denominations as well as those with non-religious worldviews. Some were refugees, escaping war torn areas of the world, other had lived in Newham all their lives. Yet the bonds of friendship they created were incredible, a lesson for us all, I think.

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‘Losing My Religion’ Podcast

Tracey listened to an episode of BBC Radio 4 Beyond Belief podcast in which Janet Ellis talks about becoming a humanist – she said it was fascinating to listen to people exploring where we find values and morals.

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Dumplings

Taylor made some homemade dumplings. Here’s what she said about them…

Dumplings hold a lot of significance in Chinese culture, particularly for those who follow the philosophy and religion of Taoism. The dumpling symbolises wealth because the shape is similar to money-related instruments such as the tael. They also symbolise prosperity and the brightness of the moon – they are commonly served during Lunar New Year to  indicate the promise of a bright and prosperous year ahead.

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Berenjena Guisada

Kevin sends a recipe; for food, or good inter-faith relations? Well, both. Muslims brought the aubergine to Andalucía, and Jews then spread their love of it throughout Europe. This Granadan dish combines both cuisines. Maimonides of Córdoba taught that sharing meals bridges cultural gaps, and that when cooking and eating, people should have a good calm attitude of spirit. The story, recipe, and thoughts of Maimonides are from Marlena Spieler’s Jewish Traditions Cookbook (London: Lorenz Books, 2005); 301. 9.

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Middle Eastern Feast

Stacey and her family have been trying dishes from the Middle East over the past couple of weeks, both Israeli and Palestinian recipes. One day, they cooked shakshuka, and then also included typical Ashkenazi or Eastern European for dessert as well. A very multi-cultural meal!

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Soul Cakes

Made by Kate, let’s hear her story behind these baked goods…

My children love Halloween – I have found out that lanterns, carved turnips, disguises, asking for ‘treats’ door-to-door, bonfires, candles and spooky figures like witches, skeletons and ghosts all come from the old tradition of ‘souling’. A hollowed-out turnip with a candle burning inside represents a soul in purgatory. People sang mournful for the souls of those in purgatory, and were given a ‘soul cake’ for their effort. I baked soul cakes- a buttery, spicy biscuit with raisins. They are delicious, I am tempted to give these out to trick or treaters next Hallowe’en instead of sweets.

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Gujarati Vegetarian Meal

Claire cooked up a variety of dishes with her friend Jay who is a Gujarati Hindu…

We made a mung bean daal, onion bhaji’s, puri, poppadum’s, coriander dip and some filled chilli’s – they are some of our favourite dishes, it was so delicious! Whilst we cooked, my friend kept her Ganesh Murti – her family deity – alongside us. We thanked God for our food before eating together, then continued to share our little feast whilst talking about and sharing our faiths with one another.