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Some years ago, I used the analogy of rock strata and the need for an earthquake in religious education. At the time, I was writing about the confusion over the purpose of the subject and related pedagogies.

If one looks at rock strata, there are some smooth lines, some more prominent than others, all layered on top of each other, but in places a bit broken or mixed up. It is unclear where one layer begins and another ends. Like these rock strata, purposes and pedagogies for RE have become layered, broken and mixed up. It is not clear on what basis some pedagogies are founded and others practiced. These layers or pedagogies in some cases do not sit easily with one another, and some appear to be contradictory. To move forward, this bewildering layering of purpose and pedagogy needs to be understood and then challenged. To continue the analogy, some kind of earthquake is required to break up the pedagogical approaches of the past and begin again with new foundations.
(A Pedagogy of Embrace, Wright, 2018, p.69)

In 2018 I was calling for change; for the religious education community to be prepared to uproot its foundations. Last week I attended the AREIAC/AULRE conference hosted by the University of Exeter, and I was challenged again about the need for revolutionary change. In particular, the following provoked my thinking (names of presenters are in brackets):

• Current philosophies of (religious) education, as well as substantive and disciplinary knowledge do not champion worldviews which honour the earth (Kate Christopher)
• Curricula and pedagogies do not enable flourishing for all. Some are dehumanising and there is a need to ‘unlearn’(Alex Brown)
• Religion and worldview literacy is vital for freedom of religion or belief to flourish, yet this is not embedded in our curricula, pedagogies or systems (James Holt
• (Religious) education has become quite technical, and beginner teachers do not have a worldview of (religious) education (Aidan Gillespie)
• There is a significant lack of awareness of religion and worldview diversity in some schools (Anna Strahn)
• There are gaps between theory and practice in relation to democratic citizenship, especially with reference to religion and worldview literacy (Alex Unser)
• Positionality needs to be considered more deeply in relation to methods, as well as content (Rob Freathy)

A religion and worldviews approach can contribute to this change. If both substantive content and pedagogy are reimagined teachers can begin to address some of the challenges posed above. However, the questions raised, particularly in relation to equity, justice and inclusion are far more wide reaching. They require fundamental systemic change, not simply reimagining. They require revolution.

The conference last week reflected some of the messages I took away from a recent roundtable hosted by The Runneymede Trust. Here I heard about pupils self-censoring in relation to race and religion. I heard about children and young people, as well as teachers, feeling unsafe in relation to expressing their own identities. This is deeply troubling and demonstrates the enormity of lack of inclusion and equity in our education system.

I have written previously about inequity in relation to RE. RE is one small part of our system. However, we must start somewhere, and this is the space where I find myself. RE must become part of the solution, not part of the problem. The subject has the potential to be truly transformative. The pedagogy of embrace that I proposed provides part of the solution – creating spaces for pupils to flourish, enabling deep encounters, and encouraging pupils to listen for wisdom in community with one another (Wright, 2018). Alongside this, I will continue to advocate for equity and justice more widely in our education system, to ensure that all children and young people are able to flourish.

It is surely time for revolution….

The steering group, made up of people from a variety of RE organisations, were delighted to have a record number of applications for the Culham St Gabriel’s Leadership Scholarship Programme this year. There was a very strong field of applicants making decisions on who to award places to a distinct challenge.

The 11 people who will join year one of the programme come from a variety of schools and school types with representatives from Primary, secondary and specialist provision stretching from Cornwall to Yorkshire. The successful applicants were;

Sally Brooman (Primary, Lincolnshire)
Mary Lou Byrne (Secondary, Yorkshire)
Jenny Kaur (Secondary, London)
Lindsey Leech (Secondary, Greater Manchester)
Khadija Mahir (Primary, London)
Liz Manning (Primary, Lancashire)
Christopher Mooney (Primary, Gloucestershire)
Jenni Rawlinson (Secondary, County Durham)
Greg Parekh (Secondary, Cornwall)
Nishat Sabur (Specialist, Hertfordshire)
John Semmens (Primary, Norfolk)

Thank you to all who applied and for those who didn’t perhaps this could be something for you next year.

The leadership scholarship programme provides opportunities for emerging RE/RVE/RME leaders to expand and deepen their reflections on educational leadership in the subject, through receiving mentoring, structured challenges, research insights, inspirational networking events, and experience of professional development delivery. We aim to develop leaders in the four areas of being research engaged, curriculum engaged, classroom engaged and politically engaged.

We are devastated by the news that our wonderful friend and colleague Dawn Cox has died. Dawn was for many years a consultant with Culham St Gabriel’s, overseeing our social media as well as supporting other aspects of our work including RE:ONLINE. Dawn’s love of the classroom and ensuring research applied to her day to day work was inspiring. She was never afraid to ask the challenging questions, pushing our thinking on and encouraging careful reasoning and creativity as a result. We will miss her greatly.

Kathryn, Tracey, Fiona and the Culham St Gabriel’s Team

My Chair of Trustees and I welcome the interim report from the Curriculum and Assessment Review Panel.

In particular we welcome the following statement on p.29 of the report,

Despite the fact that RE is compulsory for all pupils up to the age of 18 (unless they are withdrawn), evidence suggests that a lack of national agreed content standards has led to national disparities in the quality of provision.

We agree that the current status of religious education as part of the basis curriculum has led to inequity of pupils’ experience. Therefore, we reiterate our position regarding the subject becoming part of a new national curriculum. We understand that necessary safeguards may need to be put in place to ensure that schools with a Trust Deed (for example, some schools with a religious designation) are able to remain true to their foundation. However, we believe that the religion and worldviews community must come together for the common good in this moment for the benefit of all pupils to ensure equity and justice in terms of provision, standards and content.

Our sense is that there is widespread agreement that the status quo in relation to RE is untenable. This has previously been highlighted by Ofsted (2024). Whilst we acknowledge the challenges of making necessary changes to the position and status of the subject, this review provides a once in a generation opportunity to do so.

We agree that much more attention needs to be given to how this would work out in practice, but believe the consensus around the National Content Standard for RE in England provides a starting point. We encourage the panel to engage with stakeholders in the religion and worldviews community to ensure all voices are heard and that an equitable way forward is found.

Kathryn Wright
CEO, Culham St Gabriel’s Trust

Linda Whitworth
Chair, Culham St Gabriel’s Trust

A summary of our submission to the Curriculum and Assessment Review is available here:

To augment The All Saints Education Trust’s (ASET) charitable and educational aims and grant giving, they are aiming to develop and grow their social media profile to attract high quality organisational applications for programmes that support teacher training, and raise awareness of the individual awards that they give to trainee and practising teachers (RE/HE).

ASET are looking for an experienced communications/social media consultant for approximately 6-8 days’ work in January and February 2025.

Closing date 12 noon Friday 17th January

Full details can be found in the consultant description

In December 2024 I visited Berlin. My walk through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe will stay with me for a long time. The memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust (there are memorials to other victims in the vicinity) consists of a 4.7 acre site covered with 2711 concrete slabs in a grid on a sloping field. The architect, Peter Eisenman has said there is no symbolic significance to the number of slabs or design of the monument.

The grey slabs begin at knee height, but as you walk through, they become taller, and I had the sense of them towering over me. You move through the grid system not knowing where you are going, or if you will meet anyone. Although it was a sunny day, it felt dark and disquieting. For me, it reminded me of how prejudice can begin in small ways (e.g. othering, propaganda), but how quickly it deepens to discrimination and violation of human rights, and eventually genocide. For me the walk through the slabs as they became increasingly bigger, and more overpowering was disturbing. The ground is also undulating, making one feel somewhat unsteady and uncertain. As I stood in the middle of the memorial, I had this strong sense I needed to get out or would be ‘consumed’. Reading interpretations of the memorial afterwards it seems this sense of foreboding is common.

The memorial is a stark reminder as we approach Holocaust Memorial Day (27th January) of the importance of not only remembrance but that we must do all we can to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief. The theme for HMD 2025 is ‘For a better future’. I believe that education about freedom of religion or belief is a vital for building better futures, and as part of this it is important to call out Holocaust or genocide denial or trivialisation, and to use authoritative sources to learn more about the Holocaust and genocides.

As we all mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2025, may we come together to ensure better futures for all in our communities.

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me, three team members (Julia, Fiona, Hannah), two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, four new trustees (Paul, James, Richard, Gwynn), three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, five policy briefings! Four new trustees, three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, six strategic partnerships (RE Council, NATRE, Brilliant Club, RE Policy Unit, Edgehill University and Theos Think Tank), five policy briefings! Four new trustees, three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me, seven (plus) hours of RExChange, six strategic partnerships, five policy briefings! Four new trustees, three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, eight new project grants, seven (plus) hours of RExChange, six strategic partnerships, five policy briefings! Four new trustees, three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the nineth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, nine Year 1 leadership scholars, eight new project grants, seven (plus) hours of RExChange, six strategic partnerships, five policy briefings! Four new trustees, three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, ten conference engagements, nine Year 1 leadership scholars, eight new project grants, seven (plus) hours of RExChange, six strategic partnerships, five policy briefings! Four new trustees, three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me, eleven new collaborations fostered (e.g. Good Faith Partnership, NGA, Cambridge Interfaith Programme, British Deaf Association, ISA) ten conference engagements, nine Year 1 leadership scholars, eight new project grants, seven (plus) hours of RExChange, six strategic partnerships, five policy briefings! Four new trustees, three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, twelve new masters scholars, eleven new collaborations fostered, ten conference engagements, nine Year 1 leadership scholars, eight new project grants, seven (plus) hours of RExChange, six strategic partnerships, five policy briefings! Four new trustees, three team members, two (thousand) e-learning enrolments and a home education fund for West Midlands families.