To be eligible for the Masters Scholarship you need to be:

✔  Working in the field of RE/RVE/RME e.g. as a teacher, educator, adviser. If you are not sure, please contact fiona@cstg.org.uk

✔ Intending to take a part-time Masters-level Certificate, Diploma or complete Masters programme, that relates directly to religion and worldviews in your workplace (usually a school or college) and aligns with our strategic objectives.

✔  Intending your masters studies to directly lead to development, innovation and improvement in RE/RVE/RME in your school, place of employment, local area or region and/or nationally.

✔ Supported by your employing school (if you are a serving teacher) agreeing to release you for 3 days per annum during term time for the length of your course in order to undertake your studies.

✔ A UK resident

Whilst we welcome applications from all those working in the field of RE/RVE/RME, in 2024-25, we are particularly interested in supporting scholars who are:

• researching interfaith/belief dialogue and promoting warmer community relations in schools and communities, including consideration of ‘the common good’
• researching ways of supporting and equipping religion and worldviews teachers who have other specialisms (TWOS)
• either themselves from a UK Minority Ethnic or Global Majority Heritage background and/or are researching ways to support teachers and leaders from these under-represented groups.

• Make up the university fee i.e. the difference between the bursary funding and tuition fee total required by the university. You may want to ask your school or workplace to contribute to this, and can seek grant funding elsewhere if you wish.
• Contribute to a virtual community of practice with your time. Sessions are usually held as twilights (e.g. 4-6pm). There will also be other opportunities to contribute to the wider community such as writing a blogs, posters, case studies and so on for RE:ONLINE and/or sharing your research findings through an online seminar hosted by us.
• ‘Pay forward’ and give back to the religion and worldviews community.

We are particularly keen to encourage teachers to undertake part-time Masters. We are aware that sometimes this can be challenging, so to support you in your studies your school is expected to contribute to the scholarship programme in kind. Your headteacher will asked to sign an undertaking declaring that they will release you for 3 days (or equivalent e.g. half days) during term time per annum to undertake Masters study. This could be one day per term, three days in one term or whatever works best in your school.

Our scholars choose to study at a range of universities. Current scholars have chosen Birmingham, Cambridge, Chester, Oxford, St Mary’s University Twickenham and Warwick. However, we welcome applications from all institutions which offer appropriate masters level study.

Applications are open all year round and are taken to our Grants, Programmes and Education Committee three times a year where decisions are made, usually in November, March and June. If places are allocated early on in the academic year, there is a possibility you may have to wait until the following year’s round of funding. We would therefore advise applying in the Autumn or Spring Terms and speaking to us before you submit an application to ensure there are still places available.

1. Select a university and Masters course. Choose a university with the right course for you and the right mix of provision, i.e. twilight, school-based or weekends. Have a conversation with the relevant course leader. Make them aware of the scholarship programme.
2. Apply for a place on the relevant Masters programme.
3. If you are a serving teacher, talk to your Head or senior leader in charge of professional development. You need to ensure that they will agree to releasing you for three days per annum as part of the scholarship programme. Remember that we will only pay its share of the fees (up to £4000) if the school promises to release you for this amount of time. Your headteacher must complete and submit this agreement form before you apply to us. 
   Your headteacher will send you an email when this has been done. If you are not a serving teacher you do not need to ask anyone to complete this form.
4. When a Masters place is offered, you should first seek two referees who will support your scholarship application. We suggest one of these is your university lecturer/tutor. Please ask them to complete and submit this reference form before you apply to us. Each referee will send you an email to let you know when they have done this.
5. Complete the scholarship application form. There are guidance notes accompanying the form which we encourage you to read. The form asks you to tick a box to confirm your headteacher and your referees have submitted their forms. Your application will not be reviewed unless these have been submitted.
6. Once you have submitted your form, send documentary proof of your having accepted a place on a Masters programmes (i.e. an offer letter, details of the course and your acceptance) to fiona@cstg.org.uk

1. All applications, supporting documents and references are then considered by the Trust in their next Grants and Education Committee meeting.
2. You will normally be notified of the outcome of your application as soon as the committee have met.
3. When you begin your studies it is very important that you ask your university finance department to send two invoices, one to Culham St Gabriel’s and one to you. It is very important that you make clear to the university finance department exactly who they should send invoices to, and how much they should charge in each case.
4. We will send you a welcome pack explaining how to become part of the virtual community of practice and details of ongoing support and advice offered for scholars.