Innovative RE: Case studies
Innovative Teaching and Learning of Religion & Worldviews in schools: examples to inspire the future.
Primary page content
This project looks at how RE is being re-imagined in schools. It is a showcase of classroom practice which goes some way towards meeting the learning proposed in the new National Entitlement for Religion & Worldviews launched by the Commission on Religious Education (CoRE) in September 2018. The project builds on the Faiths Unit’s 2015 report RE for Real – The Future of Teaching and Learning about Religion & Belief which helped lay the ground for the new National Entitlement and National Plan.
There is much brilliant, innovative RE going on all around the country but it is patchy and could be extended. This project highlights some key examples. It is intended to complement debates about change in policy and practice, with evidence of existing new practices from which others can learn. It will hopefully also be useful teachers everywhere as they continue to look to innovate their own classroom practice.
Methods and Participation
The project has worked with 5 schools to explore examples in practice of aspects of the new National Entitlement. We invited submissions of interest to participate then undertook a series of visits to the schools, in close collaboration with teachers:
Visit 1: Summer Term 2019 (May-June), to discuss the national plan and how the school is already or might respond to it. We worked together during and following this visit to consolidate the potential connections to at least one element of the national entitlement, then to devise a piece of concrete classroom practice in advance of our return visit.
Visit 2: Autumn Term 2019 and Spring term 2020 (September-February), to observe and reflect on the example of teaching and learning which has been identified and developed.
Case Studies
- Jack Hunt School - Dealing with Controversy - Islamaphobia (video)
- Bickleigh Down School - Multiple Interpretations of Lived Religion (video)
- Holy Trinity, Pewley Down School - Whole School Religion and Worldviews, Lived Religion and Meaning-making (video)
- Aysleford School - Encountering religion and worldviews as lived and fluid (video)
- St Andrew’s C-of-E Primary School - ‘RE Trail’ – A journey of discovery for children and their parents (video)
This project is a collaboration between the Faiths & Civil Society Unit and London South Bank University’s Education for Social Justice research group. The project is funded by Culham St Gabriel’s Trust.
Researchers
Dr Martha Shaw
Associate Professor in Education
London South Bank University
Prof. Adam Dinham
Director, Faiths & Civil Society Unit
Goldsmiths, University of London