Ofsted has published the second in a series of reviews
into different subjects across the curriculum. This review looks at
religious education (RE).
The latest review draws on our education inspection framework
(EIF) and
other religious education (RE) literature to identify what
contributes to high-quality RE curriculum, assessment, pedagogy
and systems in schools where we inspect RE.
The review recognises that there is no single way of constructing
and teaching a high-quality RE curriculum. However, it does
identify some common features:
- The curriculum should cover substantive content and concepts
collectively (or ‘collectively enough’), rather than covering
excessive amounts of content superficially. Content is sufficient
for pupils to grasp a bigger picture about the place of religion
and non-religion in the world.
- What is taught and learned in RE is grounded in what is known
about religion or non-religion from academic study. This helps
prevent pupils from developing misconceptions about religion and
non-religion.
- Pupils study certain areas of the RE curriculum in depth and acquire a
range of detailed knowledge of different concepts and ideas,
which they remember long term. Drawing on this prior knowledge
enables them to consider more complex ideas about religion.
Leaders and teachers select this ‘depth of study’ from
contrasting religious and/or non-religious traditions so that
pupils avoid developing misrepresentations.
- The curriculum is well sequenced to ensure that pupils learn
the knowledge they need for later topics.
- There is a consideration of when pupils should relate the
content to their own personal knowledge (for example, their own
prior assumptions).
- How the curriculum is taught and assessed focuses pupils’
attention squarely on the knowledge they need to learn.
- Adequate curriculum time is given to RE, so that leaders can deliver an
ambitious curriculum.
- There is sufficient training and professional development so
that teachers have appropriate subject professional knowledge.
The review refers to 3 different types of subject-specific
knowledge that pupils learn in RE. Each of these is powerful and
should not be confused with ‘mere facts’. The first is
‘substantive’ knowledge about various religious and non-religious
traditions. The second type is ‘ways of knowing’, where pupils
learn ‘how to know’ about religion and non-religion. The third
type is ‘personal knowledge’, where pupils build an awareness of
their own presuppositions and values about what they study. The
review suggests that improvement in RE at both primary and secondary
level includes knowing more of these ‘pillars of progression’.
This prepares pupils to engage in a complex, multi-religious and
multi-secular world.
In the spring term of 2022, we will be publishing a report on the
quality of REcurriculums
taught in schools. We will gather the evidence for this through
subject ‘deep dives’ during inspections under the EIF.
To find out more about Ofsted’s curriculum work, read the
principles behind the
research reviews and subject reports.
