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1718519

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to update statutory guidance for schools on religious education following publication of Ofsted's report entitled Subject report series: religious education on 17 April 2024.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	26564
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>There are currently no plans to update the department’s non-statutory guidance on religious education (RE). The government believe that RE is an important subject, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society, as well as serving to inform their own values and behaviour.</p><p>To ensure that pupils have equal access to RE, it is a compulsory subject that must be taught in all mainstream state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18. In support of that aim, the Oak National Academy has commissioned the development of RE teaching resources to ensure that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Oak RE resources will be available for teaching from autumn 2024, with full packages expected to be available by autumn 2025. Additionally, the Religious Education Council has recently launched its ‘Religion and Worldviews Approach to RE’ Toolkit which consists of a handbook, exemplar frameworks and accompanying resources to assist curriculum developers in designing their own RE curricula.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 26565 question first answered 23/05/2024 12:55:50 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1718521

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that pupils have equal access to religious education.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	26565
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>There are currently no plans to update the department’s non-statutory guidance on religious education (RE). The government believe that RE is an important subject, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society, as well as serving to inform their own values and behaviour.</p><p>To ensure that pupils have equal access to RE, it is a compulsory subject that must be taught in all mainstream state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18. In support of that aim, the Oak National Academy has commissioned the development of RE teaching resources to ensure that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Oak RE resources will be available for teaching from autumn 2024, with full packages expected to be available by autumn 2025. Additionally, the Religious Education Council has recently launched its ‘Religion and Worldviews Approach to RE’ Toolkit which consists of a handbook, exemplar frameworks and accompanying resources to assist curriculum developers in designing their own RE curricula.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 26564 question first answered 23/05/2024 12:55:50 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1718138

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of removing subject knowledge enhancement grants for religious education upon (1) the recruitment of teachers in that area, and (2) the standard of religious education being taught in schools.
tabling member printed	Lord Warner
uin	HL4651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>Recruitment and retention are crucial to every curriculum subject. The department recognises that high-quality religious education (RE) relies on well trained, confident teachers. The department will be offering a £10,000 bursary for RE trainee teachers that are starting Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in the 2024/25 academic year. The latest data available to date for this 2023/24 academic year highlights that 246 candidates have accepted an ITT offer in RE. At the same point in the cycle in the 2022/23 academic year, 145 candidates had accepted an ITT offer in RE. This represents a 59% increase.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 24/05/2024 11:27:03 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

1718154

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what consultation was undertaken with the religious education community before removing subject knowledge enhancement grants from religious education.
tabling member printed	Lord Warner
uin	HL4652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) is only one element of the department’s overall teacher supply strategy and its primary objective is to support recruitment in hard-to-recruit subjects with sufficiency challenges. Considerations including SKE recruitment performance, overall Initial Teacher Training (ITT) numbers and other support available to candidates, including ITT bursaries, informed the recent decision on the SKE programme.</p><p> </p><p>The SKE package is, and will continue to be, reviewed regularly to ensure SKE is targeted at the candidates that need it most. The department has plans to engage with the sector to inform future SKE in the coming months.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 24/05/2024 10:37:33 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

1718155

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the successful applicants for secondary teacher training for religious education in the current recruitment year received a subject knowledge enhancement grant (1) before 10 April 2023, and (2) after that date.
tabling member printed	Lord Warner
uin	HL4653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>246 candidates have accepted an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) offer for religious education (RE) in this academic year 2023/24. 106 of those 246 candidates, or 43%, have been set subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) as a condition of their ITT offer. 58 of those started their SKE up to and including 10 April 2024 and 48 have started or are due to start from 11 April onwards.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 24/05/2024 10:32:08 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

1698983

registered interest
date	26/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to publish additional non-statutory guidance on religious education syllabus content in schools.
tabling member constituency	Worthing West
tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
uin	20500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2024 answer text <p>Religious education (RE) is an important part of a school’s curriculum and can contribute to a young person’s personal, social, and academic development. When done well, it can develop children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, help them better understand those of other countries, and refine pupils’ ability to construct well-informed, balanced, and structured arguments. This is why RE remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18.</p><p>The department has no plans to publish additional non-statutory guidance on RE syllabus content in schools. The department’s policy is to allow RE curricula to be designed at a local level, whether this is through a locally agreed syllabus conference or by individual schools and academy trusts developing their own curricula. The department feels this is the most appropriate way for local demographics to be accounted for.</p><p>The department does however welcome the work that the Religious Education Council has done to assist curriculum developers by publishing its National Content Standard for RE in England.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 16/04/2024 16:03:25 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley

1695007

registered interest
date	11/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 41 of the Annual Report of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills 2022-23, published on 23 November 2023, what steps her Department is taking (a) improve the quality of and (b) coordinate stakeholder work on improving religious education in schools.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	17851
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>Religious education (RE) is an important part of a school’s curriculum and can contribute to a young person’s personal, social, and academic development. When done well, it can develop children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, help them better understand those of other countries, and refine pupils’ ability to construct well-informed, balanced, and structured arguments. This is why is it remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18.</p><p>The department read Ofsted’s 2023 annual report with interest and is committed to ensuring high-quality provision of RE in schools. In order to improve teaching quality, we are offering a £10,000 bursary for RE trainee teachers starting initial teacher training courses in the academic year 2024/25. The department have published this information on the ‘Get Into Teaching’ website and will be marketing the offer to prospective teachers through other channels.</p><p>To support teachers when they are in post, and to ensure high standards and consistency of RE teaching, RE resources will be procured by Oak National Academy during the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Oak RE resources will be available for teaching from autumn 2024, with full packages expected to be available by autumn 2025.</p><p>The department also continues to offer eight-week subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses in the academic year 2023/24 for candidates who have the potential to become outstanding teachers but need to increase their subject knowledge. The eight-week SKE course, available in religious education, can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis but must be completed before qualified teacher status can be recommended and awarded. Eligible candidates could be entitled to a SKE bursary of £175 per week to support them financially whilst completing their SKE course.</p><p>More information on these courses is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/subject-knowledge-enhancement-an-introduction" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/subject-knowledge-enhancement-an-introduction</a>.</p><p>The department engages closely with key stakeholders within the RE sector, including the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (NASACRE) and the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE). The department also welcomes the work that the Religious Education Council (REC) has done to assist curriculum developers by publishing its National Content Standard for RE in England.</p><p>The department has no plans to publish additional non-statutory guidance on RE syllabus content in schools.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 17852 question first answered 19/03/2024 11:44:06 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1695008

registered interest
date	11/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 41 of the Annual Report of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills 2022-23, published on 23 November 2023, if he will publish additional non-statutory guidance on religious education syllabus content in schools.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	17852
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>Religious education (RE) is an important part of a school’s curriculum and can contribute to a young person’s personal, social, and academic development. When done well, it can develop children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, help them better understand those of other countries, and refine pupils’ ability to construct well-informed, balanced, and structured arguments. This is why is it remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18.</p><p>The department read Ofsted’s 2023 annual report with interest and is committed to ensuring high-quality provision of RE in schools. In order to improve teaching quality, we are offering a £10,000 bursary for RE trainee teachers starting initial teacher training courses in the academic year 2024/25. The department have published this information on the ‘Get Into Teaching’ website and will be marketing the offer to prospective teachers through other channels.</p><p>To support teachers when they are in post, and to ensure high standards and consistency of RE teaching, RE resources will be procured by Oak National Academy during the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Oak RE resources will be available for teaching from autumn 2024, with full packages expected to be available by autumn 2025.</p><p>The department also continues to offer eight-week subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses in the academic year 2023/24 for candidates who have the potential to become outstanding teachers but need to increase their subject knowledge. The eight-week SKE course, available in religious education, can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis but must be completed before qualified teacher status can be recommended and awarded. Eligible candidates could be entitled to a SKE bursary of £175 per week to support them financially whilst completing their SKE course.</p><p>More information on these courses is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/subject-knowledge-enhancement-an-introduction" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/subject-knowledge-enhancement-an-introduction</a>.</p><p>The department engages closely with key stakeholders within the RE sector, including the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (NASACRE) and the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE). The department also welcomes the work that the Religious Education Council (REC) has done to assist curriculum developers by publishing its National Content Standard for RE in England.</p><p>The department has no plans to publish additional non-statutory guidance on RE syllabus content in schools.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 17851 question first answered 19/03/2024 11:44:06 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1693197

registered interest
date	04/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued recent guidance to schools on the proportion of their funding that should be allocated to the teaching of (a) religious education and (b) other subjects.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	16686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>This year, core school funding will total over £57.7 billion, which is an increase of £3.9 billion compared to the 2022/23 financial year. All schools have the freedom to choose how to spend their core funding according to their own unique circumstances and priorities, providing that all expenditure ultimately benefits their students. The department does not provide specific funding for religious education; it is for schools to decide the allocation of resources across different subject areas.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 11/03/2024 14:30:30 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1693200

registered interest
date	04/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase consistency in the standards of teaching of religious education in schools.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	16687
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>Religious education (RE) is an important part of a school’s curriculum and can contribute to a young person’s personal, social, and academic development. When taught well, the subject develops children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, helps them to better understand those of other countries, and refines pupils’ ability to construct well-informed, balanced and structured arguments.</p><p>The department is offering a £10,000 bursary for RE trainee teachers that are starting initial teacher training courses in the 2024/25 academic year, with the aim to incentivise greater numbers of post-graduates to apply and increase the pipeline of RE specialists.</p><p>To support teachers when they are in post, and to ensure high standards and consistency of RE teaching, RE resources are currently being procured by Oak National Academy during the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Oak RE resources will be available for teaching from autumn 2024, with full packages expected to be available by autumn 2025.</p><p>The department also continues to offer eight week subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses in the 2022/23 academic year for candidates who have the potential to become outstanding teachers but need to increase their subject knowledge. The eight week SKE course, available in RE, can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis but must be completed before qualified teacher status can be recommended and awarded. Eligible candidates could be entitled to a SKE bursary of £175 per week to support them financially whilst completing their SKE course.</p><p>More information on these courses is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/subject-knowledge-enhancement-an-introduction" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/subject-knowledge-enhancement-an-introduction</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 11/03/2024 14:20:56 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell