Click on the links below to view the articles.

National development of RE from DfES?

Chair's Report (June 2005)

Ruth Kelly: Where might she take RE?

New Schemes of Work from QCA

'Assessment for learning' action research

RE and ICT: latest resources

Assessment Materials launched in Wales

Discussions with Charles Clarke at the RE Council, November 2004

PCfRE comment on the Launch of the Non-Statutory Framework for RE

The Launch of the Non-Statutory Framework for RE: Address by Deborah Weston

The Tomlinson Review and RE

Chair's column

Rhian Davies: Representing Wales

ICT in RE

Global citizenship in stitches

Bexton beacon

Faith and citizenship

Science and religion

TeachRE maintains momentum

Headlines from Chief Inspectors' Report 2002–3

National development of RE from DfES?

The DfES has taken the initiative and is developing a strategic plan for RE over the next five years, following the non-statutory national RE framework. Following the successful launch of the framework at the end of 2004, the DfES wishes to see LEAs using the work effectively, and Cynthia Davies of DfES came to discuss this with the PCfRE Executive on 26 February.

Numerous LEAs that have been waiting for the framework are now involved in Agreed Syllabus review, and these reviews are producing new syllabuses, for example in Sandwell (January 05) and Barnsley (April 05). DfES recognises the need for RE to be treated with parity to other subjects of the curriculum. PCfRE Executive Officer Rachel Barker commented: 'The non-statutory framework is a landmark on the RE landscape. I'm glad the DfES will be consolidating its launch in this way. The RE community has established a productive and creative relationship with the DfES which can only contribute to the success of any strategic plan. Exciting times!' Deborah Weston, PCfRE Chairperson, adds: 'I am pleased to report that I met with Minister for Education, Derek Twigg, alongside Professor Brian Gates and the Rev Dr John Gay in mid-March. We discussed four main areas: the non-statutory national framework, support for SACREs, the White Paper on Education 14–19, RE recruitment and CPD. It was a very positive first meeting with the minister who now holds the responsibility for most of the subjects in the curriculum.'

'The minister agreed to investigate some of our suggestions: a full dissemination plan for the framework incorporating training and awareness raising for all stakeholders. For teachers, this might include accredited extended courses in religious education.' 'For LEAs and SACREs this might include conferences, perhaps organised on a regional basis; proper support for SACREs, some encouragement from the DfES for all LEAs to meet their obligations to SACRE and to recognise that all need practical support in their monitoring role since Ofsted reports no longer include subject judgements; to look again at the role of RE in the 14–19 White Paper; the NCSL to look at including awareness of the place of RE in School Leaders training such as NPQH; following up the TTA's suggestion that 20 day courses in RE for a cohort of teachers would make a significant impact on teaching and learning, especially in the primary phase.'

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Chair's Report

Subject Specialists Advising KS3 Strategy Team
A major benefit of having a national framework for RE should be that we are automatically included in curriculum projects - notice curriculum projects and not National Curriculum projects.
Whilst many celebrate the local determination of RE, this unique statutory position is a mixed blessing as regards equal treatment for RE alongside Core and Foundation subjects.

An example of good practice
Resources for the Key Stage 3 National Strategy are having a significant impact in secondary schools. RE was included in the Foundation Subjects Strand before anyone noticed that RE is not a Foundation subject! The strategy team is keen to integrate their investment in materials with developments outside the strategy, for example, the non-statutory national framework (NSNF).
A Key Partners Group has therefore been formed to steer the messages in subject material and to provide quality assurance and feedback for any writing projects. PCfRE is represented on the group along with QCA, DfES, Ofsted, the Humanities Association and AREIAC. Materials being produced relate to Assessment for Learning (focused on Securing Progression) and to Questioning and Dialogue. Such 'joined-up thinking', with its clear messages, can only help RE teachers by allowing us to work with other subject areas on National Initiatives and supporting developments in our own subject.

An example of bad practice
This approach contrasts with difficulties over the Primary Strategy. We wrote to that team when RE was conspicuously omitted from the ICT materials last year; although according to Ofsted, RE needs the most help with ICT! The Primary Strategy team replied:
'We decided to start with National Curriculum subjects' which translated means: we decided to ignore RE. We await a positive response from them and could offer several experts of our own to help them produce really excellent materials.

Teachers' TV
Lat Blaylock and I have been developing some RE programming with Teachers' TV (Sky Channel 592 and Freeview 47) and I was involved in Resource Review.
The primary KS2 programme was broadcast in March; other RE programmes will follow including Elephant God, Sacrifice and Islam.

Rolling out the national framework
Top of teachers' wish lists during the NSNF consultation were new schemes of work from QCA. That wish has been granted and work began in February on new schemes that follow the programme of study and breadth of study of the framework. The plan is to have these ready for the autumn term 2005. There is more on the schemes of work in these news pages.

Deborah Weston
Chair of PCfRE

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Ruth Kelly: Where might she take RE?

The new Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, has had a meteoric rise, so what do we know about her?

Ruth Kelly: the person
Born in Northern Ireland in 1968, Ruth Kelly is the youngest cabinet minister and is known for her no-nonsense approach.
A talented economist with degrees from Oxford and LSE, she also has 'O' level RE!
Hailed as another 'superwoman' who combines a high profile career with a busy family life (a record 4 children born while an MP), Ms Kelly has spoken about the importance of a healthy work-life balance and challenged businesses to value employees' family lives. Ruth Kelly is a practising Roman Catholic and allegedly belongs to Opus Dei. Although the DfES has been reluctant to discuss her faith, the RE world is interested in her personal stance at a formative time for RE policy. According to The Times, her conservative approach to contraception and abortion has prohibited jobs in the Departments for Health and International Development, and some teachers are speculating about her approach to sex education.
Despite such reporting, Ms Kelly's personal integrity and principles have impressed her colleagues. Her former boss at The Guardian described her as 'imbued with a great sense of public purpose - she has a moral compass and she runs her life by it.'

Ruth Kelly: religious education
Her priority has been the reform of 14-19 education, and the Government's decision to retain GCSE and A/AS Level while developing vocational education has not affected the place of RE in the curriculum.
The publication of the national framework raised expectations of DfES support for RE and SACREs are anticipating revised schemes of work and exemplification material.
But significant curriculum developments for any subject are unlikely until after a General Election.

The RE Council has asked Ms Kelly to return to the issue of Collective Worship arguing that 'education which leaves beliefs and values unexamined... diminishes the individual and puts our social fabric at risk.' Again, we must wait for a response.

Ruth Kelly: schools and education
More broadly, she has tasks related to implementing teachers' workload agreement, schools' contribution to improved childcare, plans to open 200 privately sponsored academies in deprived areas, and the parent's right to choose successful schools. Her idea to give over-subscribed schools the right to expand would be popular with parents, but less so with those heads who fear this could alter the ethos which contributes to their success.

At an important time in education, we wait to see what Ruth Kelly does for RE and for education generally.

Rachel Barker
PCfRE Executive Officer

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New Schemes of Work from QCA

Like many RE teachers, I was excited about a national framework for RE. As an RE Co-ordinator in a middle school, I felt that anything to help raise the profile and status of RE could only be a good thing. Having read the framework, I was not disappointed, but I had one question - how could I make this a reality in the classroom?
Thankfully, QCA have begun the process of writing new schemes of work (SOW) to accompany the national framework and I am delighted to be a member of this writing group.

The QCA project is led by PCfRE Chair, Debbie Weston. It aims to produce high quality, informative SOW that will improve the quality of teaching and learning in RE whilst enabling teachers to implement the guidance in the national framework.
Overall, this material will interpret the framework in terms of teaching and learning experience. The previous QCA schemes will be utilised in the new guidance, to allow teachers to build on their existing SOW rather than start from scratch.
The new schemes will be based on an overriding key question for each year group. Inevitably, some changes will be necessary to implement the developments in the framework such as those concerning learning outcomes, breadth of study and the 8 level scale etc.
The new SOW should be forward-looking and innovative in their approach, reflecting recent developments in planning, delivering and assessing in RE.
The schemes will be web-based, enabling teachers to modify them for their own purposes and allowing the schemes to be updated.
The QCA writing group hopes that teachers will find these SOW stimulating, easy to follow and really useful in exemplifying what good RE should look like in the classroom.

Katie Ashcroft
Cranborne Middle School, Dorset

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'Assessment for learning' action research

PCfRE's action research project on assessment for learning was launched this spring with a meeting of RE Co-ordinators from KS1, KS2 and KS3 who form the research team.
During the day the group looked at 'I can...' statements developed for use with the DfES/QCA eight level scale. These statements are a ladder of skills which condense the eight level scale into key words, and enable teachers to identify skills for each level and thereby to look for progression. By way of preparation, group members discussed the purpose and process of 'assessment for learning' and how it might impact on marking and feedback to pupils, and shared examples of pupils' work and planning for assessment.
Then members identified an area of RE they planned to cover in the coming term that could be used to trial some ideas they had shared. A wide range of approaches will be taken:

Task setting on a unit of work on Special People (KS1)
Outcomes through a whole-school topic on Easter (FS, KS1, KS2)
Task setting for a unit on Why the Bible is important for Christians (KS2)
Task setting for Level 4 with a Year 7 unit on The Seven Deadly Sins (KS3)
Outcomes for a lesson on 'Jesus - Light of the world' (Y5/6)
Questions to ask during a unit on Sikhism (KS3)
Self-assessment for a unit on Sikhism (KS3)

When the group meets again they will share the results of the trials and decide how to make it into a useful resource for other teachers interested in developing assessment for learning in RE. PCfRE will publish the results of this project for all members in due course.

Alison Brown
PCfRE Executive

RE and ICT: latest resources

Amongst the plethora of hardware and software on display at BETT 2005 (the annual educational technology show at Olympia) it was possible to find a few new resources for RE, including:

• The DfES launched Key Stage 3 Embedding ICT@Secondary: Religious Education (Reference: DfES 0799/2004). This contains a copy of the ICTAC resource for RE (September 2004), along with Use of Interactive Whiteboards in RE - a new introductory A4 booklet setting out some of the basics and Video Case Studies - a new CD-ROM containing three filmed lessons with support materials. Available from DfES Publications (Tel: 0845 60 222 60).
• Teachers familiar with Clicker will be interested to learn that Clicker 5 is due to be launched in spring/summer 2005 and promises to make using this superb resource even easier and more flexible. Upgrades are available and can be ordered online (Crick Software: www.cricksoft.com/uk).
• Becta ICT Advice online newsletters published in February have RE material in both Primary and Secondary (www.advice.org.uk).
• The Teacher Resource Exchange (TRE) (tre.ngfl.gov.uk) is a moderated database of resources and activities designed to help teachers develop and share ideas for good practice. With new ideas being submitted for all subjects all the time, this is a resource to check out from time to time - what is there for you to download - and what can you contribute?

Rosemary Rivett
RE Today

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Assessment Materials launched in Wales

Teachers in Wales welcomed the Optional Assessment Materials (OAMs) for Religious Education launched by the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC, equivalent of QCA) in December.

The OAMs consist of a teacher's book and four assessment units each for Key Stages 2 and 3, and follow the format of those for other subjects i.e.:
They identify how the requirements of ACCAC's Exemplar Programmes of Study and Locally Agreed Syllabuses in Wales are met.
They provide unit specific assessment criteria directly linked to ACCAC's exemplar level descriptions, with examples of pupils' work to illustrate the characteristics of each level.
They contain guidance on using the materials, classroom resources and a 'where next' section on further learning experiences to progress pupils' achievement.

ACCAC's commissioning process to develop these OAMs has benefited RE. At the launch, teachers involved in the extensive trials, including Rhian Davies (PCfRE Executive), reported on their positive impact. Using the materials had raised standards by integrating assessment into pupils' experience. The units were practical, easily incorporated into existing schemes of work on Worship, Celebrations, Fundamental Questions etc., and had stimulated pupils' interest. The OAMs raised the status of RE, placed the subject at the heart of the curriculum and fed into other subject areas. Gavin Craigen, adviser and chair of NAPfRE also praised the materials. For more information, contact Denize Morris, Subject Officer for RE at ACCAC on 02920 375400.

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Discussions with Charles Clarke at the REC, November 2004

At the RE Council on 2 November, the Secretary of State for Education, Mr Charles Clarke, and the Chief Executive of the Teacher Training Agency (TTA), Sir Ralph Tabberer, spoke following the launch in the previous week of the new non-statutory framework for religious education. In their presentations they moved from positive and congratulatory comments about the NSNF to the 'what next?' thoughts which RE teachers and advisers have been waiting for. Here is an outline of a few of their salient points:

Continued Professional Development

• Mr Clarke offered a rationale for the fact that responsibility for the provision of Continued Professional Development (CPD) for RE teachers has been given to the TTA - he feels that a national agency will promote a consistent quality and meet need effectively. CPD can be varied - the TTA has a mandate to look at a broad range of approaches;
  
  
• He acknowledged that there is an important relationship between CPD and the professional associations (e.g. PCfRE), and also between schools and local faith communities - establishing links between these bodies will be important, not only in terms of CPD but also, for example, for finding ways in mono-cultural areas for pupils to have practical experience of meeting religious believers and visiting places of worship;
  
  
• A question for teachers regarding CPD is: what proportion of time and cost will be met by the school or LEA, and what proportion by individual teachers? Both Charles Clarke and Ralph Tabberer, while outlining some exciting CPD possibilities, put forward the suggestion (expectation?) that teachers should pay in part for their own CPD.
  
  
• Ralph Tabberer spoke enthusiastically about the extended remit for CPD which the TTA is developing following the Secretary of State's invitation. He has a vision of schools incorporating family and children's services, and of providing training for the wider workforce in schools, e.g. support staff, as schools are now mixed professional teams. He stressed the need for teachers to have new expectations where CPD is concerned. They need to expect and feel an entitlement for high quality CPD … and to be prepared to pay for it in partnership with their schools, to which funding is currently devolved. Sir Ralph indicated that the TTA is more interested in subject development than in anything else, and that he would like to see CPD provision of 20 - 30 days, an interesting proposal which I would like to see more fully explained and worked out in practical terms.

The role and funding of SACREs

• The funding of a SACRE depends on the esteem with which it is held by the LEA and schools it serves. SACREs need to ask themselves how they can get schools to value their work, which is a question of quality - i.e. funding will not be coming directly from the DfES. I found this discouraging as SACREs which do not feel well supported or valued by their LEA will have to continue to battle locally for funding. As these are often the SACREs who have no specialist RE support with which to raise the quality of their work, it seems to me that change could be more helpfully facilitated.

Collective Worship

• As SACREs have responsibility for both RE and Collective Worship, the fact that RE and the role of SACREs have come into the limelight with the non-statutory framework for RE means that people are asking questions about Collective Worship too. I think there is some danger of confusing the distinctive natures of RE and school worship, but I'm also pleased that it's on the Secretary of State's agenda. The majority of members of the REC voted for a review of the guidance contained in Circular 1/94. Mr Clarke took this on board, accepting that the guidance was regarded by many as confusing and outdated and that after RE school worship was ripe for review, but he was unwilling to try to review legislation. (Circular 1/94 isn't legislation, of course, so it will be interesting to see what happens next.) He said that both Collective Worship and the non-statutory framework for RE could evolve further with a united proposal from all the faith communities, including the established Church - that is, not simply on a political basis. He also pointed out that many head teachers don't like Collective Worship, so it will be a matter not just of training but of coming up with a model which gains support.

Rachel Barker
PCfRE Executive Officer

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PCfRE comment on the Launch of the Non-Statutory Framework for RE

PCfRE - the RE professional's subject teacher association
PCfRE, which represents 2500 classroom teachers of religious education from all faiths and none in English schools, welcomes the Government's new RE framework as a first step to improving RE for all. Where religions are often perceived as divisive, and intolerance grows, RE promotes respect for all. While the subject's shortage of specialist teachers continues to be acute, and standards are criticised by OFSTED, the framework can help local syllabus makers to improve the quality of teaching.

RE: the opposite of indoctrination
The new framework pictures RE which includes learning about Christianity and many other religions, and about non-religious ways of life. A level 8 atheist, or an agnostic with a grade A are good products of the subject, which opens minds rather than forcing belief on anyone.

Rachel Barker, PCfRE Executive Officer, comments: 'The future looks bright for RE. This framework puts high quality, imaginative RE in the limelight. It is a welcome recognition from the DfES of the importance of the subject and of the essential role it plays in young people's development and learning. Local Agreed Syllabus Conferences have a good document here to underpin and shape the valuable work they do, and I look forward to the results.'

The PCfRE believes that the DfES has neglected questions about standards in RE, marginalising the subject, and allowing the RE teacher shortage, the need to improve standards and the weakness of some schools and LEAs in RE to fester. This at a time when issues of community cohesion between Muslims and Christians, religious prejudice and ignorance and the need for respect in schools are very obvious.

As the association for all who teach RE, PCfRE has been active in promoting the quality of the subject through training, publications, lobbying and services to our 2500 members. Since 1997, Religious Studies has been the fastest growing GCSE for 7 years in a row (from 113 000 to over 370 000), and numbers at A level have shot up recently too. We now look for support for quality and high standards in RE from Charles Clarke, who tells us he thinks subject teaching is crucial to good schools, and who has taken subject-responsibility for RE on himself, rather than delegating it to a junior minister. The PCfRE shopping list for government support for RE includes support for more teachers, curriculum guidance and other projects.

Deborah Weston, Chairperson of PCfRE and teacher at a Muslim-majority LEA school in Tower Hamlets, comments: 'The launch of the non-statutory national framework is an important landmark in the continuing development of religious education. It provides a benchmark for challenging and forward-looking RE in the 21st century. It is designed to help SACREs and their Agreed Syllabus Conferences to produce new syllabuses that will be of the greatest benefit to all our children.

'This is only the beginning of the work however, because the framework cannot ensure that the serious shortage of RE teachers is resolved, or ensure that those schools who fail to keep their statutory duty to provide RE for all pupils now do so.

'Many of our SACREs and their Agreed Syllabus Conferences will need support and training if they are to make full use of the framework when developing their new syllabuses. Once an Agreed Syllabus is introduced, training must be provided for teachers to ensure that the important dissemination from syllabus to scheme of work to teaching and learning will meet the needs of all pupils in our religiously diverse society.

'Local SACREs, Agreed Syllabus Conferences and teachers of RE deserve and need this level of support and training. We have seen the National Literacy Strategy, the National Numeracy Strategy and now it is essential that we plan a national RE strategy that will build on the momentum that has been generated by the National Framework.'

Lat Blaylock, Project worker for PCfRE and Editor of Retoday, adds: 'In thousands of RE lessons every day, pupils have a chance to explore the spiritual and the plural, the Christian and the Muslim ways of life, the spirituality of Hinduism or the practice of Buddhism, their own beliefs and values. Good teachers make this happen. Local SACREs are a great partnership between faith and education, showing that the agreement between faiths can be stronger than any difference. We have been working for a high quality national framework to guide Syllabus makers in each of the 151 LEAs for two years now. It's good news that Charles Clarke has launched this inclusive, well thought out framework today, but tests of the government's commitment to RE will include whether they address the massive teacher shortage in the subject and whether they put RE on the level with PE, or Geography, or Art in their national strategies. We are keen to see further signs that the government takes RE as seriously as other subjects.'

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The Launch of the Non-Statutory Framework for Religious Education
Address by Deborah Weston - Chair of the Professional Council for RE

It probably goes without saying that I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Professional Council for RE at this prestigious occasion. It would be easy to underestimate the tremendous achievement that this framework represents. The first achievement was in finding a Secretary of State who had the courage to step out where so many others have feared to tread: into the world of religion and religious education.

However, it is precisely that fear which makes the framework so vital in correcting the enormous misunderstandings that exist about the nature of religious education in all sections of our society. This should encourage us to drive forward with the framework and to use it to re-educate those who speak so powerfully and convincingly but in total ignorance of what actually goes on in religious education today and who often choose to ignore the crucial part the subject plays in preparing pupils for life in our diverse and morally challenging society.

It is interesting that children and young people, especially those in the 14-19 age-group, are much more aware of this crucial role. They have shown this by opting for GCSE RE courses in such large numbers as to make the subject the fastest growing GCSE for 7 years in a row. This is a message the government needs to hear when taking the Tomlinson Report on 14-19 reform into a White Paper. This report echoes the framework in identifying the importance of the subject in knowing and understanding cultural and religious diversity, but there is so much to religious education, especially in the area of spiritual and moral awareness. Still - we always saw the framework as having a wider role in helping to inform policy makers.

It is really exciting that there seems to be an unprecedented interest in multi-faith RE from overseas at the moment. In the last two years alone, I have hosted high-level delegations from South Africa, Japan, Norway and countless other groups from Europe. They are much impressed by the type of religious education we offer and on the way we encourage pupils to learn about and from religions. They ask about the impact on pupils' spiritual and moral development and the effect of RE on community cohesion.

Throughout this project Graham Langtree (QCA consultant for RE) has repeated an important phrase to all of us involved in the writing and steering groups. He says, 'It is all about the learning.' He is absolutely right to place the children at the heart of this exercise. Of course, this framework will find its primary audience in SACREs and their Agreed Syllabus Conferences; they will be the ones to decide if we have succeeded in making the framework flexible enough to reflect the needs of their local community, but I believe this question, important though it is, needs to be balanced with the question of whether a syllabus reflects the needs of the country as a whole - I think it is important for all our children to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding to cope with our religiously diverse society; this should not depend entirely on where they live.

The 1988 Education Reform Act requires that Agreed Syllabuses shall reflect the fact that the religions of this country are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the other principal religions represented in the UK. This framework provides a structure for ensuring that religious education promotes understanding and dialogue between people of different faiths and none. RE is not a course in 'Everything you wanted to know about all the world religions but were afraid to ask'! RE at its best is a finely balanced programme, which begins with pupils' own experience of life and gradually introduces new knowledge, concepts and questions. This, in time, gives pupils a conceptual framework for their own growing understanding of religions and religious ideas and, therefore, a growing understanding of the people for whom those faiths determine how they live. So you can see, as Graham says; it's all about the learning!

I wondered how I could illustrate this, since the best way would be to be able to take you into my classroom. Then a friend and colleague reminded me that I was filmed in July this year, for a series of DfES case studies on ICT in the curriculum. As I play this film, I want you to focus on what the children are learning and perhaps to consider the potential impact of that learning on society as a whole.

[Tape played at this point]

The launch of the non-statutory national framework is an important landmark in the continuing development of religious education. In the consultation process, teachers overwhelmingly supported the framework. They know it has the potential to put all SACREs and their Agreed Syllabus Conferences on an equal footing by providing a benchmark for challenging and forward-looking RE in the 21st century.

This is only the beginning of the work, however, because the framework cannot ensure that the serious shortage of RE teachers is resolved, or ensure that those schools that fail to keep their statutory duty to provide RE for all pupils now do so.

Many of our SACREs and their Agreed Syllabus Conferences will need support and training if they are to make full use of the framework when developing their new syllabuses. At our last count, only 61 of the 151 authorities employed an adviser with any responsibility for RE. So, once a new local Agreed Syllabus is introduced, government-funded training must be provided for teachers to ensure that the important dissemination from syllabus to scheme of work to teaching and learning will meet the needs of all pupils in our religiously diverse society.

SACREs, Agreed Syllabus Conferences and teachers of RE deserve and need this level of support and training. We have seen the National Literacy Strategy, the National Numeracy Strategy and now it is essential that we plan a National RE Strategy that will build on the momentum that has been generated by the national framework.

I'd like to leave you with an image of the type of forward-looking RE promoted by this framework. These images were the product of 'Spirited Arts', a PCfRE project designed to open up the frontiers between religion and spirituality. It aims to help children learn about spiritual expression in different faiths and to find some ways of expressing themselves spiritually too. We had hundreds of entries, but here is a selection. When people ask me why I am still in the classroom after 21 years, it is this type of work and the learning that it exemplifies that is my answer. This new framework can bring this learning to more of our children - I commend it to you.

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The Tomlinson Review and RE

• increasing participation and raising student achievement;
• developing a more rational qualifications structure, increasing uptake in vocational qualifications;
• adding to the breadth of study;
• reducing the emphasis on external written examinations.

The four diplomas proposed relate to increasing levels of demand but are not age-related, thus youngsters ‘talented’ in RE could do AS and A2 before 16 years of age.
Tomlinson identifies three components in a template for learning:

• common skills;
• core activities (maths skills, communication and ICT projects, personal planning and wider activities);
• main learning (where RE would feature, which includes specialisation, complementary learning and learner choice).

There are no plans to change the legal basis of RE but the review raises important questions about the future of the subject:

• how RE might be accredited in future, in view of reduced external written examinations, and what forms of assessment might be used;
• what role RE might play in vocational developments;
• how RE can contribute to the core curriculum and common skills.

Graham Langtree
QCA Consultant for RE

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Chair's column

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Rhian Davies: Representing Wales

ICT in RE

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Global citizenship in stitches

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Bexton beacon

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Faith and citizenship

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Science and religion

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TeachRE maintains momentum

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Headlines from Chief Inspectors' Report 2002–3

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