RE - Religious and non-religious worldviews

Information and resources to challenge, support and enrich the teaching of Religion and World Views in schools and academies in Dorset, Wiltshire and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole.

The DBE’s Advisory Team supports schools and academies on all aspects of Religious Education and Worldviews (RE&WV). We expect RE to be a valued and important academic subject in the curriculum and that it makes a significant contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students. 

Training and bespoke advice are offered, that enable the confident teaching of religious and non-religious worldviews. We support schools in their preparation for SIAMS and Ofsted inspection of RE.

Our expectation for Church schools is that RE will be an expression of the school’s Christian vision, which helps to educate for dignity and respect and that it will be taught in line with the Church of England Statement of Entitlement enabling every child/young person to have a rich understanding of Christian belief and practice, as well as to learn that there is diversity within both religious and non-religious worldviews that they study, as set out in the Locally Agreed Syllabus the school follows. 

We support schools to provide opportunities, and a safe space in RE lessons, for students to explore their own religious, philosophical and spiritual selves as they learn about how beliefs and values are formed and how they influence the way in which people live their lives and develop their own worldviews. 

Available support

We support high quality RE through courses for subject leaders and teachers of RE, as well as to governors and clergy with an especial link to the subject. We also offer bespoke advice through school visits and keep schools updated through regular School Leader Termly Briefings

We provide training for and help to facilitate the great RE Network Hubs and an RE forum in partnership with the local SACRES. Thanks to funding from Sarum St Michael’s Education Charity we are also able to run an annual virtual CREative REinspiring RE Conference in March. 

Information about Locally Agreed Syllabuses and school curriculums
• We recommend that all Church schools should teach RE in accordance with their Local Authority Agreed Syllabus. This is the legal expectation for foundation and voluntary controlled schools with a religious character.
• In voluntary aided schools, where RE must be taught in accordance with the trust deed, governors can determine to follow the Agreed Syllabus.
• In academies and free schools RE must be taught in accordance with the funding agreement, and academies are advised to adopt the Agreed Syllabus as their chosen method of delivery for RE.
• All schools should display an RE Policy on their website and we offer this SDBE Model Policy for RE for all Church schools.
 
 

"Politicians have power, but religion has something greater than power. It has influence. Politics moves the pieces but religion changes lives." 
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks


Main contacts for further support

Nicola Coupe 

School Improvement Adviser Strategic Lead for RE, Worship & Spirituality 

Get in touch

 
 

 

 

 

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