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Think RE is irrelevant in the 21st Century or think it is only for religious people or can only lead to a career as a vicar or an RE teacher? Think again. RE A-level is dynamic, challenging and essential for life in modern Britain! Just listen and find out.

If you are a parent of a student who wants to take RE A-level, or a student who is thinking of doing it or are not sure, or you are a school leader who wants to understand the value of RE, then listen up!

Young people who are training to be Doctors and Barristers, who work in technology and finance and education speak on how important RE A-level has been in their further study and careers.

To be able to be trained in the art of argument, critical thinking, empathy, out of the box thinking, and much more has enabled them to be successful in a wide variety of careers.

• I chat to five young people who did RE A-level and we discuss;
• Why they choose RE and what they liked about it
• How has RE helped them
• Whether RE is academic?
• Whether you need to be religious to do RS
• Whether you need to have RS GCSE to do RS A-level?
• What advice they would have for someone thinking of doing RS or about to start it

I also chat to Dr. Fazilat Dar, Head of Data Science for TfL about why critical thinking and being able to see things from someone elses perspective are essential skills in industry.

Here are links to the things mentioned in the episode.

Informed Choices

https://www.informedchoices.ac.uk/start

The CBI Scandal

https://www.thecorporategovernanceinstitute.com/insights/case-studies/the-cbi-scandal-highlights-failure-on-every-level/?srsltid=AfmBOooTe5vr-FtGX5-5q36yGs7lrWb-xXTGwxXJe5_kt6qlSjSUOpZ0

David Roden

https://philpeople.org/profiles/david-roden

Simon Jenkins

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/staff/sjenkins/

Wako - David Koresh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Koresh

Dunning Kruger effect

https://www.google.com/search?q=dunning+kruger+effect&sca_esv=b703f1cd0674f892&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB1101GB1101&sxsrf=AHTn8zqWUAZg47-JSSu3DsRhTnECqw0Jqw%3A1747077462512&ei=VkkiaP-HH-CBhbIP3P7omAM&oq=dunning+kruger+eff&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiEmR1bm5pbmcga3J1Z2VyIGVmZioCCAAyCBAAGIAEGLEDMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAESI0fUJsBWNMQcAF4AZABAJgBWaABlgKqAQE0uAEByAEA-AEBmAIFoALCAsICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAg0QABiABBiwAxhDGIoFwgIOEAAYsAMY5AIY1gTYAQHCAhMQLhiABBiwAxhDGMgDGIoF2AEBmAMAiAYBkAYRugYGCAEQARgJkgcBNaAH3xayBwE0uAewAg&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

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If you have not ever heard of this trial or it's significance to the RE classroom then don't miss this episode. It underpins our teaching of fundamentalism, science and religion, diversity of worldviews and curriculum freedom. It also shines a light on global issues and polarisation.

As we approach the 100 year anniversary of this trial (10th July 1925) listen to Ruth Marx speak passionately about John Scope!

Here are the many links to things referenced in the episode

Charter for compassion

https://charterforcompassion.org/

Dawn Cox' blog

https://missdcoxblog.wordpress.com/

Sarah Silverman - we are all human and deserve love (warning, some people might find this language and humour offensive)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahdR6aHQvMQ

Karen Armstrongs ted talk on charter for compassion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMm4RAwVLo

Smithsonian Institution Archives

The Leopold And Loeb Trial: An Account

Big Ideas lesson plan and resources on the Scope trial (monkey trial)

C11-14-BI6-ex2-v1.docx

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In 2020 while the world went on lockdown, something incredible emerged to support us teaching remotely - Oak National Academy. Teachers from all over the country created online lessons along with videos which students could watch, pause, re-watch and learn. These were lessons created by teachers for teachers for all Key Stages for all subjects. When the world went back to normal, Oak National continued and teachers realised how perfect these lessons were for cover, CPD and revision. Five years later, Oak National is going from strength to strength; aiming to have an all through curriculum based on the latest educational research which can support teachers everyday.

Adam Robertson has been leading the team to develop the Oak Curriculum for RE and together they have created a worldclass, worldview curriculum which is my go to for cover and CPD for Teacher With Other Specialisms. I have also been priviledged to be part of the team developing these lessons and I know how merticuluously they are planned to ensure they are fit for purpose in the 21st Century. In this episode Adam joins me for a behind the scenes look at how Oak works.

https://www.thenational.academy/teachers/curriculum/religious-education-secondary-aqa/units

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Calling all teachers of Religion, Crime and Punishment. This weeks guest is Dr. Evelyn Svingen who's specialist subject is criminology. We discussion reasons for crime, aims of punishment, types of punishment, the history of punishment, the death penalty, women in prison, and the relationship between foriveness and retribution.

Evelyn mentioned lots of amazing resources to explore;

I was almost a school shooter: Ted Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azRl1dI-Cts

Gagaca Courts, Rwanda

https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/assets/pdf/Backgrounder%20Justice%202014.pdf

The innocence Project

https://innocenceproject.org/

When they see us documentary

https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80200549

Elizabeth Loftus, False memories Ted Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB2OegI6wvI

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I LOVED this chat with Dr. Martin Pickup so much. He is an associate professor in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Birmingham Centre for Philosophy of Religion. His particular specialism is metaphysics and the Philosophy of Religion so we had a lovely chat about these two things; specifically What metaphysics, how it's changed over time and how this has impacted philosophy of religion. We discuss analytic theology, Leibniz and the Principle of Sufficient Reason, the Ontological Argument and look to the future of metaphysics.

Martin also tells about a new project he is working on - a global philosophy of religions project!

If you teach Philosophy or Religious Studies A-level then I think you will find this chat really helpful. It is also really accessible so your A-level students might find it useful too!

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As we continue to recognise diversity in faith traditions within our worldviews curriculums, I interview Dr. Rhiannon Grant about diversity in the Quaker tradition. Senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, her specialism is modern Quaker thought.

Following on from the episode with Matthew Guest on Quakerism more generally, this focusses on how Quakers have changed overtime, non-theistic Quakerism, global Quakerism as well as advice about how to incorporate this into the classroom and avoid misconceptions.

Rhiannon was a knowledgeable and delightful guest and so easy to listen to!

She sign posted us to some great resources;

Her book 'Quakers do what? Why?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quaker-Quicks-Quakers-What-Why/dp/1789044057

Pink Dandelions' books on Quakers

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quakers-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0199206791

Quaker speak videos

https://quakerspeak.com/

Quakers in Britain website

https://www.quaker.org.uk/

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*Please tweet along with us LIVE this Sunday as we watch the first episode of the new BBC Pilgrimage series BB2 Easter Sunday 9pm*

Welcome to this very special Easter Episode of The RE Podcast where I am on location in London at the press screening of the new BBC Pilgrimage series set to air on Easter Sunday 2025 (20th April).

I chat to 6 of the 7 pilgrims who made the 300km pilgrimage across the Alps, all agreeing that the biggest journey was in their self awareness and friendships with each other. We talk about the importance of curiosity and asking questions and looking at the similarities between us. I even try and recruit a couple to teaching RE.

My thanks to agnostic Jay McGuiness, singer from boy band, The Wanted; actor and comedy legend Helen Lederer who is from a mixed heritage background, with a culturally Jewish father and a Protestant mother; practising Catholic, Harry Clark - The Traitors (series two) winner; standup comedian Daliso Chaponda, who grew up in a Christian family but is exploring the Baha’i faith; retired Paralympian and practising Christian Stef Reid and journalist Nelufar Hedayat, who refers to herself as a modern Muslim. Presenter Jeff Brazier, who went to Catholic schools but now is spiritual and meditates as part of his everyday life, was not able to attend the press screening so does not feature in this episode.

My thanks also so Katie Freeman and Angela Hill for asking some great questions to give me a lot of this material.

My thanks also to CCTV and the BBC for producing this programme.

Websites

https://superhumans.com/en/

https://www.ctvc.co.uk/

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If you have never been to Strictly RE before, then it is the biggest RE Conference in the country, organised by NATRE and RE Today, where RE teachers from all over the country, from all settings join together and geek out on all things RE. There are keynote speeches, panel discussions, seminars, resources room and most importantly OTHER RE GEEKS TO TALK TO.

This year was the first face to face conference since before lockdown and we wanted to celebrate this by taking you to Strictly. If you were lucky enough to attend, I hope this episode is a reminder of how amazing it was. If you have never been before, I hope this episode inspires you to come next year. Link below to register your interest.

https://www.natre.org.uk/courses-events/strictly-re/

I talk to NATRE chair, Katie Freeman for some behind the scenes chat about what it was like to put on this event, and Katie Freeman and NATRE Director Angela Hill join me after for a post Strictly debrief.

I speak to some of the delegates at the conference about their experience, you'll hear a few clips from some of the talks and all the sounds from Strictly RE 2025.

Thank you do everyone who made this episode possible;

Angela Hill

Katie Freeman

Paul Hopkins

Nikki McGee

Sarah from Jigsaw

Ria Searle

Lat Blaylock

Andy

Ian Coles

Zoe Higgins

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