Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that pupils have equal access to religious education.

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.

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.