Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations of Ofsted’s subject report on religious education, published in April 2024.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The government notes the findings of the Ofsted subject report on religious education (RE) and is committed to ensuring high-quality provision of RE in schools in England.

In order to improve teaching quality, we currently offer a £10,000 bursary for RE trainee teachers starting initial teacher training courses in England.

To support teachers when they are in post, and to ensure high standards and consistency of RE teaching, RE resources have been procured by Oak National Academy. This ensures that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Initial RE resources were launched in autumn 2024, with full curriculum packages expected to be available by autumn 2025.

The government also welcomes the work that the Religious Education Council has done to assist curriculum developers by publishing its National Content Standard for RE in England.