The Religious Education Quality Mark St Gabriel’s Teachers’ Weekend September 2013 Jane Brooke and Mary Myatt

Expectations for this session

Why an RE Quality Mark? How would it be if ….. The quality of the RE in your school was celebrated and acknowledged? You could see how to take the next steps to develop RE in your school? You could become even more excited and inspired to achieve great things in RE? Your learners could take their learning in RE to new heights?

How can the REQM help you on the journey?

The REQM Principles To celebrate high quality learning in RE To be robust, yet light touch To focus on what learners are saying To draw on the best, most imaginative principles of great learning in RE To share good practice

What can we tell about the quality of RE from these? using evidence to tell a big story…..

What is the REQM looking for? RE which is enjoyed by learners, which helps them thrive and succeed and which has an impact on wider school outcomes

High quality practice examples

REQM Five Strands Learners and Learning Teachers and teaching Curriculum Subject Leadership Continuing Professional Development

Listening to Learners Virtually all evidence for the criteria are triangulated with what learners are saying. So the learner questionnaires and interviews are crucial!

Learner Questionnaire Example What do you like learning about other people and their beliefs about life? Do you have the chance to say what you believe? What kind of important questions do you ask in RE? How do you know what to do to improve your work in RE? Do you have the chance to show what you know through art, drama or other creative ways? Can you talk about the last visitor you had in RE? Do you go on visits, use artefacts or stories or art to explore ideas in RE? Do you get the chance to explore local, national and global communities What could make your learning in RE even better? Is there anything else you would like to say?

A school’s evidence needs to show… That a high quality curriculum is in place – it is planned around big ideas and questions Learners have the chance to ask questions about religions and beliefs That learners are making good progress That learners report exceptional levels of engagement and enjoyment of their RE That the RE takes the lead on innovation in the school That the RE leaders are continually learning

Process 1 Schools will contact REQM administrator and register their interest in applying for the RE Quality Mark using the proforma on the website. REQM administrator confirms with the school the name of the assessor and copies the assessor in.

Process 2 Assessor makes contact with the school within 2 weeks, to: agree a date and time of visit – ideally within that half term; explain the agenda for the day; remind the school to highlight the evidence for the criteria; remind the school to have outcomes of the learner questionnaire ready.

Process 3 Visit for 2 hours by assessor to include: conversation with pupils (30 minutes to be completed first). Recommended: 8-10 pupils in total, with each year group represented. The subject leader should be present. subject leader to present evidence of criteria (1 hour 15 minutes) conversation with Senior Leadership Team with responsibility for RE (15 minutes maximum)

Process 4 Assessor asks school to complete an evaluation of the process and to send photographs if possible (Handout 7). If appropriate, assessors can collect pictures on their visit. Pictures need a short title, and a brief sentence about the context. Congratulatory plus award and banner.

What are learners saying? Sometimes when someone is struggling the teacher will consult the class who will offer advice on how to take things forward. RE is like an iceberg – as you unpack things you come to understand deeper meaning as in the parables or or considering what truth means.

What are teachers saying? The quality mark enables us to drive forward the message that we are committed to ensuring high quality R.E. takes place in our school and the benefits of this. The governors have played a crucial role and we now need to look at other stakeholders particularly parents and find out what their views are, and also if we can include them more in their children’s learning.

And finally…. I think the fact that children were involved in the process was invaluable as it is very evident very quickly whether they love and actively engage in R.E.