RE and RVE: England and Wales context

Use these resources alongside the curriculum that applies to your school. England's Religious Education arrangements and Wales's Religion, Values and Ethics framework need separate consideration. A useful activity does not, by itself, establish coverage of a syllabus or fulfil a school's duties.

Sources checked: 3 November 2026. This page helps teachers locate the relevant documents and make planning checks. It is not a complete account of education law or advice about an individual rights dispute.

Scope of this page

The collection focuses on humanism, non-religious worldviews, ethical reasoning and critical thinking, with material intended for teachers to adapt for learners approximately aged 11–16. It is a supplementary resource collection.

The context notes below cover England and Wales. They do not claim alignment with provision in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The English-language resources are not a complete bilingual provision for Wales, a full RE or RVE curriculum, or a complete GCSE course.

England and Religious Education

The Department for Education's overview includes RE among compulsory subjects and identifies variation in syllabus responsibility. School type and religious designation matter; there is no single RE programme followed in the same way by every school.

For academies and free schools, the DfE's school-type guidance explains the role of funding agreements and religious designation. Academies without a religious designation may adopt a locally agreed syllabus, another area's syllabus or an approach meeting the applicable requirements. Do not assume that an academy must use its local authority's syllabus.

The academy guidance linked here was published in 2012. It is useful official background on arrangements, but old inspection references on that page should not be treated as a current inspection framework. Check the current document relevant to the particular question.

Wales and Religion, Values and Ethics

Hwb's Humanities guidance places Religion, Values and Ethics within the Curriculum for Wales. It includes religious and non-religious philosophical convictions and describes an objective, critical and pluralistic approach. Its stated educational purpose is not to make learners religious or non-religious.

The legislation summary explains the legal framework and the status of RVE guidance. Check the applicable agreed syllabus and school context as well as the national guidance. Requirements and relevant arrangements can differ with school type.

For these resources, begin with the learning purpose in the school's curriculum, then choose the example and level of support. Do not translate an English key-stage label into a claim of Welsh curriculum coverage. Consider language, local context, prior learning and progression together.

The legislation summary also includes post-compulsory provisions commencing in September 2027. Those should not be presented as current November 2026 arrangements for this collection's approximately 11–16 audience.

Distinguish the status of a source

The RE Council's Religion and Worldviews materials are professional curriculum resources. Their example frameworks reflect particular contexts and are not a universal template. Linking to them does not imply their endorsement of this site.

A planning checklist

Before using an activity, record the following in the school's normal planning format:

1. Applicable context: country, school arrangements, current syllabus or specification.
2. Learning purpose: the particular knowledge or reasoning pupils will develop.
3. Starting point: what pupils need to know before they can complete the task.
4. Resource choice: the text, source or fictional case that serves that purpose.
5. Adaptation: reading demand, vocabulary, language, accessibility and participation.
6. Assessment: the evidence of understanding you will look for.
7. Place in the sequence: what this activity builds on and what follows it.

For example, a vocabulary-card activity might help pupils distinguish several terms before reading a primary source. It would not establish that a whole programme on religion and non-religion has been taught.

Select and adapt the resources

The teaching guide connects subject knowledge with source selection, discussion and assessment. The classroom collection provides complete activities that can be selected for a defined purpose.

Check official sources when curriculum arrangements change and before relying on a time-sensitive statement. Our editorial policy explains how we distinguish source material, interpretation and original teaching suggestions. The source-check date above records this edition's research; it does not imply that a government body has reviewed or approved the collection.