PGCE Religious Education
Dear Student
Welcome to the RE PGCE course at Sheffield Hallam University. I hope that you will enjoy studying here with us and working with our partner schools in the region. The PGCE course is an intensive one and each of you will embark upon the course with different strengths and areas to develop. Therefore I have suggested some things below that you might like to undertake to help you prepare for September. Also if there were conditions attached to your offer (e.g. successful completion of a course or qualification) you will need to inform the Admissions team that they have been fulfilled.
Many thanks
Helen Sheehan
Key Preparations/Readings (3 or 4):
BARNES, Philip (2012). Debates in Religious Education. London, Routledge
HOLT, James (2015). Religious education in the secondary school: an introduction to teaching, learning and the world religions. Routledge.
WRIGHT, Andrew, BRANDOM, Ann-Marie and BARNES, Philip (2007). Learning to Teach Religious Education in the Secondary School: a companion to school experience. 2nd ed. London, Routledge.
You should also spend some time exploring the online CPD handbook for Religious Education which can be found at http://www.re-handbook.org.uk/. This will give you important background information. I suggest you focus particularly on the following sections:
- A short history of religious education
- Religious traditions and beliefs
- The religious education curriculum
- Approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in religious education
You should read the most recent Ofsted report focussing on Religious Education – Religious education: realising the potential. This can be found here.
Explore www.reonline.org.uk and www.natre.org.uk. These websites will give you some idea of the current issues in RE and the online resources available to you.
Be aware of any gaps in subject knowledge within the six main world faiths. Try to ensure a basic knowledge of each (section 2 of the CPD handbook mentioned above should help you plan your work in this area).
Reading Lists:
The following is not an extensive list, but highlights some key texts which you might like to look at to help you being to develop your understanding of the pedagogical issues associated with Religious Education.
CHATER, Mark, and ERRICKER, Clive (2013). Does religious education have a future? : pedagogical and policy prospects. London, Routledge.
CONROY, James C. (2013). Does religious education work? : a multi-dimensional investigation. London, Bloomsbury.
COPLEY, Terence (2008). Teaching religion: sixty years of religious education in England and Wales. New updated ed. Exeter, University of Exeter Press.
DINHAM, Adam and SHAW, Martha (2015) RE for REal: the future of teaching and learning about religion and belief. Available online
GRIMMITT, Michael (2000). Pedagogies of religious education: case studies in the research and development of good pedagogic practice in RE. Great Wakering, McCrimmon.
WATSON, Brenda, and THOMPSON, Penny (2007). The effective teaching of religious education / Brenda Watson and Penny Thompson. 2nd ed. Harlow, Pearson Longman.
Link to subject association website (if appropriate):
National Association of Teachers of Religious Education – www.natre.org.uk
See also the website of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales – http://religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/
Curriculum and/or Key Specifications:
DFES (2010) Religious Education in English schools: Non-statutory guidance 2010. Nottingham, DFSF Publications – this can be found here
REC (2013) A Review of Religious Education in England – this can be found here
Each local authority has its own Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. Some of these are available online (including the syllabus for Sheffield which can be found here). You should have a look at this (or the syllabus for your locality if you are a School Direct trainee who will be based outside Sheffield). This will help you to understand the level of knowledge you will require in relation to the six major faiths for teaching at key stage 3.
Preliminary Subject Knowledge Audit:
You will need to have a working knowledge of the six major world faiths – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam Judaism and Sikhism. After reading through the guidance above and considering your knowledge of the six main world faiths, identify the following:
- 3 key areas in which you feel confident / have substantial experience.
- 3 key areas where you feel less confident / lack experience in.
You will be required to complete a more detailed subject knowledge audit at the start of your course.
In order to keep up to date with developments in education we recommend that you read the TES (Times Educational Supplement- www.tes.co.uk) and the Guardian Education supplement (www.theguardian.com/education). We also recommend that you regularly read a broadsheet newspaper.