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| National Association of Teachers of Religious Education | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Association of Teachers of Religious Education |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Membership | Teachers, lecturers, clergy |
| Leader title | President |
National Association of Teachers of Religious Education is a professional association for practitioners involved in Religious education in the United Kingdom, connecting classroom teachers, university lecturers, diocesan advisers and independent scholars. It engages with national bodies such as the Department for Education (United Kingdom), the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, diocesan boards like the Church of England's Diocese of London and ecumenical partners including the Roman Catholic Church in the United Kingdom, the Methodist Church in Great Britain and the United Reformed Church. The association interfaces with curriculum authorities such as the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and examination boards including AQA, OCR and Edexcel.
The association was established in the 20th century amid debates involving figures and institutions like John Dewey, the Scottish Education Department, the Board of Education and local education authorities in cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Early conferences featured speakers from universities such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of London, and regional teacher training colleges like King's College London and University of Manchester. During periods contemporaneous with the Butler Education Act 1944 and reforms following the Education Reform Act 1988, the organisation engaged with policy-makers from the Civil Service and faith groups including the Jewish Representative Council and the Muslim Council of Britain.
Membership draws from schoolteachers in primary and secondary settings overseen by local authorities such as the Greater London Authority and unitary authorities in Cornwall and Tyne and Wear; higher education staff from institutions including Durham University, University of Birmingham and University of Glasgow; and advisors affiliated with diocesan structures like the Diocese of Liverpool. Governance models reflect governance seen in bodies such as the Trades Union Congress and learned societies like the Royal Society, with elected officers, regional committees in areas like Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and working groups aligned with examination regulators such as Ofqual.
The association promotes approaches to teaching resonant with scholarship from scholars associated with Harvard University, University of Oxford, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and research centres like the Institute of Education, London. It organises seminars, conferences and study groups in partnership with organisations such as the National Union of Teachers, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, the Fuel Poverty Action movement and faith bodies including Sikh Federation (UK), the British Humanist Association and the Baha'i Community. Activities include curriculum consultations with ministries echoing processes used by the Scottish Government and submissions to inquiries by committees such as the Select Committee on Education.
The association produces journals, guidance documents and position statements comparable to publications from Cambridge University Press, Routledge, Sage Publications and the British Journal of Religious Education. It issues classroom resources used alongside syllabuses from exam boards like AQA, OCR and Edexcel, and collaborates with publishers such as Penguin Books, Bloomsbury Publishing and Oxford University Press to disseminate textbooks and readers drawing on primary sources like the King James Bible, the Quran, the Torah and the Guru Granth Sahib.
Professional development programmes mirror CPD frameworks designed by institutions such as Teach First, National College for Teaching and Leadership and university departments at University College London. The association runs workshops and accredited courses with validation models akin to those used by Open University and Erasmus+ projects linking partners in France, Germany and Spain. Training addresses pedagogical methods promoted by scholars connected to University of Cambridge Faculty of Education, Stanford University Graduate School of Education and international networks like the International Association for Religious Freedom.
Through consultation responses and expert testimony the association has influenced syllabus design for qualifications administered by Ofqual and curriculum frameworks adopted in regions including Wales and Scotland. Its commentary has been cited in debates involving political figures from parties such as the Labour Party (UK), the Conservative Party (UK), and in reviews led by commissions modelled on the Cumberledge Review and panels chaired by individuals with links to Downing Street and the Cabinet Office.
The association administers awards and bursaries honoring teachers and researchers, with formats similar to prizes granted by organisations such as the Royal Society of Arts, the British Academy and the Teaching Awards Trust. Recipients have included classroom practitioners collaborating with higher education scholars from institutions like University of Cambridge, Durham University and University of Birmingham and contributors to projects funded by bodies such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Council.
Category:Educational organisations in the United Kingdom