The Religious Education
Quality Mark
St Gabriel’s Teachers’ Weekend
29- 29 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
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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
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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 email plus award and banner.
www.reqm.org
www.reqm.org
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.
jane.brooke@reqm.org
mary.myatt@reqm.org