ASCL responds to Ofsted report on religious education

Responding to Ofsted's report which says that schools need to add depth to their RE curriculum, Pepe Di'Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“We fully agree that RE is an important part of the curriculum, and there is no lack of will to teach it, but the reality is that it is one of a number of subjects which have been squeezed to the margins by a combination of performance tables which prioritise other academic subjects and lack of space in timetables which are bursting at the seams.

“The most telling part of Ofsted's report is its conclusion that there is a lack of clarity on the RE curriculum and its suggestion that the government should provide better guidance about what should be taught and when.

“In fact, this doesn't go far enough as the only real solution is a review of the curriculum as a whole to ensure that it is deliverable, focuses on a set of agreed priorities, and that it aligns with what is required in performance tables and Ofsted inspections. At present, the system is extremely confused and schools are left in an impossible position of having to spin far too many plates with far too few resources.”