NATRE Projects
Website Links
16-19 for all - dare2engage
Developing Good Assessment Practice
Curriculum Bursaries
Community Cohesion - resources for RE
Developing RE Through Music
Listening to Children Talking
Spirited Arts
Current Activity
Project funding to develop RE
During 2008/9 NATRE made available twenty funded opportunities for local groups to develop curriculum materials and resources for RE. Each grant wa worth up to £1,500, due to generous funding by the St Gabriels' Programme and the DCSF. The outcomes of these bursaries is being developed into a website to be launched in 2010.
Project funding to develop promotional films
During 2008/9 NATRE developed four promotional films about RE, thanks to generous funding from the DCSF. The films were launched in April 2009 and are available for free download from www.natre.org.uk.
Secondary Teacher Network Project
NATRE working alongside AREIAC and ‘Advisers in Education' won a tender from the TDA to pilot the delivery of CPD through secondary teacher network groups. This project involved the 9 North and East London Local authorities, 6 advisers and 18 teachers. The focus aimed to develop teachers' understanding and skills in assessment with a focus on Education Outside the Classroom. The outcomes of this porject is available on www.natre.org.uk.
Exemplification of standards at key stage 3
NATRE won the tender to lead the RE element of QCA's new exemplification of standards project. The project lasted for 18 months and involved 8 schools and 16 teachers. The project aimed to assist teachers in their planning for the introduction of the changes to the new secondary curriculum, by developing electronic ‘portfolios' of individual pupils' work, with annotations and commentaries, to robustly exemplify standards at levels 4 to 8.
Training for ITT students
The Hockerill Foundation supported four ITT conferences in Manchester, London, warwick and Sheffield during 2007/8. We are grateful to the Foundation for its generous support. The Foundation continues to support this training in 2009/10.
Conferences for NATRE local group leaders
In the spring and summer terms 2008 and 2009 NATRE provided six one-day conferences for NATRE local group leaders. Each conference provided a range of professional development opportunities for teachers. The conferences were free, due to generous grant funding by the St Gabriels' Programme.
RE and the new secondary curriculum
NATRE and RE Today are working with CfBT in 2007/10 to deliver the roll out of the new secondary curriculum for RE on behalf of the DCSF. News and updates are available on this website, and also on http://www.cfbt.com/
Newsletters to support NATRE local groups
NATRE provides support for NATRE-affiliated local groups via an email newsletter. This development was made possible by generous grant funding from the BFSS.
Support for RE and ICT
During 2007/9 NATRE and RE Today have continued to work with Becta on a range of initiatives to support the use of ICT in RE. Current work involves provision of ITT opportunities for secondary ITT students and ITT tutors, development of a resource to support the use of ICT in GCSE Religious Studies and entitlement documents for primary and secondary.
Local groups
We have 140+ local groups for teachers of RE all over the country, giving us links to more than 1000 teachers. During 2009/10 NATRE is providing face-to-face support for local groups through its local groups officer. These opportunities are made possible through generous funding from the DCSF.
REsource
NATRE's 24-page termly journal, which provides professional reflection on the theory and practice of RE. Circulation is 2500, edited by Dr Bill Gent, former School Improvement Adviser, London Borough of Redbridge Advisory Service.
Spirited Arts Competition 2009
2009's Spirited Arts competition had five inspirational themes. For details of the winners see: www.natre.org.uk/spiritedarts.
‘Listening to children and young people talking'
Our online database of pupils' religious and spiritual thinking continues to provide a significant classroom resource. It is interactive, multi-religious, and fully moderated. See: www.natre.org.uk/db.
Downloads
The members section of the NATRE website includes access to a wide range of downloadable materials, accessible by a simple search mechanism. Some documents are freely available to all who access the site, whether or not they are currently members. The site also had an advanced search facility.
National RE news
We support a national RE news service through the NATRE news pages of 'REtoday' termly subscription magazine.
RE Council
We maintain links with the RE Council, and its membership of some 50 bodies concerned with RE nationally, including major faith community groups from 7 different religions and the British Humanist Association. See: www.religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk.
Dare to Engage
Our involvement with this collaborative project to assist and work with Christian teachers and church workers in developing the offer of spiritual education to the 16-19 age group continues. Supported by the generosity of the Jerusalem Trust. See: dare2engage.org.
