Bring back the RE bursary: a small investment for a big return!

Karen Steele,Subject Leader for Religious Studies, Stratford Girl’s Grammar School; Member of NATRE Executive

As Secondary RE PGCE Lead at the University of Worcester, I’ve  seen first-hand the difference that the £10,000 bursary made to recruitment. I’ve also seen the immediate impact of its removal.

The link is difficult to ignore. Applications and accepted places for secondary RE teacher training have fallen considerably since the bursary was taken away for September 2026. This year I’ve spoken to a number of people who have decided not to apply, or have withdrawn applications, and the reason they gave was simple: they could not afford to train.

This year I worked with a wonderful cohort of 11 UK trainees. Without exception, they told me that they couldn’t have completed a PGCE without the financial support of the bursary. These were not people looking for an incentive or a bonus. They’re talented graduates who simply needed enough financial security to make teacher training possible.

Their stories illustrate why reinstating the bursary matters.

One trainee, a 31-year-old mother of two young children, described the bursary as the only reason she could pursue her dream of becoming an RE teacher. When she started the course she lost access to childcare support because, despite working full time in schools, a PGCE is not classed as employment. Overnight, her childcare costs increased dramatically.

She told me, “Without this bursary, there would simply be no prospect of undertaking my teacher training.”

She also pointed out that if she’d applied a year later, after the bursary had been removed, becoming an RE teacher would’ve been impossible. Her story raises important questions about equality and access, particularly for parents, many of whom are women returning to or changing careers.

Another trainee had to leave paid employment to begin the PGCE. The bursary covered essential travel costs, teaching resources and day-to-day living expenses while completing an intensive full-time course.

“It allowed me to make the PGCE my main focus without worrying about how I would get to university or my placement,” they explained. “Without the bursary I wouldn’t have been able to put in the time I did.”

For another trainee, the bursary simply made travel possible. Living independently in private accommodation, they faced substantial commuting costs to university and placement schools.

“As RE has such a shortage of teachers in the UK,” they told me, “we should be encouraging new trainees, not putting them off.“

Perhaps the strongest endorsement comes from one of last year’s trainees, who is now thriving as an Early Career Teacher in a local secondary school. They explained that the bursary enabled them to replace an unreliable car, making it possible to travel to placements and complete the course successfully.

“Without the bursary,” they reflected, “I doubt I would be a teacher today.”

These trainees are exactly the kind of teacher our schools need: committed, knowledgeable and passionate about helping young people understand religion, belief and worldviews in an increasingly complex society. Yet for many, the deciding factor was not motivation or ability. It was whether they could afford to train.

Removing the bursary has not removed the need for specialist RE teachers. It has simply removed a route into the profession for many talented people.

If we are serious about addressing the shortage of RE teachers, widening access to the profession and ensuring every young person is taught by a well-qualified specialist, then reinstating the RE bursary should be an urgent priority.

From where I am sitting, talking to applicants every week, the evidence could not be clearer.