Growing interest in life’s big questions driving interest in A level Religious Studies

The number of students taking Religious Studies at A level has remained stable at 15,005, a fall of just 1.3%, as teachers say young people are turning to the subject to help them understand life and find meaning in the 21st century.

In England the number of students taking the subject at A level was 14,268, a fall of 1.6%. In Wales the number of students taking A level RS increased by 5% to 737.

Other humanities subjects saw more significant drops in A level entries, with History falling by 5.4%, Geography by 6.4, while Sociology and Law fell by 1%, a similar rate to RS.

Since 2003, RS A level entries have grown by 34.8%. In recent years entries have dipped but remained stable, with challenges around teacher recruitment and the ongoing problem of schools not offering the subject at Key Stage 5 leading to more students unable to take it.

The teacher training bursary for Religious Education was recently restored for the academic year 2024/25 after the Department of Education had missed its recruitment target for twelve of the last thirteen years.

However, the Subject Knowledge Enhancement grant, vital to encourage graduates from a range of subjects to train to teach RE has been withdrawn, even though those benefiting from the grant accounted for 27% of those who trained this year.

This has made the ongoing crisis of specialism worse, with 51% of those who deliver RE lessons mainly teaching another subject. These teachers are far less likely to be expected to teach A level given the expertise required, as the National Association of Teachers of RE and the Religious Education Council report that many students who want to take the subject at A Level are not able to do so.

The results follow last year’s launch of the Religious Education Council’s curriculum toolkit, which aims to help schools improve their existing curriculum based on the latest pedagogical research.

Sarah Lane Cawte, Chair of the REC, said:

“In the world of religious education, the big story of the last two decades is the success and growth of the A level. Despite the subject’s lack of support, more and more students are turning to an academic study of the belief systems that have shaped the world’s history and people’s lives.”

“From the classroom, we are hearing that young people value an academic, personally enriching opportunity to explore the religious and non-religious worldviews that continue to influence our society and how we approach the major issues of our time, from human rights to the transformation of society through technology.

“Yet sadly many students who want to pursue the subject at A level cannot, with the subject still lacking the resourcing and attention to meet this growing demand. The Government’s curriculum and assessment review is an opportunity to stop the neglect, and ensure that students who want to take it can do so.”

Katie Freeman, Chair of the National Association of Teachers of RE, added:

“Congratulations to all RE teachers and their students on this year’s results. Specialist RE teachers are an enormous asset to young people, their schools and communities, opening up a wealth of opportunity from careers to new intellectual experiences.

“But the reality is that this demand for specialist RE teachers is not being met across the country. We urgently need a National Plan to ensure that young people who want to take RE can, so that they can flourish in work, life and their ongoing education.”

• ends –

For media enquiries and RE teaching images please contact:

Colin Hallmark / Fred Sculthorp

3:nine Communications:

[email protected]

Tel: 07745 914170

Mubina Khan-Daniels
National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE):
[email protected]
Tel: 0121 415 3970 / 0121 4583313

Notes for editors:

Religious Education Council of England and Wales

Established in 1973, the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) brings together over 60 national organisations. These comprise academic and professional associations specialising in religious education, as well as individual religion and belief organisations representative of the range of communities found nationally.

The Religious Education Council of England and Wales

National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE)

NATRE is the subject teacher association for RE professionals in primary and secondary schools and higher education, providing a representative voice at national level and publications and courses to promote professional development. NATRE’s Executive consists of a majority of serving teachers from primary and secondary schools who are elected for a three-year term of service.