Respond now to protect RS and curriculum breadth

In November 2025, when the government responded to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, teachers of RE and other stakeholders were pleased to see that the damage inflicted on Religious Studies at GCSE by the English Baccalaureate might be addressed in the proposed changes to accountability measures. Sadly, the revised structure which is currently the focus of a consultation, signals a U-turn, by adding science to the two breadth boxes that were offered for two of Creative, Humanities and Languages. RS is included in the Humanities alongside History and Geography.

The National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) therefore strongly opposes the new proposal to include single sciences in the “breadth slots” of the Progress 8 (P8) school accountability measure. They argue that this change would prioritise STEM subjects at the expense of a balanced curriculum.

Key Arguments Against the Proposal (Detailed NATRE response is here)

• Risk of “Science Overload”: Since science already has two dedicated slots, allowing it to fill breadth slots would create a structural advantage for STEM. This could move schools away from a broad and balanced curriculum and toward over-specialisation.
• Marginalisation of Religious Studies (RS): RS has already seen a 40% drop in GCSE entries between 2009 and 2019, largely due to its exclusion from the EBacc. NATRE fears this new move will further diminish the subject, increasing the trend to RS becoming a qualification studied mostly in schools with a religious character.
• Impact on Student Diversity: Triple science is often taken by pupils with higher prior attainment. If these students use their breadth slots for science instead of humanities, RS cohorts are likely to become less representative, potentially lowering the quality of classroom dialogue and overall attainment.
• Statutory and Civic Duties: Schools have a legal duty to provide a “broad and balanced” curriculum. NATRE argues that subjects like RS are foundational for social cohesion and ethics in a democratic society—areas science alone cannot cover.
  Contradictory Policy: The proposal appears to conflict with the government’s own goals of strengthening social understanding and the recent Curriculum and Assessment Review and the strategy document, “Protecting What Matters”, which suggested RE needs more protection, not less.

Summary Statement: NATRE views the inclusion of science in breadth slots as a “reallocation of accountability value” rather than an expansion of pupil choice, warning it will lead to a narrowing of the English education system.

Call to action:

NATRE is urging teachers, school leaders, parents and policymakers to act now:

• Respond to the consultation and oppose the inclusion of science in breadth slots Key stage 4 performance measures and Targeted RISE extension – Department for Education – Citizen Space DEADLINE 4^th May 2026 (Click here for instructions about how you might use AI to draft some text)
• Share evidence from your school on how accountability measures shape subject choice
• Support the case for a genuinely broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils