Support for trainee teachers from NATRE and beyond

For those who are new to teaching RE – either because they are engaged in an initial teacher training course or because they are a teacher with another specialism who is being asked to teach some RE lessons – there are a number of avenues of support.

• NATRE student membership – subsidised student membership ensures that you can access additional training and resources to support you as you start your teaching career.  https://natre.org.uk/choose-your-individual-membership/student-membership/

• The New2RE webinars are tailored for Early Career Teachers and experienced teachers new to teaching Religious Education, including Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE), Religious and Moral Education (RME), and Religious Studies? They are explicitly designed to support ECTs and teachers in other specialisms in developing their teaching abilities and knowledge in both Religious Education and Religious Studies, all while providing valuable evidence to meet the ECT standards.

• RE Hubs – The RE Hubs project aims to connect people who provide resources to the RE community with those who need them.  It is organised into regions, allowing you to search for speakers, places of worship, CPD opportunities and groups for RE teachers that are local to you.  It has a page which focuses on opportunities for those at the start of their careers – ITT & ECT

• A Guide to Religious Studies for Teachers with Other Specialisms – This is a resource, available to NATRE members, which outlines the context of Religious Studies and offers some tips for teachers.

• Developing subject knowledge – There are a number of ways in which you can develop your subject knowledge.  This webpage offers some starting points, including free online courses – Subject Knowledge Enhancement Resources.  The RE Podcast also offers an accessible way of developing your subject knowledge.   This is also the focus of many of the New2RE webinars mentioned above.

Support for primary trainees – There are a series of resources to support those working with primary trainees (and the trainees themselves).  Although these have a primary focus, materials are being developed that will be of use and interest to those working in secondary.  They can be found here: Primary Initial Teacher Education Resources – RE:ONLINE