National Curriculum: Religious Education

Lord Rook Excerpts

Thursday 30th October 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Rook]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure any reformed national curriculum includes religious education in a form which promotes mutual understanding.

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Blake of Leeds) (Lab)]

My Lords, schools are required to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of their pupils. They can do this within lessons on religious education and in other teaching. Schools are required to promote fundamental British values, including encouraging mutual understanding, respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. The curriculum and assessment review has considered RE in its work and its final report will be published this autumn.

[Lord Rook (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for the Answer. My sons were privileged to go to Rutlish School, a diverse state comprehensive in south-west London with no religious affiliation. They received excellent religious education—in fact, it was compulsory until GCSE—that enhanced the community cohesion in a very diverse setting and, most importantly, equipped pupils for the world in which they now live. Currently, 95% of teachers say that high-quality religious education is more important than ever, yet Ofsted reports that, in far too many schools, the delivery of RE is either poor quality or not fit for purpose. At a time when our country and communities need far greater social cohesion, will His Majesty’s Government ensure that religious education is properly prioritised in the new national curriculum, so that our young people can continue to develop and flourish within our multireligious and multi-ethnic world?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his enormous interest in this important subject. I reassure him that the Government note the findings of the Ofsted subject report and are committed to ensuring high-quality provision of religious education. To support teachers and help ensure high standards and consistency of teaching, we have funded Oak National Academy to develop a full suite of high-quality RE resources. We also welcome the work of the Religious Education Council to assist curriculum developers by publishing its national content standard for RE in England. I can only emphasise my comments; I cannot pre-empt the findings of the curriculum and assessment review, but we look forward with enormous interest to the conclusions of this work.