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New Curriculum since 2022

In September 2022 Wales introduced a new curriculum, called ‘Curriculum for Wales 2022’. Within this new curriculum the disciplines that comprised the subject titled ‘Religious Education’ are included in new subject called ‘Religion, Values and Ethics’. The change in name reflects the change in scope ‘Religion, Values and Ethics’ has in the new curriculum. 

Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) is a statutory requirement of the Curriculum for Wales and is mandatory for all learners from ages 3 to 16. RVE forms part of an area of learning and experience titled Humanities. This Area includes disciplines such as geography, history, religion, values and ethics, business studies and social studies. These disciplines share many common themes, concepts and transferable skills, whilst having their own discrete body of knowledge and skills.

Starting in Sept 2022, the requirements for the new subject called Religion, Values and Ethics was mandatory for all learners up to and including year 7 (11-12 year olds/1^st year of secondary education). Year 8 learners followed the requirements of the older subject called Religious Education (RE). The new curriculum will follow this cohort of year 7 learners as they progress through their secondary education whilst the old RE curriculum will cease to exist when these year 8 learners leave their compulsory education.

Legal background

There is no parental right to request that a child is withdrawn from RVE in the Curriculum for Wales. The parental right still exists for those following the RE curriculum.

RVE and RE should be taught in all state funded schools as a mandatory part of the curriculum for children aged from 3 to 16.

There is no recommendation of the curriculum time given over to RE or RVE but many schools would allocate around 5%. In schools of a religious character, such as Roman Catholic schools, the recommendation may be higher at around 10% of curriculum time.

Examination

From 14 to 16 many pupils sit an examination course for the General Certificate in Secondary Education (GCSE). This can either be a full course (10% of curriculum time is suggested) or a Half Course (5% of curriculum time is suggested) though these time guidelines are not always observed. At GCSE all pupils, including those in schools with a religious foundation, are often required to study two religions. The current formal examination system is being reviewed with the first of the new examinations being awarded summer 2027. Bodies offering qualifications for this area of the curriculum are:

1. WJEC – GCSE in Religious Studies
2. AGORED – Exploring Worldviews

Local Development of the syllabus & curriculum framework

The RVE/RE curriculum is determined in a number of ways:

For community schools (those managed by their Local Authority and funded via them) the RVE syllabus is determined by a Standing Advisory Council (SAC). There is one SAC for each Local Authority. State funded community schools in the Local Authority (LA) must then make regard to this Agreed Syllabus. The legal requirements for the teaching of RVE/RE ensure that up to the age of 16, pupils should encounter teaching about Christian traditions as well as a range of other principles religions and non-religious philosophical convictions in the UK..

Agreed syllabuses should recognise that while the principal religions and their traditions in Wales should be taught in all schools, other beliefs (including non-religious philosophical convictions such as humanism and atheism) are now a recognised part of life within local areas in Wales and beyond. This is reflected in the Act which states that the agreed syllabus:

• must reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Wales are in the main Christian while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Wales;
• must also reflect the fact that a range of non-religious philosophical convictions are held in Wales.

Although agreed syllabuses in Wales are the responsibility of the 22 Local authorities, guidance has been provided by Welsh Government resulting in a common curriculum for all county schools. The first guidance was published in 2008. All 22 Local Authorities adopted this ‘Exemplar Framework for RE’ as their local agreed syllabus.

RVE guidance, published in 2022 has been adopted by all 22 Local Authorities as the basis of their Agreed Syllabuses. Schools with a religious character must also have regard to this guidance.

RVE sits within a larger Curriculum for Wales framework. Below is a summary of aspects of this curriculum that schools should consider when designing their curriculum.

Four Purposes

At the heart of the Curriculum for Wales are the four purposes, which are the key drivers for curriculum design and, as such, should be the focus of all curriculum development. The four purposes set out the aspirations for all learners. By the age of 16, they should be:

1. ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives
2. enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
3. ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
4. healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society

RVE and the statements of what matters

Before any detailed planning can begin, it is essential for practitioners and school leaders to consider the Humanities statements of what matters, which contribute to learners realising the four purposes of the curriculum. Practitioners and leaders should also consider the statements of what matters in other Areas where RVE may be able to contribute to learning. The headings for the Statements of What Matter in the humanities are:

• Enquiry, exploration and investigation inspire curiosity about the world, its past, present and future.
• Events and human experiences are complex, and are perceived, interpreted and represented in different ways.
• Our natural world is diverse and dynamic, influenced by processes and human actions.
• Human societies are complex and diverse, and shaped by human actions and beliefs.
• Informed, self-aware citizens engage with the challenges and opportunities that face humanity, and are able to take considered and ethical action.

Cross-Cutting Themes

• Local, national and international contexts
• Careers and work-related experiences
• Human rights education and diversity
• Relationships and sexuality education

Integral Skills

• Creativity and innovation
• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Personal effectiveness
• Planning and organising

Cross Curricular Skills

• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Digital

Principles of Progression

• Increasing effectiveness
• Increasing breadth and depth of knowledge
• Deepening understanding of the ideas and disciplines with the areas
• Refinement and growing sophistication in the use and application of skills
• Making connections and transferring learning into new contexts

Schools with a religious foundation

For schools with a religious foundation, the religious community is more heavily involved with the writing of the curriculum. All schools with a religious foundation must still have regard to a locally agreed syllabus

All schools with a religious foundation in Wales are supported by either the Church in Wales or Catholic Education Service.

Independent schools [schools which are not supported financially by the state] are allowed to choose any of the RE curricula that are available from the SACREs or religious bodies, or to devise their own programmes of study.

Inspection

Wales has an educational inspectorate – Estyn. They do not inspect or comment on the quality of subjects directly. They provide thematic reports on the quality of different aspects of the curriculum. The most recent thematic report on RE was in 2018.

Advisory work

WASACRE is an advisory body supporting the work of the 22 Local Authority SAC(RE)s. As a national body, they support the work of the SAC(RE)s, lobbying government, advising and providing training. 

Country report from 2024, written by Phil Lord, Wales board member in EFTRE