Whole year group RE lessons. Odd?

[youarenotkiddingme]

Just wondering how usual this is.

Secondary school now having 'mass RE'

Basically like an assembly in the hall with whole year group for the hours lesson - run by 1 teacher and is called the RE lesson.

It's obviously acceptable and 'legal' or they wouldn't be doing it but I'm wondering if it's really going to be a decent level of RE education and if it's worth doing RE at all this way?

[superram]

Presumably they can’t staff it. I would be concerned and would be questioning the rational with the head of re.

[ShalomJackie]

What year group? They are obliged by law to teach it ao I guess its more a tick box exercise and if they do gcse they will be taught it separately.

[mnahmnah]

Is the whole school doing it this way?! Definitely not acceptable. Really hope it’s not usual, anywhere. None of the high schools I have experience or knowledge of do it this way. It should be staffed and timetabled just like any other subject

[Witchend]

RE often is looking more at "moral issues" and I would think whole year (assuming not too big) wouldn't be a bad way of approaching it. You can give them a lecture and then break into small groups or do a full debate.

I wouldn't have an issue with that.

[greencatbluecat]

Who cares about RE, anyway!!???!

[mnahmnah]

Plenty of people and you should too. www.rethinkre.org/why-is-re-important
Have a read

[youarenotkiddingme]

150 in year group so not large by secondary school standard.

It's held in assembly hall so they are sat in raised bleachers. Not much scope for splitting off.

I wondered if it was a staffing issue.

Pupils don't seem to care. They say it's an easy lesson cos they don't have to do anything!

[youarenotkiddingme]

Sorry heard 7-9. Not sure what's happening in years 10/11 or if they are offering it at gcse. I would suspect not as I doubt they can have had a good grounding in subject this way?

[Whatsthisbear]

For what year is this?
For the people saying who Cares? Or that sounds ok- R.E is a mandatory GCSE subject. I would care if my DC was going to be at risk of failing because his whole year was being taught by one person all at once. It's not a subject he would choose if it was optional but, as he has to take it for GCSE, I would expect it to be taught properly.
Op if you have concerns raise it with the school.

[Whatsthisbear]

X post- slow Typer, sorry.

[mnahmnah]

You could, at a stretch, possibly get away with this at KS4 non-GCSE. But no way at KS3. It wouldn’t happen with other subjects and it upsets me to hear RE being treated this way. All the schools in my experience have RE with equal staffing, provision, respect and status to other subjects

[LoniceraJaponica]

“R.E is a mandatory GCSE subject”

No it isn’t. Some schools make it compulsory, and some don't. DD didn't have to take it, but she had to take Citizenship. I wouldn’t have a problem with it if it was a non examined subject. Schools are strapped for cash these days so it will be a cost saving exercise.

[youarenotkiddingme]

Yeah I assumed cost saving and that's why I wondered if any other schools had resorted to such measures!

[Anasnake]

This will be a staffing issue and it's starting to crop up in other subjects too.

[stripeszebra]

It's a shame for your child
RE is exceptionally well taught here and as a GCSE option produces good results.

[youarenotkiddingme]

Sour that sounds very similar. And yes to RE being more moral and philosophical nowadays

[Cauliflowersqueeze]

RE is not compulsory for GCSE, but it is compulsory till the end of KS4. As is PE.
It can be incredibly hard to staff and this will definitely be the reason it is being “taught” to the whole year group.

[BringOnTheScience]

I'm aware of schools trialling teaching English in triple classes, never mind RE!

Budgets

[youarenotkiddingme]

Thanks. I thought it was budgets and it must be compulsory to teach it 'somehow'. I guessed this way was 'legal' or else it wouldn't be done.

But part of me wondered if it was a change in the way it was going to be delivered and something we'd see rolled out more schools. So increases in assemblies with a emphasis on moral and social as well as religious.

I remember school in the 80's and assemblies had much more of a religion based emphasis. I think as well the whole day off timetable covers a lot of the teaching in 1 day and I've seen a big increase in these days the past few years.

It just makes teachers already difficult jobs harder I'm sure.

[Walkingdeadfangirl]

Um its called church, the school is 'preaching' to the captive. How else are they supposed to convert you.

[florenceheadache]

works well in universities...one prof at the front, huge lecture hall...
why not?

[youarenotkiddingme]

Walking this isn't a faith school. This is just a secondary school who are delivering re as a whole year lesson.

[moredoll]

Hard to recruit RE teachers. It is about moral, ethical and philosophical issues. It's not like church, it's not Bible studies. It generally considers the teachings of the monotheistic religions and the arguments for and against those beliefs.
And yes, odd to have any subject taught to a whole year group.

[SalveGrumio]

It isn't hard to recruit RE teachers (ex head of RE here), but schools are trying to save money. This happened years back and then ofsted criticised schools for insufficient RE, so it started being taught as a discrete subject again.

Now budget cuts means anything that can be cut will, whole year RE, rotation Drama/music/Art.