Is RE compulsory

[Lifeisfun91]

I am confused and not happy my DD not doing an RE lesson. She is in yr 9 mainstream; is already doing GSCE options. RE was a GCSE option but she didnt want to do a full GCSE in it. I am surprised that in yr 9 there is not an RE lesson at all for the kids that did not take the option. Also it is the same for I.T; no lesson in this either now!
I thought RE was compulsory, or can school get around this by stating they are covering RE in other lessons some how. The school in the passed has done RE, but this year has been dropped. There is an option to select to do a half GCSE in yr 11.
Does anyone know what the rules are?

I thought they still had to provide it to those not taking it as an option - but only in minimal, minimal doses, and not necessarily even on the timetable: I know of some schools who do random 'off-timetable days' where they cover much of the PSCHE/RE stuff for a whole day, disguised in various ways. Sometimes external groups come in to work with different year groups or make presentations or lead activities. That seems to count for provision for those not doing a timetabled GCSE course in either of them.

Talkin if schools are attaching the opt out form to their options form that is not allowed, as the link you posted confirms, parents must make the initial approach to the school re. opting out, it should not be something which is effectively suggested by the school and if RE is not a core GCSE requirement it should not only be taught in GCSE lessons as it is then not being provided to all pupils.

Talkinpeace- sorry you are wrong. I am a RE teacher and have guided many parents on the legalities of RE provision.

Please refer to the government documents I used earlier which clearly state the provision of RE is a legal requirement.

If at KS4, students choose not to take RE as a GCSE, then the maintained school has still got an obligation to provide some form of RE, whether through a non examined course or through collapsed timetable days, or via another course. But it has still got to be done (although in reality lots of schools do flout this law).

Parents still have the right to withdraw from this too.

They have to offer it but you don't have to take it. It can be covered in Humanities.

I think masses of schools must be flouting this law...I don't believe that my children's school is the only one in the country!!

It is one of the most flouted of the education laws but as I and lecher have said it is compulsory for schools to provide RE (or whatever it is called within the school) up to and including KS4.

There is no obligation to provide GCSE RE or the short course but there must be a timetabled session for RE, whether a weekly lesson or an enrichment day per term for example.

Parents, as with SRE, are entitled to withdraw their children from these sessions and teachers can withdraw from teaching it but it must be provided.

Just read an article...have no idea how I link to it ....that says that in 2012 33% of schools were not adhering to their legal commitments regarding religious education provision at key stage 4

Sadly, that really does not surprise me. I'm on a number of RE teacher forums / groups and have seen a lot of RE teachers discussing this over the past few years, as schools have been trying to minimise RE teaching more and more.

Lecherslady that's interesting. Surely OFSTED check up on it in an inspection so schools must have it timetabled surely?

Overthemill - I have a feeling that OFSTED used to have to comment on it in the inspection reports, and then more schools used to comply with the rules. And then OFSTED no longer had to comment on it, and so schools started flouting the rules. This got worse when the English Bacc was introduced and RE was not on it.

However, I'm pulling that out of the depths of my haggled brain, and so could be quite wrong on that one .