Newham teachers are better equipped to lead educational tours of places of worship, following a recent training initiative. A report presented to the Newham SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) detailed the positive impact of a place of worship tour and training program, with teachers reporting a significant increase in their confidence levels.
The training, which included visits to seven different places of worship, aimed to address teachers' lack of confidence in organising such visits and teaching about unfamiliar religions. The tour included visits to St Matthews Church, Highway Vineyard church, Radha Khrishna Mandir, Ramgarhia Gurdwara, East London Buddhist cultural centre, Masjid Ibrahim, and Sukkot Shalom Synagogue.
According to the Impact Evidence on Places of Worship Intervention for Newham Schools document, before the tour, 41% of Newham teachers reported low confidence in managing the process of getting other teachers to book a place of worship tour. After completing the training, 100% of teachers reported feeling confident not only in leading visits to places of worship themselves but also in teaching others how to do so.
The report also highlighted improvements in teachers' confidence in teaching about specific religions. For example, confidence in teaching about Buddhism increased from 25% to 89% after the intervention. Similarly, confidence in teaching about Hindu Dharma saw a positive improvement of 68%.
Claire Clinton, Director of Education Newham, noted in the report, Teachers praised the training as informative and inspiring, which highlights the importance of direct interactions with faith leaders, visits to diverse places of worship, and a deeper understanding of religious practices.
The SACRE meeting, held on Thursday 19 June 2025, also included updates on student RE matters and discussions on SACRE priorities for 2024-25. The agenda included the election of a new chair and vice chair for SACRE.