Wandsworth's Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) has proposed integrating Religious Education (RE) into the national curriculum following a review of the subject. The council met on Monday, January 26, 2026, to discuss the findings of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, which identified the need for improvements in RE at both national and local levels
in its interim report.
SACRE members concurred with the review's findings. The review's final report, published in November 2025, recommended that RE be moved to the national curriculum to guarantee consistent access to high-quality provision. This move aims to address the issue of consistent access to high-quality provision
across different schools by making RE a national curriculum subject.
The proposed integration would involve the establishment of a task and finish group
to develop a draft RE curriculum. This group would build upon the existing National Content Standard for RE in England.
The review suggested this as Stage 1
of a staged approach to reform, though a specific timeline for the group's establishment and curriculum development is not yet detailed.
The review also suggested considering a change in the name of Religious Education, though the specific rationale for this suggestion is not explicitly stated. Furthermore, it recommended removing the statutory requirement for school sixth-formers to study RE, arguing that this is inconsistent with the aims of 16-19 study.
