• RE PGCE: RE & ICT with Paul Hopkins 28.6.18

    ICT Guru Paul Hopkins paid a visit to the RE PGCE trainees in the final week of their course, to talk through some of the gadgets they can use in their classrooms. We forget to take photos of the session but as it was our last day together before some trainees began their new posts…

  • RE PGCE: Bradford Interfaith Visit 27.6.18

    As part of their pre-NQT enrichment week, RE PGCE trainees visited Bradford as part of an interfaith visit to a number of places of worship. The day began with a visit to the Gurdwara Singh Sabha where trainees were given a tour of the worship hall and able to see the rituals and practices associated…

  • Pedagogy in Practice

    Pedagogy in Practice

    To help support their development as RE academics and written assignments, trainees were treated to a session by  Dr Francis Farrell (previous RE Course Leader) unpicking some of the pedagogical theory which underpins Outstanding RE. After some much needed experiential stilling and silent meditation, trainees considered the use of video clips to explore a phenomenological…

  • Teaching and Learning Showcase

    Teaching and Learning Showcase

    Trainees on the PGCE took the opportunity to share some good practice and celebrate their successful T&L strategies with the group as they approach the end of their first placement. Whilst Andy subjected us all to his pie-puns to discuss a numeracy strategy, Becky presented an ‘FBI: Confidential’ task for investigating the miracles of Jesus,…

  • Teaching GCSE RE

    Teaching GCSE RE

    One of our fantastic Curriculum Mentors (and Ex-Edge Hill alumni!), Ruth Taylor from Burnley Hugh School, delivered an effective and engaging session for PGCE students on teaching GCSE RS. Using her own experiences of delivering the new Edxcel RS curriculum, Ruth was able to give practical strategies on differentiating, planning and assessment in GCSE RS.…

  • NATRE Conference 2017 at Edge Hill

    NATRE Conference 2017 at Edge Hill

    Just before Christmas, Editor of RE Today magazine and NATRE Adviser, Lat Blaylock delivered an outstanding and engaging conference for UG and PG ITT trainees entitled ‘RE for All: Entitlement and Opportunity’.  As current PGCE students,  we found the  day to be extremely informative and enjoyable. Lat discussed and demonstrated activities which we could use…

  • Teaching RE from a faith perspective

    We had a great session on Friday. Becky Scott, Head of RE at the Academy of St Nicholas and Curriculum Mentor, came to speak to us about teaching topics we may be uncomfortable with if we come from a faith or hold strong personal views. She spoke  about her own experience playing the devil’s advocate…

  • Behaviour for Learning at Stretford High

    Stretford High put on a great session for trainees today, looking at the importance Behaviour for Learning in the classroom. After a talk about the importance of ‘owning your zone’, trainees got a chance to speak to the Head of Year 7 about the school behaviour policy before meeting with some fantastic year 11 students…

  • Penwortham Girls High School: Humanities Conference 2017

    Last week trainees took full advantage of a fab CPD conference at Penwortham Girls High, one of our Outstanding partnership schools. They attended sessions on the new KS4 curriculum, looked at engagement and challenge in KS3, met with the team from AQA Religious Studies and spoke with other Humanities colleagues about progression and ‘getting ahead’ in their career.…

  • BA (Hons) Education & Religion – The Island

    BA (Hons) Education & Religion – The Island

    Today we started teaching on our new BA (Hons) Education and Religion! Using Sue Philips’ ‘Theatre of Learning’, the group experienced being stranded on a desert island after a plane crash (inspired by Lost!) and had to work in their tribes to consider and create rites of passage, sacred places, sacred texts and guidelines to…