Religious Education (RE)

Justine joined HIAS in June 2015. Her areas of responsibility include:

• professional support for RE, SMSC, British values and Prevent in primary schools
• training courses, networks and an annual conference for primary RE teachers and subject leaders
• editorship of RE Primary News and involvement in two RE websites.

Justine has a degree in Theology from Oxford University and a Masters in Religious Studies with Chester University. She has worked across education, both in primary schools and in adult further education. Prior to joining the team, she worked in a primary school, where she taught across the infant and junior classes. She held the post of RE, history and worship co-ordinator for several years, leading her school through a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection and has written the policies for collective worship and RE. She was also successful in gaining the National Quality Mark for History in 2015.

Justine has completed two programmes of study with the Woolf Institute at Cambridge University, exploring the history, culture and theology of Muslims and Jews and the experiences of Christians, Jews and Muslims in Europe. She also holds Levels 1 and 2 SAPERE Philosophy for children (P4C) qualifications. Justine is currently Joint Chair of the Association of RE Inspectors Advisers and Consultants (AREIAC) and a member of Culham St Gabriel Trust’s steering group for RE.

Chris joined HIAS in November 2022 on a part time secondment. He has an MA in Philosophy from the University of London and a B.A in Philosophy and Theology from Oxford University. He has published an article on RE and social justice with Pat Hannam in the Journal of Religious Education and written for RE Today. Chris holds professional membership of several relevant organisations. He is a member of the Association of RE Inspectors and Advisers and Consultants (AREIAC), the Association of University Lecturers in Religious Education (AULRE) and the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB). He also holds Levels 1 and 2 SAPERE Philosophy for children (P4C) qualifications. Prior to joining HIAS, Chris has taught at his current school for thirteen years, as Head of RE and currently Head of Humanities. His main areas of work with HIAS include:

• giving county-wide leadership for secondary religious education
• supporting schools in raising attainment and progress in RE
• running high quality relevant and engaging continuing professional development for heads of department and subject leaders of RE as well as curriculum development opportunities for SLT responsible for management of RE
• offering in-school support to evaluate, challenge, coach and develop the quality of teaching in schools
• running bespoke CPD workshops and training including leading RE; supporting students at risk of educational disadvantage, SMSC and teaching controversial issues in RE
• editorship of RE Secondary News and involvement in two RE websites