THE Church of England this week welcomed an announcement of a government consultation in the autumn on the potential for including religious education (RE) in the National Curriculum.

Earlier this year, the National Society praised the Government’s announcement of a £4-billion investment in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision, which, it said, chimed with its “core mission” (News, 23 February).

The Church says that it will respond to the consultation on RE in the autumn, and that the National Society, which is the education office for the C of E and the Church in Wales, will work closely with its diocesan partners in the mean time.

RE currently sits outside the national curriculum, and decisions about what is taught are taken locally. But the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has now announced that consensus has been reached among those “representing the full spectrum of religion in this country”, including the Church.

The Bishop of Portsmouth, Dr Jonathan Frost, who chairs the National Society, said: “I fully welcome this government consultation on RE moving into the National Curriculum.

“This both elevates the importance of the subject as integral to the flourishing of every child in our nation, and also preserves long-standing arrangements for church schools which make up a third of the state sector.

“We look forward to working closely with colleagues and partners within the education community, and to bringing our contribution to the consultation.”

The National Society’s interim chief executive, Andy Wolfe, said: “We fully support the Government’s vision both for RE to become part of the National Curriculum and also to ensure that the arrangements for church schools are fully preserved in order to continue to support their strong and embedded practice in the teaching and leadership of RE.”

Tony Wilson, the chief executive officer and director of education at the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education, and member of the Expert Advisory Group, said: “The need for the inclusion of Religious Education within the National Curriculum has never been more acute. The provision of high-quality RE for all pupils is paramount in promoting and embedding societal cohesion.”