|
|
|
|
|
|
Summer 2026
|
Summertime gives us opportunity to change our pace of life a little, with dinners in the garden or evenings with family and friends. REinspired slows down, with no school sessions, but plenty of time to reinvigorate and organise our resources and prepare for a new academic year. Julia is busy preparing session plans for the new RE syllabus and we continue to apply for funding from grant organisations. In this newsletter we have shared some information about finances and how you can help.
|
|
|
|
|
So, as you slow down a little over the Summer, have a think about fun ways you might be able to support us. What are you passionate about - baking, running (definitely not me!), quiz nights, gardening? Could you use your talents to raise some funds for REinspired and have fun at the same time? We have a fund raising pack with poster templates, information about REinspired and more. Young or old, get creative and raise money, while using your talents and having fun! Click the link below to start you Summer Fundraising Fun with our fund raiser pack. Not sure what to do? Lots of fun ideas are included in the pack.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did you know that REinspired has 7 Hubs outside our Earley base? Each Hub is unique, with some being supported by a group of local churches and others by just one. Some work in many schools and others focus on growing their relationship with one.
|
|
We asked our Hub leads some in-depth questions!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
REinspired is funded by church and individual donors, grants and some contributions from our schools. We make every penny count, with the vast majority of our spending being on staff to deliver RE sessions in schools. As you can see, this year we are predicted to spend £18,500 more then we have coming in. Please consider donating, so that next year's 16000 young people can get real experience of Christian faith in action.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Did you know...
|
The Origin Story of REinspired?
|
|
REinspired began over 22 years ago in East Reading when a local school, encouraged by inspectors, sought support from a church to enhance its Religious Education teaching on Christianity. Rather than having a church leader visit the school, an innovative idea emerged: bring pupils into local churches to experience Christianity in an authentic worship setting.
|
|
|
|
|
An ecumenical team from five local churches was quickly formed and developed interactive sessions on Jesus, baptism, temptation, and Christmas. The first visit was a success, with pupils highly engaged—especially during a demonstration of believer’s baptism in a Baptist church.
|
The positive response from students and teachers led to more sessions and wider school involvement. Over the last 22 years, the initiative has grown from serving one school, to delivering nearly 400 RE sessions annually to over 16,000 pupils across 33 primary and 3 secondary schools. Sessions are now more often delivered in schools, rather than churches, as the logistics of off-site visits has increased. REinspired was founded on the vision of making Christianity come alive through engaging, collaborative, and inspiring learning experiences and still holds true to this today.
|
If you would like to read more about the story of REinspired you can borrow a digital copy of the book from this link.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Religious Education Is Set for Its Biggest Change in Decades
|
Religious Education could be about to undergo its biggest change in decades following the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
|
|
The review highlights the important role RE plays in helping young people understand religion, belief and different worldviews. It also says that the subject's importance isn't currently reflected in its place within the curriculum, recommending that RE becomes part of the statutory National Curriculum for the first time.
|
|
Since the 1988 Education Reform Act, RE has been a compulsory subject, but unlike subjects such as English, maths and science, it has never been part of the National Curriculum. Instead, what pupils learn has been decided locally through SACREs (Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education), while academies have had greater freedom to set their own approach. As a result, RE has often looked very different from one school to another.
|
|
An independent task group has already produced a draft curriculum based on the Religious Education Council's National Content Standard, with a full public consultation due to launch in September 2026.
|
Faith schools will still be able to teach their own religious traditions and distinctive ethos. However, they will also be expected to build on the new national standards so that every pupil benefits from a shared foundation in Religious Education.
|
|
REinspired is always reviewing our content to best meet the needs of our schools as they transition through this period of change.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A child turning to their neighbour having heard the resurrection story and asking with amazement: "Is that true?!" Caversham
|
|
|
|
|
A child's response "I've learnt that death doesn't have to be a sad thing, because there can be hope in it as well because of heaven"
|
|
|
|
|
The complete calm and amazing concentration as Year 8 Maiden Erlegh do group work
|
|
|
Telling the story of Noah with a parachute and the children making a rainbow with it.
|
|
|
|
|
That children recognise me in the street and can remember what we did with them in school. Secondly that staff in non church schools are very positive about children learning about the bible and Christianity since it doesn’t feature as predominantly in their curriculum.
|
|
|
|
|
Seeing the faces of children as they are, one by one, invited to look in the box and see, in a mirror, what is God's most precious creation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Praying is our Power House
|
|
|
- £5000 from Englefield Trust and Souter grant bodies
- The wisdom and awesome power of God to use RE sessions for his glory
|
- The current climate in education toward faith teaching in schools to be led by God
- Our Team, as they have a well earned break over the Summer holidays,
|
|
|
|
|
|
St Nicolas Church, Earley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Volunteer training morning -
|
St Nicolas Church, Earley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September Volunteer training morning
|
|
These mornings are open to all volunteers from any hub area and are a great chance to learn more about specific skills or topics and to share in the collective wisdom of other volunteers.
|
September's session will include workshops on
|
- New material/sessions in-line with the Berkshire syllabus
- Godly Play - 5 things you should and shouldn't do
- Drama- how and why we use it
- Top Tips on what to say when a child asks 'Yes but what do you think?' + some behaviour management tips
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are changing the way you get your newsletter. If you have received this email direct from REinspired you don't have to do anything, but if you receive it from your team leader or any other source you will need to sign up to continue getting news. It's simple just click the link below to sign up. You can unsubscribe at any time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Everything Social
|
Please follow us on social media so you can share
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
