The RE Podcast

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! I met Anne Nadel at Westminster Synagogue at the AREIAC face to face. She told me she was a reform convert married to an Orthodox husband. Listen as a chat to Anne and her husband, Simon, about how they met and how they have navigated family life. We discuss the differences between Orthodox and reform, how you convert to Judaism and why converts are highl...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! If you have come across Laurie Rosenberg before, you won't have forgotten him. If you haven't had the pleasure then you will love this chat.  Laurie is a Jewish Educator who is able to move from the profound to the frivilous with natural ease.  We discuss; His work as a Jewish educator The importance of good RE Why teaching Judaism is an importa...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! There has been lot in the news recently that is trying to cause hatred towards the Sikh community because of the actions of one Sikh who acted against strongly held Sikh beliefs and values.  While we recorded this before the tragic death of Henry Novak, many of the points we discuss are a powerful counter to the attacks of the Sikh faith. Please note ther...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! To celebrate the first Jewish Culture Month,  I invite Anna Silver onto the podcast to talk about diversity in Judaism. To find out more about Jewish Culture Month, go to; https://jewishculturemonth.org.uk/ Anna Silver is Education Officer at the Board of Deputies of British Jews and she is a wealth of knowledge on this topic. We discuss; Mistakes when te...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Calling all students of AQA GCSE RE! So Paper 2 is on Wednesday, what are the last minute things you can do tonight to make sure you are ready for your last RE exam? First of all, don't worry, you've got this. But let's quickly go through what to expect in the paper, how to answer each type of question, some key concepts, some power quotes...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Calling all students of AQA GCSE RE! So Paper 1 is tomorrow, what are the last minute things you can do tonight to make sure you are ready for your first RE exam? First of all, don't worry, you've got this. But let's quickly go through what to expect in the paper tomorrow, how to answer each type of question, some key concepts, some power q...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Questionning is at the very heart of who we are as humans as well as the RE classroom.  Following on from my chat with Joe Kinnaird about his new book; Secondary Religious Education in Action, we delve deep into his chapter on questionning.  This follows a brilliant talk he gave on this topic at Strictly 2026. We look at what makes a good question, how to...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! In this episode I talk to Farouk Peru about Quranism.  I must admit, I didn't know what a Quranist was until the lovely Ruth Marx connected me with Farouk so it is always lovely to learn something new! We discuss what a Quranist is, and the use of  A - Application of the Qura'n R - Refutation of criticisms C - Conversation We look at how being a...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Bringing together the latest research and practical strategies for teachers of secondary religious education, Joe Kinnaird draws on his years of teaching experience and passion for high-quality RE to explore a range of ways to deepen pupils’ understanding of religion and worldviews. This book presents a vision of what it means for students to truly engage...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! One of the highlights of my year is watching BBC Pilgrimage. This is a reality show with heart and depth and authenticity and vulnerability. It’s not seeking drama or action, it’s seeking the best of humanity. The basic premise is that seven celebrities go on a pilgrimage. This year BBC pilgrimage is back for is 8th series and this time it’s the Celtic Ch...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! We all love Harry Clark, winner of Traitors season 2 and the deep, authentic. spiritual, curious pilgrim on BBC Pilgrimage.  And now he embarks on a new journey - to Rome, to meet the Pope.  On 2nd April at 10.40pm on BBC2, join me to watch Harry Clark Goes To Rome ; https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002thdy To find out more I catch up with Harry and have...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! A year ago, on 30th March 2025, Dawn was tragically taken from us in a car accident. It was a huge loss to us, her friends, to the RE community as a whole, but mostly to her partner Roy.  I catch up with Roy to find out what life as been like over the last year. Amoung the poignant moments of grief we also discuss cats, Marakesh decor, bell ringing, the G...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! In this episode I unpack Theme F: Religion, human rights and social justice Students should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. They should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of these i...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Religion, crime and the causes of crime Good and evil intentions and actions, including whether it can ever be good to cause suffering. Reasons for crime, including: poverty and upbringing mental health problems and addiction greed and hate opposition to an unjust law. Views about people who break the law for these reasons. Views about different types of...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! This week I go through the main content and exam questions needed for GCSE AQA Paper 2 Theme D: Religion, Peace and Conflict In theme D we should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. We should be aware of contrasting perspectiv...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! In this episode I will unpack;  3.2.1.3 Theme C: The existence of God and revelation Philosophical arguments for and against the existence of God The Design argument, including its strengths and weaknesses. The First Cause argument, including its strengths and weaknesses. The argument from miracles, including its strengths and weaknesses, and one example...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Last year, Ofsted published it's new inspection framework and the word that weaves through everything is INCLUSION. It is now a separate area of inspection. And the list of students we need to include is broader than before. So how do we help ALL students in our classrooms to achieve, belong and thrive - the three words in the back of every Ofsted In...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Fiona Moss is back on the podcast to tell us all about the leadership scholarship programme run by Culham St Gabriel. If you are a leader of RE with a role wider than your school and you want to take the next steps in your career then this is the programme for you We discuss how and why it started,  who should consider applying, some of the recent develop...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! This week I am look at GCSE AQA Theme B Religion and Life. I will go through the main content, and apply this to a 4, 6, and 12-mark questions. I think the following Bible passage is the foundation of Theme B; “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! In this series I am doing a deep dive into AQA Paper 2: Themes.  I have done an overview of Paper 2 so if you haven't listened to that one you might want to do that first. In this episode I will briefly go through all the key content for Theme A Relationships and Family and apply it to 4, 6 and 12-mark questions.  The three focus topics for this unit...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! This episode is an introduction to GCSE AQA Religious Studies Paper 2 In this episode we will cover some of the key mistakes pupils make in Paper 2 as it is organised slightly differently from Paper 1, go through some top tips that you will need to get the maximum mark possible and look at the different question styles that you will encounter in your exam...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! This episode of the RE Podcast explores the importance of RE in today's society, addressing the misconceptions surrounding the subject, the current recruitment crisis, and the exciting future for aspiring RE teachers. The conversation features insights from experienced educators and new teachers, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of RE teachers an...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Explain two ways Muslims practice jihad.  One way is though lesser Jihad which is the military struggle to defend Islam.  This must be carried out according to strict and clear cut rules, for example you can’t harm children Another way is greater jihad, which is the personal struggle of every Muslim to live by the teachings of their faith  For example pra...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Explain two ways Muslims give alms One way is through Zakah,which is 2.5% of wealth  This money is given to those in need. Another way is through khums which involves Shia Muslims giving 20% of their savings  This is given to those in need and charitable causes  Explain two ways Muslims give Zakah One way is by giving 2.5% of their wealth. This goes to pe...

Please send The RE Podcast a Text Message! Explain two ways Muslims perform Salah. One way is when performing ablution. This is known as wudu, which involves washing specific body parts before praying. Another way is by completing the rakkah which are prayer movements. These involve standing, reciting, bowing, prostrating and kneeling Explain two ways Muslims perform Friday prayer One way is with...