Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit Seminar Programme

WRERU has an international reputation for its research and curriculum development in religious education. It has produced many research publications and the Warwick RE Project, a series of teacher and pupil books for use in schools.

WRERU hosts a series of Religions and Education Research Seminars, held several Tuesday evenings a term in the Institute. Those leading the seminars come from a variety of backgrounds including:

practising teachers
advisers in the field of RE or education generally
Farmington Fellows
university based researchers

WRERU Seminars 1997-

Date / Speaker / Theme
28/1/97 / Sissel Østberg / Studying religious nurture: Muslim children in Oslo
25/2/97 / Sophie Gilliat, University of Warwick / Theological education for a multifaith Britain
6/5/97 / Michael Grimmitt, University of Birmingham / Current pedagogies in RE
20/5/97 / John Hull, University of Birmingham / Problems of method in the research into and the pedagogy of adult education
17/6/97 / Linda Rudge, University of East Anglia / Justice and injustice in curriculum and society (Britain 1997)
7/10/97 / Ron Geaves / The borders between religions. The challenge to the world religions approach to RE
28/10/97 / Professor Jonathan Tritter (University of Warwick)/ Priscilla Chadwick (Principal Berkhamsted Collegiate School) / Mission impossible: Grant maintained status and Church school.
27/11/97 / Anne Krisman, Farmington Fellow
and
Phil Leivers, Farmington Fellow / ‘Speak from the heart’: Exploring and responding to RE in the special school
Effective questioning in primary RE and the assessment of children’s learning from religion
10/2/98 / Adam Hardy, De Montfort University / Form and symbol in IndianTemple architecture
10/3/98 / Joyce Miller (Adviser for RE Bradford) / Circles and spirals. Using the Arts in RE.
5/5/98 / Marie Parker-Jenkins, University of Derby / ‘Equality within Islam, not without it’: Perspectives of Muslim school girls in Britain
9/6/98 / Barbara Easton, Farmington Fellow / Understanding the Hindu tradition: a guide for teachers
16/6/98 / Dr Pat Sikes (University of Sheffield)/Judith Everington (University of Warwick) / Becoming an RE teacher. A life history approach.
20/10/98 / Denise Cush, BathSpaUniversity / Learning from the concept and concepts of a religious tradition: RE beyond ethnography, using the example of Jainism
1/12/98 / Fiona Moss, Farmington Fellow / Edification and learning from religion
2/2/99 / John Keast (QCA) / RE and the review of the curriculum. Proposed guidance from QCA.
23/2/99 / Elisabeth Hole, Uppsala, Sweden / Reflections on a comparative study of Hindu women in Sweden and Britain
9/3/99 / Geoff Marshall Taylor (BBC) / Issues in preparing KS2&3 Hinduism and Sikhism Programmes.
8/6/99 / Julia Ipgrave (Teacher Uplands Primary Leicester) / Methodological issues in the study of inter-faith influence in the primary school.
22/6/99 / Andrew Raine/Kevin James (Farmington Teacher Fellows) / RE and ICT in the primary school/ Presenting the Buddhist tradition at a Level.
16/11/99 / Lat Blaylock (CEM/PCfRE) / Issues in assessing achievement.
7/12/99 / Phil Leivers (Head of Secondary RE Dept) / Mentoring in RE
25/1/00 / Anthony Reddie (Research Fellow The Queen's Foundation Birmingham) / Christian Education of black children in Britain. Towards a new paradigm of liberation.
15/2/00 / Dr Cornelia Roux (University of StellenboschSouth Africa) / RE in the new South Africa.
2/5/00 / The Ven.Dr Richard Cheetham (Archdeacon of St Albans) / How do we find out what's going on in Collective Worship? Empirical research.
27/6/00 / Dr Dennis Bates / The Lancaster legacy. A critical assessment of Ninian Smart and the Schools Council Working paper 31.
31/10/00 / Irene Donohoue (University of
Melbourne) / Do Islamic schools meet Muslim parents’ expectations?
28/11/00 / Ruth Lambert (Farmington Teacher Fellow) / Sikhism at KS1. Resource links with the National Literacy Strategy.
16/1/01 / Dr Mark Chater (BishopGrossetesteCollegeLincoln) / The teachers' lives project. Methodology and findings on teachers' spiritualities in the workplace.
22/5/01 / Professor Tim Jensen (University of Odense, Denmark) / Religious Education in Primary and Secondary Schools: Current Issues of Method and Politics in Danish RE and RS.
27/2/01 / Ursula McKenna
University of Warwick / Questions raised by research into RE and SEN at KS2.
26/6/01 / Mary Hayward (University of Leeds) / Curriculum Christianity. An appraisal.
1/5/01 / Vivien Northcote / The first illustrated RE textbooks
6/11/01 / Barbara Wintersgill (HMI Adviser to Ofsted for RE) / RE course content at KS3. Issues for teachers and for Agreed Syllabuses.
4/12/01 / Naina Parmar (Teacher Earlham Primary School, Haringey) / Key teachings of Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita for KS 1&2
4/12/01 / Alison Gardner (TeacherDorringtonSchool, Birmingham) / Issues in producing materials on a Jehovah's Witness Church
19/2/02 / Andrew Wright (Lecturer, King's College London) / The contours of Critical Religious Education
30/4/02 / John Keast, Principal Manager for RE, Citizenship, PSHE, QCA / RE, Citizenship and Other Issues: A National perspective
21/5/02 / Elisabeth Arweck (Research Fellow, Institute of Education, University of Warwick) / The Brahma Kumaris and Spiritual Development
1/10/02 / Dr Rebecca Nye, University of Cambridge / ‘It’s just like a big explosion in your mind’: children’s spirituality – how it feels to them and how it is heard by us
19/11/02 / Eystein Gulbeck, Visiting Fellow from Norway / Fieldwork in Coventry and Norway in Primary RE
25/2/03 / Kevin O’Grady, Head of RE, High Storrs School Sheffield and PhD student / Motivation in RE
13/5/03 / Carolyn Reade, St Martin's College / ICT and Religions Education - Charting a New Landscape
02/6/03 / Bill Gent, Senior Advisor (School Improvement), Redbridge / Education and the Muslim Community in Redbridge, North London
14/10/03 / Dr Elisabeth Arweck, Research Fellow, University of Warwick / Sathya Sai Education in Human Values: Challenges and Implications of the Research
17/2/04 / Karen Steele, Farmington Fellow/Teacher Kineton High School Warwick / The contribution of religious education to citizenship education
9/3/04 / Barbara Wintersgill, HMI, Specialist Adviser for RE to Ofsted / Issues in researching teenagers' spirituality
4/5/04 / Professor John Hull, Emeritus Professor of Religious Education, University of Birmingham / Religious education, violence and peace
12/10/04 / Dr Adrian Samuel, Humanities, Richmond upon ThamesCollege / Educating children for informed decision making in a religiously diverse society
23/11/04 / Oddrun Hovde, Senior Visiting Fellow, TrondheimUniversity / Religious Education in Norway
22/2/05 / Nigel Fancourt, Head of RE, Lord William’s School, Thame / Assessment in RE
8/3/05 / Lizzie McWhirter, RE, Spirituality and Schools Officer, Diocese of Coventry / Godly play: A fresh Approach to Spiritual Development
19/4/05 / Revd John Hall, Director for Social Responsibility, Diocese of Coventry / Silence and racism:identities and discourse
17/1/06 / Sarah Horsfield, MytonSchool / RE and pupils on the autistic spectrum
8/3/06 / Judith Robinson, LovatMiddle School / What makes a good RE co-ordinator?
20/6/06 / Amy Whittall / Using the interpretive approach for teaching RE to gifted and talented students at KS3: An action research perspective
12/10/06 / Rabbi Dr Jonathan A. Romain / Investigating the religious identity formation of young people in mixed faith families
16/10/07 / Professor Leslie Francis and Dr Mandy Robbins
Institute of Education, University of Warwick / Assessing spiritual health among pupils from the RE classroom
6/11/07 / Damian Breen
Institute of Education, University of Warwick / Preparing to investigate faith school ethos in voluntary aided and independent schools
22/1/08 / Dr Julia Ipgrave
OxfordBrookesUniversity / The language of friendship: children’s communication choice in an interfaith email exchange
26/2/08 / Dr Bill Gent
Institute of Education, University of Warwick / Using life-story methods to understand the Islamic journeys of British Muslims
12/3/08 / Dr Stephen Parker
Farmington Fellow
Institute of Education
University of Warwick / First Thoughts on Spirituality in Sixth Form Colleges
7/10/08
* / Professor William Kay, University of Wales, Bangor / Two Accounts of mental and religious development
2/12/08
* / Professor Viv Baumfield, University of Glasgow / From intention to enactment and impact: Does RE work?
27/1/09
* / Professor Eleanor Nesbitt & Dr Elisabeth Arweck / Enrichment or enstrangement? How young people in mixed faith families see their dual heritage
13/10/09 / DrAndrew Village,Associate Fellow, Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit / Pupils and Prejudice: Race and religion among secondary-school children in northern England
10/3/2010
* / Dr Keld Skovmand, Lecturer, University College Lillebaelt (UCL), Odense, Denmark / Building bridges in teacher training and RE
12/10/10 / Professor Leslie Francis,
Dr Julia Ipgrave
Dr Nigel Fancourt
WRERU, University of Warwick / Materials Used to Teach about World Religions in Schools
30/11/10 / Dr Julia Ipgrave
Dr Elisabeth Arweck,
WRERU, University of Warwick / Young People's Attitudes to Religious Diversity: impressions from the field
1/3/11 / Dr Joyce Miller, Associate Fellow, WRERU, University of Warwick / Religious education and religious extremism: some questions and answers for teachers
1/3/12 / Dr Julia Ipgrave, WRERU, University of Warwick and Debbie Danon, 3 Faiths Forum / Dialogue with Scripture: inter faith activity with teenagers
17/1/13 / Dr Dzintra Ilisko, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of Sustainable Education at Daugavpils University, Latvia / Sustainability and Religion: An Eastern European Perspective
18/7/13 / Joanne Beavan: Secondary RE teacher and Farmington Fellow
and
Barbara Usher: Secondary RE teacher and Farmington Fellow(cancelled due to illness)
Professor Robert Jackson
WRERU / Exploring and assessing the role of visits and visitors in Secondary RE.
How innovative can teachers be, in providing sustained opportunities for meaningful inter-faith dialogue, even in schools in mainly white, mono-faith areas?
Signposts towards religions and beliefs within European intercultural education.
29/10/13 / Dr Mia Matilainen / Human Rights Education and Religious Education in the Finnish Educational Context: Some Research Findings and Plans

Last updated 17/09/13