Following consideration of the resources available and after holding focus groups with primary staff from our schools, the Education Service will be supporting OUP’s Lighting the Path as the primary RE resource moving forward in 25/26. The feedback from schools was very positive and by focusing on one resource we hope to be able to ensure that all schools can offer excellent RE.
OUP can be accessed here: https://global.oup.com/education/content/primary/series/lighting-the-path/?region=uk&srsltid=AfmBOoqmjv0iBAon-FoVHnb9CcjJQUBJlPGAXbXbsR2RAqux4HDUX0Nr
As a new resource, we wish to provide schools with a variety of training both face to face as well as online. The training will be offered not just to teachers and headteachers but also to clergy, governors and CSI inspectors.
This page will be developed across the year with FAQs for teachers and various additional resources and guidance as required.
The initial training will be presented by Dr Nancy Walbank, the series editor for Lighting the Path. Nancy began her career as an early years teacher and then taught across the primary age range in Catholic schools. She completed her PhD in religious studies through Lancaster University in 2009 and has since taught secondary and university education. Nancy worked for the Diocese of Lancaster Education Service alongside Canon Luis Ruscillo for several years until moving to a national role at the Catholic Education Service as education and policy adviser.
Now Nancy is working with OUP, developing the Lighting the Path resource to support the Religious Education Directory (RED). She is the author of three books for middle readers to support the RE curriculum, “Mia and St Bernadette’, ‘The Change Makers’ and ‘The Builders’ (2026) published by Hachette.