THE number of students taking A levels in Religious Studies reflects a “growing interest in life’s big questions”, the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) and the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) said in a statement published on results day on Thursday.
The institutions reported that teachers were noticing that young people were “turning to the subject to help them understand life and find meaning in the 21st century”.
The FFT Education Datalab reported that, across the UK, a total of 25.5 per cent of pupils achieved A*-A grades in RE, compared with 28.3 per cent for all subjects.
This year, 81.2 per cent of students achieved a C or above in RE, compared with 78.8 per cent last year.
Female students scored slightly higher than male students: 81.8 per cent received a C or above, and 25.8 per cent received A*-A grades in RE, compared with 79.7 per cent and 24.6 per cent, respectively.
The number of students receiving top A-level grades in England has risen for the second year in a row. A total of 28.3 per cent of entries were awarded an A or A*, up from 27.8 per cent in 2024 (News, 15 August 2024), and above 25.4 per cent in 2019.
Katie Freeman, who chairs NATRE, congratulated all “RE teachers and their students”, on Thursday. “Specialist RE teachers are an enormous asset to young people, their schools, and communities, opening up a wealth of opportunity from careers to new intellectual experiences.”
The Church of England’s chief education officer, the Revd Nigel Genders, had a message for the recipients of A-level results: “Whatever your results today, remember that your worth is not defined by grades. You are created and loved by God, with gifts and potential that reach far beyond a single piece of paper.
“As you step into the next chapter, take a moment to thank the teachers and school leaders who have supported you on the way. Be courageous, stay true to who you are, and trust that the path ahead will unfold — sometimes just as you hoped, and sometimes in ways that will surprise you!”
The number of students taking A-level RE has “remained stable”, with a fall of just 1.3 per cent, which is less than the fall in other humanities subjects. Yet, since 2003, A-level entries for the subject have grown by 34.8 per cent.
There were falls in A-level entries in other humanities subjects: History fell by 5.4 per cent, Geography by 6.4 per cent, and Sociology and Law by one per cent: a similar rate to RE.
The decline in RE is explained by Sarah Lane Cawte, who chairs the REC, as “the subject still lacking the resourcing and attention to meet this growing demand.” She said: “Sadly, many students who want to pursue the subject at A level cannot.”
The REC and NATRE say that the teacher-training bursary for RE was recently restored for the academic year 2024-25, after the Department for Education had missed its recruitment target for 12 of the past 13 years. But the Subject Knowledge Enhancement grant, which is “vital to encourage graduates from a range of subjects to train to teach RE”, has been withdrawn, even though “those benefiting from the grant accounted for 27 per cent of those who trained this year.”
Fifty-one per cent oft the teachers who deliver RE lessons mainly teach another subject, and are, therefore, “far less likely to be expected to teach A level given the expertise required”.
Among others offering hope and support to students receiving results was the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally. Posting to social media, she said that she was “Thinking of students getting their exam results today and their parents and schools supporting, helping, guiding, and celebrating with them. Prayers for you all.”
The Archbishop of York also offered prayers. He reminisced about his A-level results day, and said that “it’s something all of us approach with nervousness and trepidation.”
He read a prayer that, he said, had been written by someone some years ago, when she herself was awaiting her results: “Jesus, keep reminding me of the bigger picture over the next few weeks. Keep me in your hands when all other hands disappear; for I am convinced that neither entry requirements, nor exam results [. . .] nor anything else in life will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Please don’t let me forget it. Amen.”
