Religious Education Directory And The Future Of Re In Catholic Schools: Reflections On Implementing And Assessing The Red

This book examines recent and significant changes in Religious Education (RE) within Catholic schools in England, situating them within broader global debates about curriculum reform. It analyses the origins, rationale, and implications of the Religious Education Directory, which represents a major shift in the aims, structure, and content of RE in the Catholic sector.

The book provides a clear overview of why reform has been deemed necessary and offers a critical assessment of the Directory’s theoretical and theological foundations. It identifies both the strengths and limitations of the new framework, while also addressing the practical challenges associated with its implementation in schools. Particular attention is given to the ways in which educators and institutions might respond to these challenges and enact meaningful curriculum innovation.

By evaluating the potential impacts of these reforms, the book contributes to ongoing discussions about the purpose and future of RE in contemporary education systems. It highlights the wider international relevance of developments in England, offering insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners engaged in curriculum change within diverse religious and educational contexts.

Sean Whittle is a Senior Lecturer in Catholic Education at St Mary’s University, London, and a member of the Thea Bowman Research Centre.  For over a decade he worked with Professor Gerald Grace as a Research associate.  For almost two decades he combined these academic roles whilst working part-time as a secondary school RE teacher at a Catholic School in West London. His book, A Theory of Catholic Education (Bloomsbury 2014), presents a robust philosophy of Catholic education that draws fruitfully on insights from Karl Rahner. He has been the sole editor six books on Catholic Education (Vatican II and New Thinking about Catholic Education 2016[Routledge]; Researching Catholic Education 2018 [Springer]; Religious Education in Catholic schools in the UK and Ireland 2018 [Peter Lang]; Irish and British Perspectives on Catholic Education 2021 [Springer], New Thinking, New Scholarship and New Research in Catholic Education: Responses to the Work of Professor Gerald Grace 2021 [Routledge]). He complemented this study in 2025 with a volume recognising the achievements of Professor John Sullivan (Routledge).  He has also collaborated with co-editors exploring a range of issues. With Gareth Byrne in 2021 the focus was on life long Catholic education, in 2023 with Sean Henry (on Queer thriving and Catholic education) and with Quentin Woden 2024 on (Leadership Matters in Catholic education).  For over six years he has served as guest editor (with Stephen McKinney) with the Journal for Religious Education. For a number of years he has been collaborating with other academics working in the field of Catholic Education Studies, serving as the secretary for the Network for Researchers in Catholic Education (NfRCE). He has also been engaged in a range of research projects (including a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at Brunel University on a Religious Literacy project, Researching RSE in Catholic schools in Northern Ireland, and a research project of a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust in Birmingham). Sean also serves on the executive of the academic association AULRE. 

Matthew Dell was a Senior Lecturer at St Mary’s University, London and was a member of the Centre for Catholic Education, Research, and Religious Literacy. During his time at St Mary’s University, he was course lead for the RE PGCE, training secondary RE teachers as well as course lead for the MA Education programme. In an inspiring surprising move, he has returned to the RE classroom and is currently teaching in a Catholic secondary school in Surrey. Prior to academic life, he worked in three schools taking roles such as Head of RE as well as Assistant Headteacher. He has been a diocesan inspector for over 24 years. Until recently Matthew was the chair of the Association of Teachers of Catholic Religious Education (ATCRE), which he helped found in 2018.