STARME is committed to sharing impactful research to inspire and elevate excellent learning and teaching across Scotland. Explore our collated research collection below, and stay informed with up-to-date insights into our ongoing advocacy work and responses to national campaigns.
Contribute to the STARME Resource Library
The strength of our subject network lies in shared knowledge and collaboration across Scotland. We are actively seeking submissions of practitioner enquiries, academic dissertations, and evidence-based action research from classroom teachers. Help us elevate the standard of teaching and learning by sharing your hard work with the wider community.
Explore Our Resources
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Have Your Say on the RMPS Curriculum
Education Scotland is currently leading a systematic review of the Scottish curriculum through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC). As part of this ongoing work, they are preparing to share the newly co-designed draft Curriculum Framework this autumn – and they want your feedback! What You Need to Know The co-creation phase of the CIC will…
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A Time for Reflection – A Response to Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill.
On February 17th, 2024, as faith communities across Scotland entered seasons of reflection—Ramadan for Muslims and Lent for Christians—the RME community reached a landmark of its own. With the passing of the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill, the landscape of our classrooms has fundamentally shifted. For years,…
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STARME Response to STARME: Position Statement on Future Inspection Frameworks and Inspectorate Practice
STARME is calling for fundamental reform of inspection practices for Religious and Moral Education (RME) and RERC. Inconsistent inspection is undermining the legal status of RME/RERC, leading to widespread non-compliance in Scottish schools. Our position statement demands that future frameworks must guarantee Specialism, Clarity, Consistency, and acknowledgment of Systemic Challenges to finally secure high-quality, statutory…
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Action Required – Stage 2 – Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill
Despite broad support from the Equalities Committee and MSPs for decoupling Religious and Moral Education (RME) from Religious Observance (RO), the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill still threatens RME’s status. The core problem remains: the outdated right of withdrawal from RME is still retained, treating a core,…
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URGENT: The Voice of RME Teachers Must Be Heard on the Children (RME Withdrawal) Bill
Critical Deadline: Stage 1 Debate is November 25th! The Stage 1 debate on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25, 2025. This means we have a matter of days, to ensure the professional voice of Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers is…
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Help Build the RMPS Teacher Toolkit: Research on Closing the Gap and Raising Attainment
STARME member Gillian Dunsmuir is currently undertaking a Farmington Institute Research Scholarship with a focus on ‘Raising Attainment and Closing the Gap in Senior Phase RMPS’. Expanding on her insights from the Festival of Learning, Gillian aims to produce a practical Teacher Toolkit based on effective learning and teaching approaches in RMPS classrooms across Scotland.…
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STARME’s Response for Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee discussions on Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill.
As the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill goes through the committee stage at the Scottish Parliament, we have been asked to provide a response to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice committee on the proposed changes. This highlights views expressed by members at the end of…
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Scottish Government Call for Responses to proposed changes to the current legislation on religious observance (RO) and religious and moral education (RME) in schools.
The Scottish Government has introduced a new Bill changing how pupils can be withdrawn from religious instruction and observance. It also updates how public authorities balance duties under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Scotland) Act 2024. The consultation is open until 1st September, and STARME wants to hear from our members!…
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Recent(ish) publications concerning Religious Education in Scotland
Members might like to know what RE research (concerning RME in Scotland) has been published in recent years. Some of these papers are freely accessible, but some are behind a paywall. You might find a ‘pre-print’ version of any paper you are interested in at the institutional repository of the author. We will update this…
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To what extent should RME teachers engage with research in RE?
There are countless ways to answer this question. At first glance it might seem like a workload issue: teachers simply don’t have time to engage much with research. Some see opportunities for viable engagement with research through forms of practitioner enquiry: teachers forming data as part of their professional practice. Shouldn’t we admit, though, that…
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Summary of STARME Response to RME + RO Consultation by Scottish Government – January 2025
We’ve taken your concerns to the Scottish Government! STARME members shared their experiences and insights on the proposed changes to RE and RO legislation, and our committee met directly with government officials to discuss our findings. Discover the key points from our submission and how we’re advocating for a better future for RME.
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An Update on STARME’s First Year – Notes from the AGM
Report from the Scottish Teachers Association of RME (STARME) AGM – 24th August 2023 Chaired by Stuart McKinlay Our first Annual General Meeting since our formation in 2022. This first year has been a year of making connections and building our initial presence. We have met with and formed working relationships with educational bodies; such…
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STARME Newsletter – June 2023
Welcome to our latest edition of our Newsletter! Note from Chair As we reach the end of term, no doubt everyone is also feeling like we have had the busiest year this year and for STARME it is no different. In our first year we have been setting out the groundwork for our association to…
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Winter 2022 Newsletter
Note from Chair As we creak towards the Christmas holidays it is good to look back on the term that has been and the progress and planning made by the committee. Our member numbers continue to grow. Nicola Mathews is regularly sharing relevant information on @TeachersofRME on Twitter as well as details of events. Paul…
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STARME – Newsletter Summer 2022
Note from Chair Sitting at my desk in the sunshine, in the week before end of term, I cannot help but have a sunny outlook on the year ahead. After having seen all that we have achieved in the past half year since STARME was first thought about, I look onto the following academic year…
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STARME Newsletter – April 2022 –
STARME Newsletter – April 2022 A big big thank you! Welcome to our first newsletter! We are very excited at the buzz and excitement surrounding the new association and cannot wait to channel this into inspiring excellence in RME/ RERC and our associated subjects. We held the initial general meeting on 24th March where Stuart…
