Religious Education Network
Welcome to the Religious Education Network
Our aims in coming together are:
- To maintain the place of religion, and religions, at the heart of Religious Education
- To support the current legal status of the subject named ‘Religious Education’
- To promote National Standards for the effective provision of Religious Education
- To identify, explore and share examples of excellent provision in schools and colleges
- To support the processes which ensure local determination for any RE syllabus
- To provide a forum that links providers, organisations and individuals who share these aims
At a time when there is much public debate about the place and importance of religion and spirituality in society, and in the world as a whole, we believe an exciting and well-grounded religious education is vital for our children’s and young people’s spiritual and social well-being, with religions themselves at the heart of this.
Our principal purpose is to share good practice in accordance with our stated aims, so that RE providers can benefit by learning from each other, and to represent Religious Education with decision-makers at all levels.
The Acting Committee

Guy Hordern MBE
Guy is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and has been a member of Birmingham City Council Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education since 1977.

Ron Skelton
Ron has been Headmaster of The Broadway Academy, Birmingham, since 2008. He is a Local Leader of Education and former chairman of Titan Trust. He is a member of Birmingham SACRE and of the Headteachers West Midlands Ofsted Reference group. He is the current Chair of the West Midlands Police Advisory Board. He has spoken at conferences on the subjects of leadership, inter- faith, community partnerships, school ethos, and ‘British Values.’

Julie Arliss
Julie is a highly-accomplished teacher and author, an international educator of gifted students, providing world-class extension activities for students, through her Academy Learning work.

Steve Beegoo
Steve is a former school principal and primary school teacher, having nearly 30 years’ experience of teaching RE. He is Head of Education for Christian Concern, CEO of the Christian Schools’ Trust and Vice Chairman of the Christian Coalition for Education. He is a SACRE member, schools advisor, and supports school staff in education issues nationally and internationally.

Andrew Capone
Andrew Capone is the subject leader of RE and co-ordinator of PSHE at St Simon Stock Catholic School in Maidstone. He provides private tuition and has has written teachers materials for the OCR A Level Religious Studies. He has developed an RE Skills Approach to KS3 Religious Education for Catholic schools including a full curriculum being endorsed by the CES. He has marked Edexcel GCSE RS papers and OCR A Level papers. He is passionate about Religious Education and Religious Studies.

Savvas Costi
Savvas Costi is a Theology graduate with over 15 years experience teaching Secondary RE, including A-level. 6 of those years were spent as a Head of Department. He is now based in East Sussex.

Dr Marius Felderhof
Marius is Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of Theology and Religion, the University of Birmingham; he has contributed widely to religious education in books, articles and in training teachers, and to inter-faith work.

Lizzie Harewood

Seeta Lakhani
Seeta is an author and educator who continues her father Jay Lakhani’s work through the Hindu Academy, providing all sorts of resources for promoting education in Hinduism.

Cristo Rodriguez
Cristo has a background in MFL and RE teaching and has been involved in education for around 20 years in one form or another. Having worked in schools abroad with the British Council he worked in Alternative Provision, Youth Work and the voluntary sector as well as being Managing Director of a Christian Education Charity and recently a Chaplain. He currently works as a subject leader in Religious Education and will also be working with the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics to develop schools conferences and events. Cristo has been awarded a Farmington Scholarship 2024/25 at Harris Manchester College University of Oxford. Cristo is also a trustee of the Association of Christian Teachers (ACT) and a member of the Christian Coalition for Education. He is taking the lead in developing a new Theology, Philosophy and Ethics syllabus for the REN.

Richard Coupe
External Consultant to the Acting Committee
Richard worked at all levels in state and independent schools, co-founded the ISRSA and has contributed to QCA, to examination boards and to DfE consultation, as well as running and addressing conferences, publishing articles and training teachers in-school.

Stewart Aylward
Honorary Treasurer - co-opted onto the Acting Committee
Stewart is a retired Chartered Accountant who assists the active committee with various business related tasks including the management of REN’s finances. He lives in the Cotswolds.