Julia Diamond-Conway, National RE Adviser

Why RE?

When I was at secondary school, I spent my first few weeks a bit confused about what RE lessons were all about. I soon realised that they were the most important lessons on my timetable because they dealt with beliefs, ideas, ways of understanding the world and ways of living that humans hold most dear.

My experience:

25 years in school and as an Adviser.

In-school experience:

I have taught across the primary age groups taught, from EYFS through to Key Stage 2.

Adviser experience:

• Adviser to a number of SACREs throughout the country.
• Developed and delivered training for Local Authorities, Dioceses, MATS, individual schools and have bee a key note speaker at a number of national conferences.
• I thoroughly enjoy working with school staff and other stakeholders in RE – from large national conferences to one-to-one sessions with individuals.
• Having established Local Authority and diocesan Ambassadors of Faith and Belief schemes I am also involved in work for Inter Faith Week.
• Co-Chair of AREIAC (Association of RE Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants).

Areas of interest:

• Primary
• Staff development
• Leadership & management
• Sikhi
• Hindu Dharma
• Lived faith
• Learning design
• Creative RE

Publications:

• What Happens in…?
• Understanding Christianity
• Exploring Worldviews Series
• Investigating Worldviews Series
• Big Questions, Big Answers Series
• Challenging RE Series
• Inspiring RE Series
• Examining RE Series
• Understanding Muslims Understanding Islam
• Primary RE Curriculum

Written articles for REtoday magazine include:

• Heaven on Netflix? And in RE? Ideas for using Netflix’s philosophical comedy The Good Place in secondary RE lessons (2020, written alongside Stacey Burman)
• 10 Ways to Work with 4-7s on Identity and Belonging in RE
• The Respectometer: What is the most respectful thing of all? (2020, written alongside Kate Christopher)
• 10 Ways to Use Wisdom Sayings in RE
• ‘Greening’ Celebrations (2020)

Written articles for Professional REflection include:

• Excellent RE in primary schools: A professional development model for RE (written alongside Fiona Moss)
• As a member of Professional REflection’s editorial committee, I have written reviews and contributed to articles for this publication. In 2023, I was thrilled to be guest editor for the special edition of Professional REflection on the topic of ‘knowledge’.

Primary training courses I deliver:

• Help! I’m the RE Subject Leader
• cREative RE
• Excellent RE
• Understanding Christianity

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