About SRE
Special Religious Education (SRE) – regular lessons in public schools where parents are able to opt their children in to attending lessons about Jesus from approved curriculum.
Participation in Special Religious Education (SRE)
The Presbyterian Church in NSW encourages all its members to be involved in Special Religious Education for the good of local school communities. This is a privilege we do not accept lightly and by accrediting and training our teachers we intend to support the high standard of education in our local schools.
The Church is a Department of Education approved provider and a member of The Inter-Church Commission on Religious Education in Schools (ICCOREIS).
Modes of Delivery
In general, members of the Church are involved in delivery of SRE in partnership with other churches committed to the same involvement. This is known as a combined arrangement or joint denominational SRE and called Combined Christian SRE. The Minister of the church in partnership with the leadership of other churches jointly agree on which trained volunteers, will teach the agreed curriculum based on the unfolding story of the Bible, its central character, Jesus, and the implications for values and behaviour.
Note: each SRE teacher in a combined arrangement must be already authorised to teach SRE by their own denomination. The curriculum must be authorised by one of the approved providers.
An Authorisation letter in a combined arrangement is given to the school each year which clearly identifies who is the approved provider and includes the name of authorised teacher(s), date of birth and contact details. This letter is updated annually before the start of term 1 or as required. A working with children check is not required to be given to a school but instead is given to the Conduct Protocol Unit on the Authorisation Form (see forms section in Resources below).
In high schools in NSW, local churches often combine to form associations to deliver SRE.
Authorised Curricula
The delivery of our curriculum is taught with sensitivity and in an age appropriate manner. Our teachers are trained in the use of classroom technology such as interactive whiteboards and digital projectors. The SRE regular ongoing training includes classroom management strategies and implementation of the curriculum.
Review of SRE teaching includes teacher self-reflection, regular classroom observation, supervisor feedback, mentor support and adherence to the authorised curriculum.
We report the results of the review process which is part of our annual assurance process and include a description of efforts to address identified issues such as further training and mentor support.
We approve all materials and internet resources that are identified for use by SRE teachers.
Across the state, geographic and demographic issues impact on the choice of a curriculum. The decision on which Presbyterian authorised curriculum to use (see below) is left up to the Minister in partnership with other local providers jointly delivering SRE.
Parents and caregivers are very welcome to view the curriculum that their child is taught by following the links below, consulting the school’s SRE Co-ordinator or their local Minister.
For more information contact Presbyterian Youth SRE +61 2 9690 9379 or roslyndeal@pynsw.org.au.
We authorise only the listed curricula – see the SRE Curricula page.
SRE Related Articles
An open door for questions – Les Moreman’s SRE teaching experience Growing up, Les Moreman’s family were inconsistent at church, but SRE was a constant in his primary school years....
What does James Annesley want people thinking about teaching SRE to know? “It’s not always fun. But it always fills me with joy when I finish.” James has been teaching...
For nearly forty years, Special Religious Education (SRE) has been a faithful presence in the public schools of Grafton. Its story is one of vision, perseverance, prayer, and trust in...