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NABS (National Accrediting Board of Studies)
The Process And Criteria For The Accrediting Approval Of General Religious
Education In Catholic Sixth Form Colleges And Catholic Schools With Sixth Forms
1. Schedule
1.1 A college/school will submit its programme of study through its diocesan Religious
Education adviser for approval by NABS at least every four years, or whenever the
programme of study is substantially changed, whichever is sooner.
1.2 The generic timetable for accreditation will normally be:
• Submission of the programme of study and accompanying documentation by the
college/school to the diocesan Religious Education adviser by 30 th January in the
academic year preceding the academic year of re-approval;
• Submission of the programme of study to NABS by the diocesan Religious
Education adviser by 31 st March;
• Response from NABS to the college/school, through the diocesan Religious
Education adviser, by 30 th June.
N.B. A different timetable is operating for the start of the academic year 2003/04.
by 1 July 2003; The CES, on behalf of NABS to have received coversheets and
accompanying materials (via the diocesan Religious Education adviser) for each
school submission ie documentation indicated on coversheet.
14 July 2003; responses re NABS approval of individual school certificates to be
sent to diocesan Religious Education departments and to be posted on CES
website www.cesew.org.uk
2. Eligibility For Funding
2.1 General Religious Education must demonstrate additionality, that is provision beyond
that which is already funded, for example, for General Studies, enhancement etc.
2.2 General Religious Education will be taught usually at least once a week (30 hours teacher
contact time per annum, in line with LSC guided learning hour requirements).
3.1 Criteria
In addition to the eligibility for funding described above, the criteria require that the
general aims for Religious Education in our sixth forms in schools and colleges be
met. These are:
• to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to think spiritually, ethically
and theologically, and to be aware of the demands of religious commitment in
everyday life.
• to enable the students to reflect critically on the ultimate questions of life;
• to develop skills required to engage in critical examination of and reflection upon
religious belief and practice in our culture ;
• to enable each student to explore and to respect different faith traditions within
contemporary society;
• to help each student to develop and be able to articulate their own faith positions;
• to enable each student to appreciate the relationship between religious belief,
personal faith and lived experience;
• to enable each student to develop the skills and attitudes to respond to the
opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.
3.2 Intended learning outcomes
The outline description of the programme should identify the ‘units’ or ‘modules’ to be
followed and clearly state suitably challenging intended learning outcomes for each unit /
module included and, wherever feasible, for each learner.
3.3 Areas of Study
The Bishops' Conference Religious Education Curriculum Directory (1996) states that:
The facets of Catholic faith in the Areas of Study 1 provide direction and content for Sixth
Form religious education (CD, page 12) These areas of study are underpinned by four
key documents and other related documents of the Second Vatican Council and
subsequent Vatican, national and diocesan documents.
1 The Areas of Study are
Revelation: Story, Scripture, Memory and Tradition of the Church based on the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine
Revelation (Dei Verbum, Vatican II, 18. Nov. 1965),
Community: Church, Community of Believers, Pilgrim People of God based on the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church
(Lumen Gentium, Vatican II, 21 Nov. 1964),
Celebration: Sacrament, Ritual, Prayer, Worship, Liturgy based on the Constitution on the Sacred liturgy (Sacrosanctum
Concilium, Vatican II, 4 Dec. 1963) and
Way of Life: Lifestyle, Morality, Values, Attitudes based on the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
Modern World (Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II, 7 Dec. 1965).
3.4 Assessment
All assessment will be organised and conducted by the school or college.
• There will be initial assessment to establish the learner’s starting point.
• Assessment for learning underpins progression and will be a feature throughout the
programme.
• There will be recognition and recording of progress and achievement during
programme; this will be measured against identified learning outcomes, coupled with
learner self-review.
• There will be summative assessment of overall progress and achievement, including
learner self-assessment and tutor assessment.
3.5 Quality assurance
• The programme is endorsed (re-endorsed) by the Diocesan Adviser for Religious
Education;
• The programme is approved (re-approved) by NABS;
• The college or school maintains an up-to-date register of attendance and keeps
accurate records of participation and completion rates; these are readily available to
the diocesan adviser, NABS or the LSC;
• The programme is subject to regular inspection by a nominated inspector (colleges) or
a Section 23 inspector (schools).
4. Preparing a submission
• The college or school should supply the necessary information by completing the
cover sheet and providing, on separate sheets, an outline description of the general
religious education programme , and how it will be delivered which includes aims,
intended learning outcomes, topics/issues addressed and methods of evaluation and
assessment.
• The submission must be accompanied by a rationale which demonstrates the
programme’s distinctive Catholicity, its attentiveness to the centrality of the
documents of Vatican II, its responsiveness to the needs of the students, and its
accessibility to all students.
5. Certification
• The college or school issues bishop’s certificates to its students who have
satisfactorily completed the course.
• A record of all certificates issued is kept by the college or school.
• The Diocesan Adviser is informed of the number of certificates issued on an
annual basis.
• NABS and/or the LSC may have access to information about certificates issued, for
example, numbers and dates in any school or college. | 
