The number of students in England and Wales taking Religious Studies (RS) at A-level has dipped by 2.7% this year..
In England, A-level RS entries fell from 14,268 to 13,832 - a 3% drop. In contrast, Wales saw a slight increase, with numbers rising from 737 to 762, an uplift of 3.4%.
Sarah Lane Cawte, Chair of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales, said the drop is a “symptom of a bigger and growing problem with the lack of specialist RE teachers in our schools".
According to educational bodies, half of the teachers delivering RS lessons in England and Wales mainly teach another subject.
Katie Freeman, Chair of the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education, echoed these concerns: “The answer is more specialist RE teachers in schools. We have not seen a significant change in the workforce since 2016, despite a growth in the subject at GCSE,” she explained. “It’s really disheartening to hear that many young people are unable to carry on with the subject because of this.”
She called for the restoration of the teacher training bursary and improved access to subject enhancement courses.
The RE teacher-training bursary returned in 2024–25 after years of missed targets, boosting trainee numbers by 40%. But last October, the government said the £10,000 bursary will end for 2026–27, even though RE teacher recruitment is still far below target.
A-level results were also released in Northern Ireland on Thursday, while pupils in Scotland received their Highers results last week.