Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021

61 Curriculum requirement: Religion, Values and Ethics E+W

(1) The head teacher of a maintained school must ensure that teaching and learning in Religion, Values and Ethics is provided at the school for pupils who request it.

(2) The head teacher is to be treated as complying with subsection (1) if the teaching and learning is provided at the school at a time or times which are convenient for the majority of the pupils who have requested it.

(3) Teaching and learning provided under this section—

(a) must reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Wales are mainly Christian, while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Wales, and

(b) must also reflect the fact that a range of non-religious philosophical convictions are held in Wales.

(4) In subsection (3), the reference to “philosophical convictions” is to philosophical convictions within the meaning of Article 2 of the First Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights.

(5) The governing body of a maintained school must exercise its functions with a view to ensuring that teaching and learning in Religion, Values and Ethics is provided in accordance with this section.

(6) In this section—

• “the European Convention on Human Rights” (“y Confensiwn Ewropeaidd ar Hawliau Dynol”) means the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, agreed by the Council of Europe at Rome on 4th November 1950, as it has effect for the time being in relation to the United Kingdom;

• “the First Protocol” (“y Protocol Cyntaf”), in relation to that Convention, means the protocol to the Convention agreed at Paris on 20th March 1952.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 61 in force at 1.9.2026 by S.I. 2022/652, art. 9(c)