Training

Teacher Training

We’ve been supporting teachers with their understanding of humanism and non-religious approaches to life for decades and have trained over 3000 teachers since 2021. Our teacher training supports subject knowledge and provides practical ideas for the classroom. We can offer training as part of initial teacher training (ITT) and for continued professional development (CPD).

We regularly host our own online training sessions, which teachers and subject leaders can sign up to individually (see below for upcoming dates). We can also arrange bespoke training sessions for your school, trust, university, or organisation (see below for how to get in touch).

‘Some of the most useful training I have ever been on. So many practical ideas.’
Samantha Kennedy, KS2 teacher and RE coordinator

‘Absolutely brilliant! Best training I’ve had. Extremely useful practical examples of use in the class with good age range and superb speaker.’
Anna Crosby, KS1/2 teacher and RE Curriculum Lead for North Lincolnshire

‘This session has been really fantastic, thank you! I feel I have come out understanding humanism a lot more as even I sometimes struggled to distinguish it from atheism.’
Helena Moore, KS3-5 RS teacher

Humanists UK has been endorsed by OCN London, certifying the high quality of our training.

Upcoming Teacher Training Events

Primary Teacher Training Webinar (FREE TO ATTEND): Tuesday 23 June, 16:00 – 17:00, online – Please click here for more info and to register

Secondary Teacher Training Webinar (FREE TO ATTEND): Thursday 25 June, 16:00 – 17:00, online – Please click here for more info and to register

Humanism is the prevalent non-religious worldview in the UK, with a long and rich history and a global presence. It addresses many of the questions explored in the RE classroom around beliefs, values, and practices. Teaching about it provides the best and easiest way to make your RE inclusive of non-religious worldviews.

In our highly-rated training course, we’ll break down the humanist approach to life into five core areas of knowledge to support your teaching and planning. Our content is designed to provide students with an understanding of how humanists respond to life’s big questions, giving them the tools to consider the humanist perspectives on many of themes and topics explored in RE. There will also be the opportunity to learn about other labels used to describe the non-religious and their beliefs, the contemporary landscape of religion and belief in the UK, and common misconceptions about the non-religious.

We’ll provide you with suggestions for practical ways to bring humanism to life in the classroom, including stories, real-world case studies, and suggested activities. There’s also the opportunity for you to ask your questions about the humanist worldview.

Ideal for teachers new to teaching about non-religious worldviews and non-specialists, as well as RE leaders looking to introduce a unit of work on humanism.

‘An extremely worthwhile course, which increased my knowledge of Humanism and directed me to teaching ideas and resources. This will really help me support other members of staff in my school.’

‘When I first taught humanism last year, I found myself focusing more on what humanists ‘don’t do’ or what they ‘don’t believe in’, this training helped me to focus the lessons more on what they DO believe in and how they live their life – much better approach.’

 

Bespoke Teacher Training Sessions

We can offer flexible training specially organised for your school, trust, university, or organisation. These can be offered on Inset days or after-school sessions. We also offer training at national and local teacher conferences, and on behalf of SACREs.

We are happy to work with teachers from one school or across a number of schools.

To book a bespoke teacher training session, please complete our online Teacher Training Booking Form.

If you have any questions, please contact us on education@humanists.uk.

‘The most useful parts of the Humanism training were the opportunities to engage directly with lived experiences and contemporary expressions of Humanism. Hearing from a representative of Humanists UK provided valuable insight into how Humanist values, ethics, and worldviews are applied in everyday life, which helped trainees to move beyond abstract theory. The discussion around how Humanism can be taught as part of a balanced RE curriculum was also particularly beneficial, giving practical strategies for addressing non-religious worldviews in ways that promote inclusivity and critical thinking.’

Heather, PGCE Course Lead, Edge Hill University.

 

Subject knowledge

For more information about humanism click here.

Check out our free online course – perfect for deepening subject knowledge.

For a list of recommend books on humanism see our books page.