Beyond the classroom: Informal religion and worldviews education in the UK
Think tank: Theos
Author(s): Hannah Rich
November 13, 2025
This report from UK think tank Theo explores the places and spaces where people of all ages learn about other faiths outside of the classroom.
In a time of growing division, where religion is often seen as a problem, religious education cannot, and indeed does not, only take place within the classroom or within formal education. If we are to build compassionate, cohesive societies, we need to understand religious education as something active, lifelong, evolving and to be taken seriously.
This report explores where informal religious education happens across the UK; where are the places and spaces where people of all ages, in all kinds of communities, learn about and encounter other religions, belief systems and worldviews? Through various sectors, including youth work, arts and culture, public services, media and sport, as well as extracurricular spaces, campuses, anchor institutions and local interfaith networks, we map the opportunities and challenges of informal learning about religions and worldviews.
