Masters Scholarship

The Culham St Gabriel’s Masters Scholarship is a way to help teachers of religion and worldviews (RE) to take a relevant part-time Masters course in an affordable, manageable way. It is a unique programme based on a four-way partnership between the teacher/TA/HLTA, their school, the university and Culham St Gabriel’s Trust. It offers the teacher an opportunity to take Masters-level professional development at reduced cost, and to see the impact of it in their own teaching, in a local network and/or nationally. There are a limited number of scholarship places allocated each year.

What is Culham St Gabriel’s offering? Culham St Gabriel’s will pay up to £1,950 per year of your fees for up to two years for a Masters course You need to be employed as a qualified teacher, teaching assistant or HLTA in a school in the UK. This course must relate to religion and worldviews, and align with the Culham St Gabriel’s vision, mission and current strategic objectives. You will become a member of the Culham St Gabriel’s Masters Scholarship virtual community of practice. This community will be meet virtually together on a regular basis providing opportunities for you to discuss your research and disseminate your findings. Participants will also be encouraged to network more informally.

If the part-time Masters course is 3 years then Culham St Gabriel’s will pay £1300 per annum over three years.

What is expected of the school? The teacher’s school is expected to contribute to the scholarship programme in kind. The headteacher will asked to sign an undertaking declaring that they will release the teacher for 3 days (or equivalent e.g. half days) during term time per annum to undertake Masters study. This could be one day per term, three days in one term or whatever works best in your school.

What is expected of the teacher? You are asked to make up the university fee i.e. the difference between the bursary funding and tuition fee total required by the university. You may want to ask your school to contribute to this, and can seek grant funding elsewhere if you wish. You are expected to contribute to a virtual community of practice with your time. There will also be other optional opportunities to contribute to the religion and worldviews community such as writing a blog for RE:ONLINE or sharing your research findings through an online seminar hosted by Culham St Gabriel’s.

Am I eligible for the Masters Scholarship? You need to be: -employed as a qualified teacher, teaching assistant or HLTA in a school in the UK; -intending to take a part-time Masters-level Certificate, Diploma or complete Masters programme, that relates directly to the teaching of religion and worldviews in your classroom and school; -intending your accredited study to directly lead to development, innovation and improvement in religion and worldviews in your school, local area or region and/or nationally; -supported by your employing school agreeing to release you for 3 days per annum during term time for the length of your course in order to undertake your studies.