Al James speaks with Katie Stringer, a high school SRE teacher and Inner West coordinator, about why SRE matters and how to grow it across schools and year groups. Katie describes coordinating a diverse volunteer team to provide SRE classes, seminars, and lunchtime groups, driven by a conviction that every student should have access to the stories of Jesus and the Bible within the curriculum. They discuss practical growth strategies: regularly asking “How can we get more SRE?”, partnering with local churches and the regional SRE advisor, delivering excellent lessons using the Think Faith curriculum, building consistent coverage through teams with teachers and helpers, and using “novelty” via Easter/Christmas (and other) seminars to raise SRE’s profile. They also cover addressing common issues like irregular timetabling below the 1,200-minute minimum and low attendance of students on the roll by working with principals to align with school procedures.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:40 Katie Role and Vision

02:47 Why SRE Matters

04:46 Katie Journey Into SRE

07:55 Meet the Volunteer Team

11:58 Growing SRE Big Picture

13:32 From Zero to One

17:10 Why Year 11 and 12

20:11 Expand to Nearby Schools

22:17 Local Context Advantage

22:55 Excellent Bible Curriculum

23:59 Consistency Game Time Mindset

25:55 Why Four Touchpoints Matter

29:02 Teamwork Teacher And Helper

33:22 Recruitment Pipeline Capacity

35:32 Novelty Christmas Easter Seminars

42:36 Fixing Minutes And Attendance

45:57 Team Sport Final Encouragement

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