The Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) is a certificate managed and awarded by the Board of Religious Studies on behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. It was introduced in 1991 to replace its predecessors, The Catholic Teachers’ Certificate and the Certificate in Religious Education.
It is designed to:
There are eight modules:
The core modules explore the Scriptures, the Person of Jesus Christ, the Church and its sacramental life and moral understanding.
The specialist modules relate to each participant’s ministry in the Church, covering such areas as Religious Education in schools, Parish Catechesis, Liturgy, Justice and Peace. Other modules of a practical nature for teachers, for catechists, for youth workers, for liturgists are available.
Each module requires:
The Course is offered in all five Catholic Colleges of Higher Education and at centres in every diocese in England and Wales.
The certificate is issued after all eight modules are passed. There is a maximum time limit of five years from the start of the first module to complete the eight modules.
It is incorrectly thought of as a pre-requisite for a job as a teacher in a Catholic School. However, schools will employ non-CCRS teachers, or ask newly employed teachers to work towards the award if it is decided that it is necessary.