In this special finale episode, we look back on the journey of What Even Is RME? We reflect on the importance of "boots on the ground" research in the RMPS classroom and discuss how teachers can get involved in professional inquiry. We also have conversation on how we can continue to build a supportive community for RMPS educators.

• The Power of Small-Scale Research: Why you don’t need a massive dissertation to make an impact. Every small, classroom-based inquiry adds to the bigger picture.

• Funding Opportunities: A reminder that the Farmington Scholarship can provide the time and space (up to 30 days) to pursue your own research interests.

• Practical Classroom Tools: An introduction to the new National 5 Question Generator available on the website, designed to help frame exam-style practice.

• Community Building: Why we’re moving away from the "one-man band" feeling and toward a collaborative future for RMPS/RME in Scotland.

• The Website: www.learningrmps.com – Visit for the National 5 Question Generator and other classroom resources.

• The Farmington Scholarship: https://farmington.ac.uk – Information on research funding for teachers.

• Feedback: Do you use the website? I am planning a site-wide update this summer to make everything a "one-stop shop." Send me your thoughts on what you find most useful!

• Follow the Conversation: Connect with me on social media @learningrmps for clips, updates, and classroom snippets.

• Email Steph: Have a question or an idea for Season 2? Reach out at learningrmps@gmail.com.

• Guest Contact: You can contact Stephen Scholes at Queen Margaret University via email: sscholes@qmu.ac.uk.

Thanks for listening to Season 1 of "What Even Is RME?"! Keep the conversation going, and I’ll see you all in Season 2.

This is the extended version of the presentation I made at STARME's Festival of Learning 2026! As you can see I had a lot more to say than my allotted 15 minute slot!

I talk about my research as part of my Farmington Scholarship and what the key finds are and what the big solutions might be.

I would love for you to join in the conversation @learningrmps or learningrmps@gmail.com

This week on What Even Is RME?, I am joined by the brilliant Ray Somerville! Ray is a fantastic RME teacher based in Fife (who actually covered my maternity leave a few years ago!). We sat down for our very first in-person podcast record to talk about the realities of teaching RMPS, from 45-minute commutes fueled by musical showtunes to the weirdness of stepping away from the classroom mid-term for maternity leave.

Ray shares some incredibly practical advice for navigating the BGE and Senior Phase, including why she champions open-book assessments for S2, how she successfully teaches Dream Psychology and Freud to S3s, and why you should treat your SQA questioning exactly like an order at a local bakery! Plus, stick around for a hilarious S1 Canva assessment story that proves you can never predict what teenagers will do with technology.

In this episode, we discuss:

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  S3 Electives & Core: Teaching Dream Psychology, exploring Freud, and why giving S3s a choice in how they are assessed (from posters to podcasts) transforms engagement in Medical Ethics.

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  The Assessment Debate: Why Ray uses open-book assessments for S2 Evil & Suffering, and how it directly builds National 4/5 skills.

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  The Canva Voice Note Incident: How an S1 assessment on the Prince of Egypt accidentally resulted in the wildest project title ever.

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  The "Stephens Bakery" Hack: How to stop pupils from answering with "because that's my opinion" by channeling your local bakery and constantly asking, "But why?"

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  New Teacher Advice: The absolute necessity of reading SQA course reports and Education Scotland documents to get candidates through their exams.

• Dream Guests & Mastermind: Why the Dalai Lama would win over the toughest S4 classes, the beauty of teaching Judaism, and some surprise Doctor Who trivia!

🎟️ STARME Festival of Learning: Tickets officially close TODAY! If you haven't grabbed yours, be quick. I will be hosting a session called 'How to Solve a Problem like RME?' where I take a deep dive into my recent research. Come along and say hello!

💬 The Faculty Debate: Thank you to everyone who got involved in the Instagram discussion sparked by the last episode regarding faculty structures and RME's place in the curriculum. Keep those thoughts coming!

Join the Conversation: I would love to know: Are you Team Open-Book or Team Closed-Book for BGE assessments?

Let me know your thoughts!

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  Instagram/X: @learningRMPS

• Email: learningrmps@gmail.com