Agenda and minutes

No declarations of interest were received.

Cllr J Davison asked members to welcome Mr R Singh, Mr N Sardar, Ms G Reid and Mr T MacDonald, to the meeting.

Resolved – That Mr R Singh, Mr N Sardar, Ms G Reid, and Mr T MacDonald had been approved to be part of the membership.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 November 2022, having been circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded, ad signed be signed by the Chair.

Mrs V Oxley advised members the role and functions of the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) that;

      i.         overview of the quality of RE provision in local authority-maintained schools and developing effective strategies to promote the highest standards.

     ii.         part of a SACRE’s role is to support the effective provision of collective worship in community schools and to advise the LA on issues related to provision and quality.

    iii.         it must also consider applications from head teachers in community schools that the requirement for collective worship to be wholly or mainly of broadly Christian character be disapplied for some or all of the pupils in that school.

   iv.         SACRE ‘determines’ the appropriateness of that application and grants a ‘determination’ to those schools where the application is judged to be in the best interest of the pupils.

     v.         SACRE is set up to represent a balance of all the interests of the local community. This includes elected councillors, representatives’ of local faith communities and members of the education community.

Resolved – That the Terms of Reference be reviewed for next meeting.

Mrs J Taylor advised members the SACRE Conference will be taking place on Wednesday, 28 June 2023, at Normanby Hall. RE leads from all primaries and secondary’s are invited to attend. RE leads from North East have also been invited. Tickets will cost £30 (NL) and £40 (NEL).

Lat Blaylock the Editor for RE Today had confirmed he would be a speaker. Other speakers to be confirmed.

After discussion members suggested for ‘world views’ and ‘collective worship’ to be key focus areas for the conference.  

Resolved – That (a) SACRE members attend the conference were possible (b) Mrs J Taylor email all RE leads for suggestions of key focus areas for the conference (c) ‘world views’ and ‘collective worship’ to be included as key focus areas for the conference.

1e - Information and advice - How well informed is SACRE in order to be able to advise the LA appropriately?

The SACRE Self- Assessment Tool had been circulated prior to the meeting.

Mrs J Taylor advised members the tool is provided by the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (NASACRE). The tool had been created to help SACREs in their essential role to advise the Local Authority (LA) in meeting the entitlement of pupils across the LA to engage in high quality Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship (CW) and to support the LA to reflect on its practice.

This toolkit is an amended version of the 2015 document. It takes account of changes in inspection arrangements and in the role of LAs, and of the development of maintained schools independent of their LA. It is designed to help individual SACREs evaluate their effectiveness, including considering their impact on pupils’ educational experience and learning. It also helps SACREs review their organisational patterns and structures, and their partnership with the LA and other key stakeholders.

Mrs J Taylor advised looking at section Key Area: 1e - Information and advice

How well informed is SACRE in order to be able to advise the LA appropriately?

After discussion members agreed the toolkit provides an resource to monitor the progress of the SACRE.

Cllr J Davison took this point to congratulate Ms Card for her recent case study published in RE Today.

Mrs J Taylor advised members of the NASACRE training available to all members.

Resolved – That (a) the link to the NASACRE training be circulated (b) if members would like to attend training to contact Mrs V Oxley.

Thursday, 12 October 2023, 4pm, at Conference Room, Church Square

House, Scunthorpe.