This meeting was to receive a report on the recent Jewish Life Exhibition at Catford & Bromley Synagogue, consider advice for schools about the upcoming month of Ramadan, and review a report on religious education in Lewisham schools. It also included the formal proposal that the committee request that Lewisham Council convene an Agreed Syllabus Conference to review the current Religious Education syllabus in Lewisham schools.

The Jewish Life Exhibition at Catford & Bromley Synagogue

A report was presented to the committee describing the Jewish Life Exhibition that had taken place at Catford & Bromley Synagogue from 4th-15th November 2024. The report describes the event as a hands-on exhibition which teaches schoolchildren (and sometimes adults) about Judaism and the way of life of British Jews, while adhering to the National RE Curriculum.

The report states that the exhibition was visited by more than 400 children from 9 different local schools, including Rushey Green Primary School, Kilmorie Primary School, Twin Oaks Primary School, St Augustine's RC Primary School, St Thomas More RC Primary School, Good Shepherd RC Primary School and Prendergast Vale Primary School. Each class visit was reported to have taken approximately 2 hours, including time in the exhibition itself, and a tour of the synagogue, including its Sukkah¹. The report concludes by thanking all of the people and organisations involved, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Lewisham SACRE and Lewisham Council.

Advice for schools about Ramadan

The committee were scheduled to consider advice prepared for schools in the borough regarding the upcoming month of Ramadan. The advice notes that Ramadan in 2025 will begin on or around 28 February, and end with the festival of Eid ul-Fitr on or around 31 March.

The advice focuses on the practical considerations that schools should bear in mind during the month, including the fact that the daily routine of many Muslim families will be different during the month. It requests that schools inform parents in advance of how they intend to support pupils who are fasting. It also advises that schools consider making special arrangements for pupils who are fasting at lunchtime, such as providing somewhere quiet for them to rest, or providing special activities for them to take part in whilst other pupils are eating. It also recommends that schools provide a place for Muslim staff and pupils to pray, and that they mark the festival of Eid ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan in some way.

It also includes the following advice relating to the legal framework regarding absences from school:

Therefore, in striking a balance between authorised absence for religious observance and excessive loss of school time, schools may consider the following to be reasonable:

• Pupils (Please bear in mind that many Muslim families mark the occasion of Eid for up to three days.) Agreeing a one day authorised absence for religious observance at Eid-ul-Fitr (a 10-day holiday in some Muslim countries) and another at Eid-ul-Adha, the festival at the time of the annual Hajj Pilgrimage. If parents/carers request further days, then consideration should be given to this. Each case should be considered on an individual basis, looking at patterns of absence and the impact on the overall attendance level.

Religious education in Lewisham Schools

The committee was presented with two reports relating to religious education in Lewisham Schools, the draft Lewisham SACRE Annual Report 2024, and the results of the 2024 NATRE Primary Survey.

Lewisham SACRE Annual Report 2024

This report notes that Lewisham schools had performed better than the national average in recent years.

98.9% of Lewisham schools are good or better compared to 90% nationally. This equates to 100% of primary schools, and 93% of Secondary schools (with one Requiring Improvement) against a national secondary average of 83%.

The report states that exam results in religious education in 2023 were most similar to those of 2019, and that there have been gains in English 4-9 grades and 5-9 grades; there was a combined gain of 5%, while the eBaccalaureate[^3] saw a 3% gain. The report states that the challenge for the council is effecting more balanced performance, with performance in religious education varying from between 50% to 93% attainment between schools. The report concludes that this is evidence that young people have recovered well from the impact of the pandemic.

2024 NATRE Primary Survey

The committee also received the results of the 2024 NATRE Primary Survey. The report notes that 87% of respondents to the survey stated that their schools were meeting their statutory requirements to provide religious education, but expresses some concerns about the funding of religious education, and the prevalence of teachers without specific qualifications in religious education teaching the subject.

The survey also shows that, as in previous years, confidence in teaching about different religions and beliefs varies considerably.

Teachers’ confidence in teaching specific religions and beliefs varies significantly. Christianity, Islam and Judaism were ranked most highly in terms of teachers’ confidence about their subject knowledge. Conversely, they were much less confident about teaching religions such as Zoroastrianism, the Bahá’í faith, Jainism and Paganism and also about non-religious worldviews such as Humanism.

Agreed Syllabus Conference

The committee was scheduled to vote on whether to request that Lewisham Council convene an Agreed Syllabus Conference to review the existing syllabus. The current syllabus was adopted in 2018. The report pack includes a link to the syllabus on the council's website:

The current syllabus can be seen at: https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/education/schools/religious-education-in-schools/religious-education-syllabus-for-schools-in-the-borough