The Lewisham Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education (SACRE) met on 27 March 2025 to discuss religious education (RE) at St Bartholomew's CE Primary School, the role of Lewisham's Young Mayor, and the adoption of a self-evaluation tool for schools. The meeting also included a review of the previous meeting's minutes and an update on the Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC).

Here are the topics that were scheduled to be discussed in more detail:

Agreed Syllabus Conference

The meeting included an oral progress report on the Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC).

The SACRE Annual Report 2024 noted that discussions and plans for a syllabus review began in 2024, as the SACRE had previously voted to postpone the decision to ask the local authority to review the syllabus.

In July it was decided that scoping out the review of Lewisham’s Agreed Syllabus would begin in the Autumn term, and that a budget would be requested for this work after it had been scoped. As a preliminary piece of work, members were asked to scrutinise the existing syllabus and consider changes, additions, amendments etc from their position of expertise.

Revised Self Evaluation Tool for SMSC¹

The council was scheduled to discuss, amend, and/or agree to the revised advice document for schools, titled Revised Self Evaluation tool for smsc. The tool is designed to help schools review their existing provision and plan for future developments in pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

The self-review audit tool is split into sections:

• Spiritual Development
• Moral Development
• Social Development
• Cultural Development

Each section contains a series of questions for schools to consider, such as:

• Do pupils explore values and beliefs, including religious beliefs, and the way in which they impact on peoples' lives? (Spiritual Development)
• Is there a clear moral code in school which forms a basis for behaviour, is promoted consistently through all aspects of the school and understood by pupils and their families? (Moral Development)
• Does the school identify and promote key values and principles on which school and community life is based? (Social Development)
• Does the school provide opportunities for pupils to explore their own cultural assumptions and values? (Cultural Development)

The tool also references the promotion of fundamental British values, stating:

‘Schools should promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Compliance to Teach RE Letter

The council was scheduled to discuss a letter regarding compliance with the duty to teach RE. The letter, from Neil Lawson of the Department for Education, outlines the requirements for state-funded schools to provide religious education, and the steps to follow if these expectations are not met.

The letter clarifies the requirements for both maintained schools and academies, noting that all academies must provide RE for all registered pupils from age 5 to 18, except for those whose parents exercise the right of withdrawal. Academies with no religious designation must teach RE that reflects that the religious traditions in Great Britain are, in the main, Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain.

The letter also addresses the issue of requiring schools to teach an accredited Religious Studies qualification, stating that while the law requires schools to follow the agreed syllabus, it does not specifically require schools to teach a full or short course RS GCSE or other accredited qualification.

Other Matters

• RE at St Bartholomew's School: Daniel Meyer, Headteacher at St Bartholomew's School, was scheduled to speak about RE at the school.
• Young Mayor's Manifesto: Shane Grant, Lewisham's New Young Mayor, was scheduled to explain his manifesto and talk about his vision for his year as Young Mayor.
• Annual Report: The council was scheduled to discuss the Annual Report. The report includes information on standards in RE, collective worship, and links with other agencies.
• Holocaust Memorial Day: The council was scheduled to discuss Holocaust Memorial Day.
• SACRE and ASC Code of Conduct: The council was scheduled to discuss the SACRE and ASC Code of Conduct.
• NASACRE Conference and AGM: The council was scheduled to agree on delegates to the NASACRE² Conference and AGM.
• Dates of Future Meetings: The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday 17th June at Catford and Bromley Synagogue.