The Staffordshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met to introduce new members to the council, provide training on the role of SACRE, and discuss key issues and updates related to religious education in Staffordshire schools. The council reviewed and agreed to edit its terms of reference, and also discussed the annual report, standards in religious education, and the budget.

Agreed Syllabus and Religious Education in Schools

The council discussed the agreed syllabus for religious education (RE) in Staffordshire schools, a document written by SACRE that schools use to teach RE or religious studies. Mary Gale, advisor to SACRE, explained that the syllabus is statutory for maintained schools¹ but is commended to academies² and Church of England-aided schools. The syllabus was written in 2023 and will be reviewed in 2028.

Rev. Preb. Michael Metcalfe, Chair of the Staffordshire SACRE, commented on the syllabus, saying:

It's got a threefold dynamic, as perhaps you may have picked up, to explore both the religious and non-religious scene, to engage with that and to learn from it, and to reflect on what you have discovered and how you're reacting to it, and how your own sense of person is developing within that diverse situation.

Mary Gale added that if schools have an excellent religious studies programme, then they are meeting requirements for British values³, diversity and inclusion.

West Hill Legacy Project and Cullum St Gabriel Charity Grant

The council received an update on the West Hill Legacy Project, which provides workshops in schools that are delivered by Pastor Samuel Smith, Hifsa Haroon-Iqbal OBE DL, and Mary Gale. The workshops align with the agreed syllabus and cover topics such as Christianity and Islam. The schools receive these workshops free of charge, paid for from the SACRE budget.

Mary Gale also reported on the Cullum St Gabriel Charity Grant, which was used to support governors, trustees, and members in understanding equity, diversity, and inclusion with regard to the agreed syllabus. The grant also included work on personal, social, health education, British values, and well-being.

National Association of SACREs (NASACRE)

The council discussed news from the National Association of SACREs (NASACRE). Rev. Preb. Michael Metcalfe reported that he, Mary Gale, and Hifsa Haroon-Iqbal OBE DL attended the annual conference for SACREs in Newham. He also mentioned that NASACRE, along with other interfaith groups and teacher organisations, has taken on the responsibility for maintaining Interfaith Week in November, following the defunding of the Interfaith Network.

Rev. Preb. Michael Metcalfe also noted that NASACRE is seeking to recruit an executive officer to take on some of the administrative work currently being done voluntarily.

The council then watched a short video from Lord Khan, who gave a rallying call to teachers of RE and schools in general. In the video, Lord Khan said:

High quality religious education is more than a subject on the school timetable, it is a vital part of shaping curious, empathetic and respectful young people.

Standards in Religious Education

Mary Gale presented an update on standards in religious education, including GCSE and A-level results for the previous summer. She noted that Staffordshire has historically been below the national standard for religious education, but the A-level results were pleasing, and the GCSE results were improving.

She also named schools that are performing higher than the national average, including John Taylor High School, two Catholic schools, and Blythbridge High School. Mary Gale is working with Elaine's Academy to improve their results, as she believes they entered the children for the wrong exam.

Several councillors commented on the statistics, with one councillor asking why the results are lower than the average. Rev. Preb. Michael Metcalfe explained that this is an historic feature and that Staffordshire schools tend to slip in the ratings throughout the period of school attendance.

Simon Humble, Governance and Support Manager for the Member and Democratic Services team, shared his personal experience as a parent of two children at King Edward VI school who are studying RE. He said that his daughter is now considering taking RE for A-level because she has enjoyed it so much, and that the way it has been taught has given them a really good view on life.

Useful Website Information

Mary Gale provided a list of useful websites for members to explore, including the Entrust RE website, the SACRE website, the RE hubs website, the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) website, the Oak National Academy website, and the NASACRE website.

Budget

The council discussed the budget, noting that they have £4,700 available, although only £3,000 is available to be delivered, with £1,700 being additional. Mary Gale explained that the budget covers the costs of workshops in schools, as well as Mary Gale's time servicing the SACRE.

Development Plan

Mary Gale presented the development plan, which includes red, amber, and green codes to indicate the status of various goals. She noted that ensuring new members understand what SACRE stands for is currently in the red, but will hopefully move to amber after this meeting.

Collective Worship

Rev. Preb. Michael Metcalfe explained that SACRE is required to consider requests from schools to vary their practice in collective worship. He noted that SACRE has very little experience of this in Staffordshire, as they have hardly any applications for variation in practice.

Members' Reflections on the Meeting

The council concluded the meeting by inviting members to share their reflections on the meeting. Several members commented that they found the meeting informative and helpful, while one member commented that they found the amount of information overwhelming.