The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) meeting scheduled for Monday, 9 March 2026, was set to cover updates on planning for primary and secondary conferences, a finance update, and national news relevant to Religious Education. The council was also scheduled to receive updates from its members and local groups.

Planning for Primary and Secondary Conferences

The meeting was scheduled to include an update on the planning for upcoming primary and secondary conferences. The Worcestershire primary RE conference, planned for Wednesday, 3 June 2026, was to focus on Making progress in RE: deepening subject knowledge. The programme included sessions on oracy in RE for younger pupils, enriching encounters with Muslims and Islam, and using the arts in RE. A key feature was a speed-dating session where attendees could meet and question representatives from different worldviews, including Jenny Lockwood (Bahá'í), Richard Udall (Humanist), Tasnim Khawaja (Muslim), Lama Choesang (Buddhist), Yvonne Stollard (Jewish), and Jatinderpal Singh Loyal (Sikh). The conference, aimed at primary school teachers and governors, was priced at £100 per delegate.

The Three Counties Secondary RE Conference was scheduled for Tuesday, 30 June 2026, with a focus on GCSE Religious Studies. Sessions were planned to cover moving beyond proof texts in GCSE RE, strategies for student commitment and achievement, and updates on national news and resources. A TeachMeet session was also on the agenda, encouraging teachers to share effective ideas and resources. The fee for this conference was £100 per delegate.

Finance Update and Future Support for Teachers

A finance update was scheduled to be presented, alongside plans for future support for teachers. This item aimed to provide information on the financial standing of the council and outline strategies for supporting educators in the field of Religious Education.

National News Update

The meeting was set to include a comprehensive update on national news relevant to Religious Education. This included information on the Curriculum and Assessment Review, which recommended moving RE to the national curriculum to improve access to high-quality provision. The review also suggested considering the legislative framework for RE and its impact on bodies like SACREs. The Department for Education (DfE) indicated a willingness to be guided by the sector on these issues, with a phased approach proposed for implementation.

The update also covered the EBacc and accountability measures, noting that the EBacc had constrained pupil choice post-14. The DfE was reviewing Progress 8 and Attainment 8, with a breadth area requiring GCSEs from specific subject groups. Furthermore, GCSE content for Religious Studies was slated for review, with potential changes to A-levels also anticipated.

A message from Dr. Vanessa Ogden OBE regarding the Expert Advisory Group for the Curriculum and Assessment Review was to be shared, outlining the establishment of this group and key reference groups. The results of the 2025 NATRE Secondary Survey were also to be presented, highlighting a polarised landscape in RE provision, with some schools investing in the subject while others reduced or removed it. Key findings included data on staffing, teaching by non-specialists, subject leadership, curriculum time, and GCSE entries.

The update was also to address the impact of local government reorganisation on SACREs, with guidance from NASACRE available. Information on the NASACRE Conference and AGM, themed Bringing Communities Together, and NASACRE training opportunities were also to be provided.

A UK Supreme Court ruling concerning RE and worship in Northern Ireland schools was to be discussed, reinforcing the requirement for RE teaching to be objective, critical, and pluralistic. Events and publications of note, including Hannah Rich's report Beyond the Classroom: Informal Religion and Worldviews Education in the UK, the Westhill Awards, Ramadan guidance, Jewish Culture Month, and YouGov data on belief in God, were also on the agenda. Updates from the Religion Media Centre and information on training and support for teachers, such as Farmington scholarships and RE Hubs, were also to be presented.

Update from Members and Local Groups

The council was scheduled to receive updates from its members and local groups, allowing for the sharing of information and perspectives from various stakeholders within Worcestershire.

Any Other Business

A session for Any Other Business was allocated, providing an opportunity for any additional matters not covered in the main agenda to be raised and discussed.

Future Meeting Dates

The agenda concluded with a list of future meeting dates for the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education, scheduled for Thursday, 4 June 2026, and Monday, 5 October 2026, with further dates for 2027 also noted.