The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) of Lewisham Council met on Wednesday 17 June 2026. The meeting's agenda included discussions on safeguarding, updates from the National Association of SACREs (NASACRE) conference, and advice for schools on responding to local, national, and international crises. The council also planned future meeting dates.

Safeguarding and Social Care

A key item scheduled for discussion was Connecting social care with the faith communities to protect children, with a presentation planned from Ruth Madembo, Interim Head of Service for Family Help South. Additionally, Anthony Doudle was scheduled to provide a Safeguarding Update. Monsignor Nicholas Rothon, a Roman Catholic representative on SACRE, noted that a new bill concerning the safeguarding of electronic images was progressing through Parliament.

National Developments in Religious Education

The meeting was set to include feedback from Shaun Burns on the NASACRE Conference and AGM. A significant portion of the agenda was dedicated to national developments in Religious Education (RE), including a keynote from Dr Vanessa Ogden on RE and the National Curriculum, and a workshop led by Nick Hughes on Being an Inclusive SACRE.

The report pack highlighted the ongoing national discussion about the future of RE following the government's Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR). It noted that sector bodies were working towards greater national coherence through the development of a Draft National Curriculum Programme of Study for RE. The document also emphasised the statutory responsibilities of local authorities for RE, including establishing and supporting SACREs, convening Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASCs), and reviewing the local Agreed Syllabus.

The report pack stated:

Religious Education (RE) remains one of the few curriculum areas where local authorities retain important statutory responsibilities. In an increasingly academised and centralised education system. Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs) continue to provide a valuable bridge between councils, schools, religion and belief communities, and wider civic life.

Advice for Schools on Responding to Crises

The council was scheduled to consider advice for schools on The potential of RE and Collective Worship in responding to local, national and international crises. This advice, updated in 2022 by Denise Chaplin, RE Adviser, and Shaun Burns, Primary RE Adviser of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education, aimed to support schools in providing RE, collective worship, and pastoral support during difficult times.

The document outlined that during crises, RE lessons offer opportunities for challenging discussions and ensuring that events do not cause lasting damage to the community. It stressed the importance of acknowledging statements from faith communities and trusting the core beliefs presented in the syllabus. The advice cautioned against adjusting the RE curriculum to exclude teaching about any faith during times of crisis and warned against religious stereotyping.

The advice pack included appendices with resources for talking to children about difficult events, such as Talking with Children - When the Talking Gets Tough and guidance on how parents and teachers can discuss terror attacks. It also provided a list of resources and websites, including those from The Faiths and Beliefs Forum¹ and Insted Consultancy², and faith texts from Christian, Muslim, and Humanist traditions.

Other Matters

The meeting was also scheduled to cover minutes from the previous SACRE meeting held on 26th February 2026, and matters arising from those minutes. This included updates on the SMSC Self-Evaluation tool, Young Mayor's projects, and CAAR updates. An information exchange session was also planned, along with the confirmation of dates for forthcoming meetings.