The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 17 June 2026. The meeting agenda includes discussions on safeguarding, national developments in Religious Education (RE), and feedback from the NASACRE conference.

Connecting Social Care with Faith Communities

A key item on the agenda is a discussion on Connecting social care with the faith communities to protect children. This session is scheduled to feature Ruth Madembo, Interim Head of Service for Family Help South. The report pack indicates this topic will be presented, but does not specify any outcomes or decisions.

Safeguarding Update

Anthony Doudle is scheduled to provide an update on safeguarding matters. The report pack notes that schools and educational settings are required to complete an annual safeguarding self-assessment, the findings of which would be shared with SACRE. It also mentions that the local authority maintains a register of places of worship and trusts these have appropriate safeguarding systems.

National Developments in Religious Education

The meeting is set to cover national developments in Religious Education, including feedback from the NASACRE conference. Shaun Burns is expected to provide initial feedback from the conference. Additionally, there will be a presentation on RE and the National Curriculum, featuring a keynote from Dr Vanessa Ogden. Pastor Nick Hughes is also scheduled to discuss workshops and follow-up from the NASACRE AGM, specifically on the topic of Being an Inclusive SACRE.

The report pack highlights that the Department for Education (DfE) is considering a revamp of its guidance on collective worship, following issues raised by Humanism UK. It also details a phased approach to potentially bringing RE within the national curriculum framework, as recommended by the Curriculum and Assessment Review. This review process has involved engagement with various stakeholders, including RE teachers, school leaders, and religion and belief bodies. The DfE's position is that High quality RE builds knowledge, promotes understanding and strengthens our society. ¹

Data on Public Examinations and RE Teaching Hours

The council is scheduled to review data on 2025 public examinations and RE teaching hours for Lewisham. The report pack indicates that RE performance is generally positive, with females outperforming males. However, it also notes that pupils of Black Caribbean ethnicity have the collective lowest attainment average in the subject. Lewisham Schools have signed a pledge to tackle race and inequality, and schools are being asked to consider renewing this. Concerns have been raised about the lack of data on RE short courses, and NASACRE is reportedly working with the DfE on collecting and analysing this data nationally.

Other Scheduled Discussions

The meeting agenda also includes a review of the minutes from the previous SACRE meeting held on 26 February 2026. Matters arising from those minutes are also scheduled for discussion, which may include the Annual Report 2025, SMSC Self-Evaluation tool, Young Mayor's projects, and updates on the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAAR). Finally, there will be an opportunity for Information Exchange and Any Other Business (AOB), and the proposed dates for future SACRE and Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) meetings will be presented.