The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Thursday 18 June 2026 to discuss upcoming events, national updates on Religious Education (RE), and the role of SACRE in addressing school complaints. Key discussions included preparations for Interfaith Week, an update on the Faith Direct Day, and the ongoing impact of national policy changes on RE provision.

Faith Direct Day Preparations

The council received a verbal update on the upcoming Faith Direct Day, scheduled for 22 July. Invitations had been distributed through the Achieving for Children (AfC) e-news and the RE Co-Ordinator's network. The event is designed for Year 4 children from three different schools and will feature representatives from seven major faiths and beliefs. This marks the first primary-age Faith Direct Day, and the organisers hope to provide schools with more advance notice for future events to maximise attendance. The importance of such events in providing children with positive role models from diverse backgrounds was highlighted. Liberty Sandeman and Lesley Mortimer were thanked for their organisation of the event.

Ideas for Interfaith Week

Discussions also took place regarding Interfaith Week, which is scheduled to run from 8-15 November 2026. Schools will be provided with resources and ideas from RE Today, and a dedicated website will offer further support. Information will be disseminated via the schools' e-news in early September, and teachers can also sign up for an Interfaith Week mailing list. The first RE Network coordinators meeting of the academic year will also highlight key resources. SACRE members expressed their willingness to attend Interfaith Week events, and the clerk agreed to communicate this through the schools' e-news. It was noted that Ofsted is increasingly focusing on RE, and this could be a future agenda item.

NATRE Workforce Data

Members were presented with data from the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) regarding workforce data. The AfC advisor noted that this data may not fully represent the reality in schools, particularly in secondary schools where RE is sometimes taught under different subject names. The council recalled a previous in-depth review of this data, and the clerk was tasked with emailing a link to past minutes and agendas for members to review.

National and Local Updates

The meeting included updates on national and local developments concerning Religious Education. The RE Today advisor highlighted that new Ofsted reports indicate an increased focus on RE. A new template for Annual Reports is being developed by NASACRE, focusing on SACREs' legal duties, with the draft annual report requiring sign-off at the SACRE's October meeting for submission by the 31 December deadline.

The issue of reporting race hate and radicalisation in schools was raised, with a reminder that schools are obliged to report such incidents to the Local Authority (LA). The Racial Justice Network is supporting schools and will hold a conference for school leaders. The Chair, Councillor Penelope Frost (Joint vice-chair of the Planning committee and Young People’s Champion), agreed to liaise with AfC for further information on safeguarding work.

Helena Moore, an AfC consultant, was acknowledged as she was leaving her role, and her contributions to SACRE were recognised.

School Complaints and RE Provision

A significant discussion revolved around a parent's request for SACRE to intervene in complaints made to a maintained school regarding its RE provision. The Director of Children's Services had previously advised the parent that the day-to-day management of a school is the responsibility of its governing body and Head Teacher, not the local authority. The Monitoring Officer's advice remained that it was not within SACRE's statutory remit to investigate individual complaints against schools, as SACRE is bound by legal advice.

The RE Today advisor noted that while there is no general duty to monitor, some SACREs review school websites and ask for explanations of RE compliance. However, writing to a school to state its RE is non-compliant was deemed inadvisable. The Richmond SACRE had previously conducted an exercise of reviewing school websites and sending a general reminder letter to all schools about RE requirements, which was distinct from investigating specific, non-public information. The AfC advisor added that school websites do not always accurately reflect in-school practice, and curriculum advisors work with schools to improve RE delivery through training and networks.

Environmental Project

The locality environmental project had not gained traction due to schools' engagement with a PE project.

Mental Health Support Team Engagement

Erina Sebuliba from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) attended the meeting. The MHST has a sub-group conducting an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) exercise to identify barriers to accessing their services. They have been holding focus groups in schools in Kingston and Richmond to understand provision for faith communities. The MHST is keen for faith communities to identify young people of school and college age willing to participate in these focus groups and expressed willingness to attend future SACRE meetings to build relationships.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of SACRE is scheduled for Thursday, 8 October 2026, at 6:30 pm in York House.