The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met to discuss revisions to the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (RE). The council resolved to circulate feedback from workshop sessions on the syllabus to members for further comment.

Agreed Syllabus Review

SACRE discussed options for revising the current Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, which had been initiated following a decision at their meeting on 12 February 2013. Lesley Prior, who opened the Agreed Syllabus Conference, explained that the committee had three choices: make minor adjustments to the existing syllabus, adopt another borough's syllabus with modifications, or make extensive changes to the current document.

Members highlighted that the current syllabus lacked representation of ethical issues and non-religious viewpoints, despite an active humanist community in Richmond upon Thames. It was agreed that the revised syllabus should reflect this diversity, celebrate different belief systems, and promote an understanding of them. The importance of supporting the syllabus with teacher training and high-quality teaching was also emphasised.

Key points raised during the discussion included:

• The need to include non-religious worldviews, such as humanism, in the syllabus.
• The syllabus should foster an appreciation for diversity in belief systems.
• Adequate training and resources are essential for teachers delivering RE. Examples were given of RE co-ordinators visiting a synagogue to deepen their understanding of Judaism and parents from diverse faiths sharing their traditions in schools.
• A clear statement outlining the purpose, aims, and objectives of Religious Education should be included at the beginning of the syllabus.
• The syllabus should leverage pupils' natural curiosity about philosophical questions, as Ofsted reports indicated that effective RE is question-led.
• A distinction should be made between being religiously educated (able to express one's own views sensitively) and being educated about religion.

Following this discussion, attendees participated in workshop groups to consider the title, purpose statement, and content of the revised Agreed Syllabus. The feedback from these workshops, which included suggestions for titles such as Exploring Belief: The Meaning and Purpose of Life and Religion, Belief and Values, was circulated to SACRE members for further comment. The purpose statement, drawing from the RE Council's subject review, aimed to ensure pupils understand a range of religions and worldviews, can express insights about them, and develop the skills to engage respectfully with diverse beliefs.

Areas identified as missing from the current syllabus included the influence of religion on culture, pantheism/paganism, spirituality, environmentalism, ethical questions with diverse answers, a thematic approach, and interfaith dialogue.

The committee resolved that the feedback from the workshop sessions be circulated to members for further comments.

The meeting, chaired by Councillor Susan Chappell, commenced at 7:37 pm and concluded at 8:59 pm. Apologies were received from Anne Farren, Suzanne Tucker, and Lesley Mortimer.