The SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) was scheduled to consider minor amendments to the agreed syllabus and review the development plan and budget for the upcoming year. The council was also scheduled to receive updates on national education news and the current state of Religious Education in Wokingham schools.

Minor Syllabus Amendments

The SACRE was scheduled to consider minor amendments to the agreed syllabus. These included a proposed change to a Key Stage 3 philosophy question, with the teaching content to be amended to align with the updated question. Additionally, inconsistencies in the terminology used in Year 7 lessons were scheduled to be addressed, with the aim of changing the wording from religious worldviews to religion and worldviews to ensure consistency with the rest of the syllabus.

Development Plan and Budget

The council was scheduled to review the draft Development Plan for the current year and the budget for the upcoming financial year. The Development Plan was structured into three sections: Core SACRE Business, Support for Teachers, and the SACRE Hub. The budget for the current financial year was noted to closely reflect previous years, with an allocated budget from the local authority of £6,800. Concerns were scheduled to be raised regarding the presentation of an apparent annual overspend and the need to clarify future funding and activity relating to the SACRE.

How are things in Wokingham Schools?

An update was scheduled to be provided on the current position in Wokingham schools, with attention drawn to upcoming national changes, including the introduction of a new national curriculum and revised GCSE specifications. Key areas of focus for the Local Authority and schools were scheduled to include Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision and ensuring all children feel a sense of belonging in Wokingham schools. This included updates on national reforms outlined in the Schools White Paper and local research examining inequalities experienced by lower-income families.

National Updates Relating to Education and RE

The SACRE was scheduled to receive updates on national matters relating to education and Religious Education. This included information from the NASACRE training programme and national updates from RE Today. Discussions were scheduled to cover the proposed national curriculum programme of study for RE, which had been submitted to the Department for Education, and the potential impact of government policy documents on SACREs.

Draft Annual Report 2025-26

The council was scheduled to consider the draft Annual Report for the 2025-26 academic year. This report was intended to provide an overview of the work of SACRE, including its activities related to Religious Education and collective worship, links with other bodies, and its management and partnership with the Local Authority. The report was scheduled to be treated as a working document, with exam data to be added once available.

Member Presentation - Nigel Harman

Nigel Harman, Chair of the SACRE, was scheduled to give a presentation. The specific topic of this presentation was not detailed in the agenda.

Other Scheduled Discussions

The meeting was also scheduled to include discussions on minor syllabus amendments, feedback from teacher networks and training opportunities, and an update on Wokingham school Ofsted inspections. The election of a Chair and Vice-Chair for the 2026/27 academic year was also on the agenda, along with the confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting and matters arising from it. The SACRE was also scheduled to discuss any other business (AOB) and confirm dates for future meetings.