The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) met on Tuesday 25 June 2024. The meeting was inquorate, meaning no decisions could be formally made. Key discussions included a report back from the NASACRE AGM and Conference, and progress on the NASACRE self-evaluation.

NASACRE AGM and Conference Report

Mary Abbott provided a report on the NASACRE Annual Conference and AGM, held on 20 May 2024 in York. The conference theme was How can SACREs support high quality RE and Collective Worship? . Mary highlighted both positive and negative aspects discussed, including the publication of the Approach to RE Toolkit and the National Content Standard as positives, while noting concerns about the lack of trainee RE teachers and insufficient subject knowledge among current RE educators.

The conference also drew attention to the Culham St Gabriels's Westhill Awards and AREIAC's Young Ambassadors for RE project. A presentation by Lat Blaylock on 35 Ideas for Activist SACREs was also noted. Mary attended two workshops: Making your SACRE work for you, which offered numerous ideas for SACRE engagement such as seeking feedback from School Councils, visiting places of worship, and bringing children's work to meetings; and a workshop on RE Hubs, a free online resource for training and ideas.

NASACRE Self-Evaluation

Members of SACRE reviewed sections of the NASACRE Self-Evaluation Toolkit. Group A discussed Section 3, focusing on the effectiveness of the Locally Agreed Syllabus, noting a need for systematic feedback collection through surveys and questionnaires, and rating the quality of the LAS as excellent . Group B reviewed Section 4 concerning the improvement of Collective Worship, assessing Supporting pupil entitlement as developing and Responding to requests for determinations as established to advanced . Group D considered Section 5, focusing on contributing to community cohesion and promoting social and racial harmony. They found SACRE's membership to reflect Harrow's diversity, understanding of the local area, and engagement with the community to be established, with its role within wider LA initiatives on community cohesion rated as established to advanced. Lisa Kassapian, the RE Advisor, will incorporate these reviews into the development plan.

New NASACRE Constitution and Registration as a CIO

Lisa Kassapian explained that NASACRE's application for charitable status as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) is intended to streamline its operations, particularly concerning staffing, banking, and conference organisation. This change is not expected to significantly impact local SACREs. An online consultation on this matter was scheduled for 9 July.

Development Planning Meeting

David Cryer reported on the Development Planning Meeting held on 24 April 2024. The Chairs' group uses the Self-Evaluation Toolkit to assess current activities and identify future needs. SACRE is actively involved in areas such as annual reporting, determinations, national and local updates, membership, constitution, monitoring RE results, and overseeing collective worship. A key area for future development identified is the creation of a questionnaire for schools to gather pupil feedback, particularly relevant now that Ofsted is inspecting RE. The Chairs' Group is scheduled to meet again on 25 September.

Local and National Updates

Local Updates: The Harrow RE Subject Leaders' network group met on 19 June, discussing age-related expectations, moderation of work, and assessment strategies to improve attainment, with a perceived need for more assessment training. Regarding determinations ¹, Norbury and Glebe Schools have renewals due. Alison Stowe is visiting Glebe School, and Lisa Kassapian has arranged a meeting with Norbury School to ensure Collective Worship is of a suitable standard and quality.

National Updates: Several influential RE documents have been published, including the Religion and Worldviews Approach to RE Toolkit and the National Content Standard. Lisa Kassapian also highlighted the Ofsted report Deep and Meaningful (April 2024), which advocates for ambitious RE curricula that develop substantive, procedural, and personal knowledge, with a focus on the complexity of religious and non-religious traditions and the development of manageable assessment methods beyond simple recall.

News from Faith Groups relating to Schools

RE Hubs was mentioned as an excellent resource for training and materials. Mercedes Afnan shared positive feedback on a training session she attended, which provided helpful advice on hosting school visits and encouraging children's questions. Members were encouraged to inform Vivian Wright, the Clerk to SACRE, if they attend any RE Hubs training sessions.

Any Other Business

Gill Ross reported that a parent found the DRO document very supportive when needing to justify a daughter's absence from school to celebrate Shavuot².

Future Dates

The next SACRE meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 8 October 2024. Other future dates include Wednesday 4 December 2024 and Wednesday 5 March 2025. The Chairs' Group will meet on Wednesday 25 September, and a Understanding Christianity training session is planned for Wednesday 16 October 2024.