The Lancashire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Monday 22nd April 2024 to discuss the development of an induction pack for new members, the creation of a Places of Worship Directory, and arrangements for the annual survey. The council also received feedback on the North West RE Hub and discussed NASACRE conference attendance.

Induction Pack for New Members

The council discussed the proposal for a new induction pack for members of the Lancashire Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE). Alison Lloyd, School Adviser for the School Improvement Service, provided an update on the initiative, which aims to equip new members with information about SACRE's role and responsibilities, along with formal training resources. Members shared varied experiences regarding their own inductions, with some noting that the existing leaflet, while helpful, could benefit from updated and additional information. Peter Martin, the Chair and representative of the ASCL¹, recalled a previous SACRE leaflet and a comprehensive brief for new members, suggesting that current information would need to be developed. Aruna Patel, representing Teacher Associations, highlighted the value of an invitation to an event that would explain SACRE's work. Some members expressed that they had not received formal induction or training, and would welcome further briefings. It was agreed that the Lancashire SACRE Quality and Standards Sub-group would discuss the development of the induction pack further at their virtual meeting on 5 June 2024. Alison Lloyd offered to provide general information on SACRE at this meeting.

Places of Worship Directory

Alison Lloyd presented the Places of Worship Directory, a resource developed for Religious Education in Cumbria, which aims to assist schools in arranging visits to significant places of worship and organising visits from individuals of faith or belief. The council noted that up to 14 schools had requested a similar directory for Lancashire. Peter Lumsden from Building Bridges Burnley commented that such a directory would complement his organisation's work, noting that they currently work with 40 schools. Members suggested incorporating BBC videos on Religious Education and a list of relevant contacts and locations into the directory. The Chair suggested that the directory could be updated online, and that schools not requiring a full directory could still be signposted to Building Bridges. Malcolm Craig referred to the Preston Faith Covenant, an interface between Preston City Council and the faith community, while County Councillor Yousuf Motala mentioned a former Lancashire County Council employee who had compiled a similar directory with helpful terminology. Members also expressed interest in inviting representatives from the Northwest Sikh Community to a future SACRE meeting. Members were asked to submit names and contact details of potential inclusions for a Lancashire directory to Alison Lloyd.

Annual Survey Arrangements

Alison Lloyd provided an update on the annual survey, which had closed in November with data shared in December. The survey was re-circulated to secondary schools in February 2023 to improve the response rate, with results reported in April 2023. Cumbria University SACRE had conducted a survey on Religious Education (RE) training and retention but had not shared this information for the SACRE annual report. A shorter annual survey will be conducted to accompany the upcoming Lancashire SACRE Annual Report, to be presented at the next SACRE meeting on 8 July 2024. Alison Lloyd offered to attach the annual survey as a synopsis to this report. Members expressed concern regarding the quality of teacher training and the promotion of RE in educational settings. Anecdotal evidence suggested that teachers often received minimal formal RE training during their initial teacher training. Obtaining measurable data on the need for additional RE teachers in educational settings was becoming increasingly difficult. The council stressed the importance of school compliance in responding to the annual survey for accountability and transparency. Alison Lloyd offered to circulate the key findings from the RE subject report to SACRE members to inform discussions on teaching RE in educational settings. The council noted that while they could advise academies on the quality of RE education, they lacked enforcement powers. The Chair proposed contacting Edge Hill University to ascertain if Paul Smalley, Chair of NASACRE, would be interested in becoming a university representative for Lancashire SACRE, following the resignation of the Cumbria University representative. Alison Lloyd confirmed that a new Ofsted RE Subject Report, titled 'Deep and Meaningful', would be referenced in a forthcoming cover letter for key stage three schools, with members suggesting that highlighting the Ofsted recommendations would underscore their significance. While schools could purchase online RE education resources, such as Discovery RE, the implementation of the Lancashire agreed syllabus was considered essential for providing a quality framework for pupils' education.

North West RE Hub - Feedback

The Chair provided an update on the Northwest RE Hub. Cheshire East SACRE had raised concerns about the representation of Dharmic religions within schools. However, it was noted that Dharmic religions are extensively covered within the agreed Lancashire syllabus, and while some schools could enhance their teaching, these religions are consistently taught across primary and secondary school settings. Alison Lloyd informed members about an upcoming interfaith network project aimed at introducing artefacts from different faiths for families to take home, with organisers seeking 15 participating schools, some of which were already from Morecambe. The project would focus on community cohesion.

NASACRE Conference Attendance

Peter Martin, Chair of SACRE, and John Wilson, Vice Chair, were unable to attend the upcoming National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (NASACRE) conference in York on 25 May 2024. Aruna Patel offered to attend as a substitute, and arrangements for attendance and travel were to be finalised outside of the meeting.

Members' News

Aruna Patel, Kathleen Cooper, and John Wilson visited Banks St Stephen's CE Primary School and St Stephen's CE Primary School, Preston, to review the teaching of Religious Education and the school's ethos. Kathleen Cooper observed that the faith atmosphere was palpable and that the Headteachers and RE teachers maintained excellent working relationships. The SACRE viewed a short video produced by St Stephen's School, Preston, which featured a Year 6 drama presentation of the Easter Story and various religious displays, indicating that the pupils were well-informed on RE. The local Anglican Diocese had also expressed interest in approaching the school for an RE showcase. Peter Lumsden, representing Building Bridges, Burnley, confirmed a visit to a primary school in Colne and an upcoming visit to a mosque in the Burnley district.

Observers' Contributions

Keith Pennington, representing Lancashire Humanists, reported ongoing discussions with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in Preston regarding the possibility of SACRE using UCLAN's place of worship as a venue for future meetings. He also sought clarification on the progress of changing the observer status of the Humanist representative on Lancashire SACRE to full membership. Kathleen Cooper, representing the Lancashire Association of School Governing Bodies, reported on the recent World Prayer Day. Dr Malcolm Craig presented a paper detailing the Bahá’i Faith's comments following a House of Lords debate on Religious Education in schools.

Correspondence

Members noted the correspondence circulated since the last meeting. Dan Dennis had stepped down as the sole SACRE representative for Cumbria University and wider universities, and a replacement was anticipated. Alison Lloyd confirmed that a report from Ofsted on RE in educational settings would be presented at the next Lancashire SACRE meeting.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Lancashire SACRE was scheduled for Monday, 8 July 2024, at 10:00 am in Committee Room C, The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.