The Lancashire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Monday 5th February 2024. The meeting was inquorate, meaning that no formal decisions could be made. However, members discussed several key items informally, including the ongoing review of the Agreed Syllabus and the implications of the newly released National Content Standard for Religious Education.

Report of the SACRE Officer

Alison Lloyd, School Improvement Service, presented the SACRE Officer's report, which included the SACRE Spring Newsletter. Key points from the report highlighted the ongoing support for schools in Religious Education (RE). Nine primary schools identified as needing improvement in RE have been offered free one-to-one training from a consultant. Twelve schools were recognised for outstanding RE provision, and efforts are underway to share their best practices. Consultants are continuing to support schools, clusters, and trainee teachers.

The spring term newsletter was circulated electronically, and training sessions for Wigan schools on the Lancashire Agreed Syllabus were provided. Free termly network meetings are continuing, with consultants sharing creative approaches to teaching RE. The Annual Report has been approved and submitted to the Department for Education and NASACRE. Two training sessions on assessment and moderation in RE are scheduled for July.

A significant piece of work is the review of the syllabus to align with a religion and worldviews approach, informed by the National Content Standard. An Agreed Syllabus Conference is proposed for September to monitor progress towards a new syllabus launch in 2026. To support this, the creation of a Lancashire directory of faith organisations and groups was suggested, with SACRE members encouraged to contribute. The RE Hub website has been further developed as a central resource for RE information.

National Content Standard

The council noted the recent release of the National Content Standard for RE by the RE Council. This document outlines a standard for the subject, intended to be embedded in the planning and delivery of RE across England. It draws upon the RE Council's Religion and Worldviews in the Classroom project and other national publications. The standard is presented in a style similar to the National Curriculum and details how it might apply in different types of schools. An Agreed Syllabus Conference is planned for the autumn to discuss this further.

Suggestions for RE School Speakers, Places of Interest and Local RE Groups

SACRE received a request from Jane Yates, North West RE Hubs Lead, to draw members' attention to the North West RE Hubs website (re-hubs.uk). SACRE members were invited to suggest any places, people, or groups in their areas that are not currently listed on the website but should be.

Members' News

Members recommended reducing the number of SACRE meetings scheduled for 2024 from five to four, with consideration given to removing the September Quality and Standards Sub-group meeting. Alison Lloyd shared her attendance at a NASACRE virtual training module on effectively monitoring schools.

Observers' Contributions

Keith Pennington, representing Lancashire Humanists, reported on discussions with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in Preston regarding the possibility of using UCLAN's place of worship as a venue for future SACRE meetings. He also sought clarification on the progress of changing the observer status of the Humanist representative to full membership on the Lancashire SACRE.

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 debate in the House of Lords concerning Religious Education in schools.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Lancashire SACRE was scheduled for Monday, 22nd April 2024, at 10:00 am in Committee Room C - The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.