The Lewisham Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Thursday 26 September 2024 to discuss reducing health inequalities through working with faith groups, review the council's self-evaluation, and consider school exam results. The meeting also included updates on interfaith activities and plans for the Lewisham Agreed Syllabus review.

Reducing Health Inequalities Through Working With Faith Groups

Kerry Lonergan, Public Health Consultant, and Lisa Fannon, Senior Project Manager for BLACHIR, presented on how Public Health in Lewisham Council aims to reduce health inequalities by working with faith groups. They explained that Public Health's remit is broad, focusing on the health of the local population and enabling residents to live the best lives possible. The BLACHIR report highlighted the need for closer collaboration with faith communities, a goal that has been challenging due to reduced council support. Recent interns explored faith communities' needs from Public Health, identifying seven key themes and 39 opportunities for action.

Lisa Fannon described the work as a movement rather than just opportunities, recognising the vital role of faith groups in the communities they serve. She offered to share an electronic link to the BLACHIR report, and hard copies were also available. Monsignor Nicholas Rothon inquired about recommendations for equipment for faith premises, to which Kerry Lonergan responded that while First Aid equipment falls under general health, the team has worked on defibrillators. She also mentioned upcoming free defibrillator training at New Cross Fire Station on Saturday 5 October, bookable via Eventbrite. Gerald Rose noted the potential inaccessibility of this training for the Jewish community due to the date, and Lisa advised him to contact the facilitator about arranging a session on a more convenient day. The Chair expressed an intention to engage with the Public Health team further outside of the meeting.

SACRE Self-Evaluation

The SACRE undertook a self-evaluation exercise, with the Chair providing a brief explanation of the audit tool. Denise Chaplin, School Improvement Officer, noted that while the tool is not compulsory, it is valuable for identifying areas for development. The committee evaluated itself across several sections:

• Section 1A (Established): The majority agreed with the evaluation of Established with elements of Advanced. Discussions touched upon how SACRE is funded, with Denise Chaplin confirming a budget for the RE Advisor and clerk posts, and membership of NASACRE. Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin viewed the local authority's valuing of the committee as positive. Gerald Rose highlighted the specialist advice provided by Denise and Shaun Burns, alongside faith group representatives. Shaun Burns added that the Council provides the RE Advisor role freely, though not to the extent it once did. Anthony Doudle questioned the perception of being advanced, emphasizing the need for members to understand local authority strategy documents.
• Section 1B (Established with elements of Advanced): The majority agreed with this evaluation. Denise Chaplin noted that the committee has not been inquorate for a meeting for at least five years.
• Section 1C (Advanced): The majority agreed with this evaluation, acknowledging room for improvement. The Chair felt the committee was closest to being Advanced without being fully advanced. Denise Chaplin cited notifying members of NASACRE training events and inductions as evidence. Shaun Burns pointed to the Peace Walk and other local opportunities as examples. Denise also mentioned the committee revisiting its Constitution following the census and inviting members of the Young Mayor's Team.
• Section 1D (Area of struggle needing improvement): Denise Chaplin suggested the committee may have taken a step back since the pandemic. The Chair noted insights gained from presentations at the NASACRE conference. Denise mentioned the West Hill awards as a potential funding source for projects up to £7,000, suggesting the committee's previous idea of filming faith groups could have been funded this way, as the local authority would be unable to provide such funding. Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin questioned if this was an action the committee intended to pursue.
• Section 1E (Data): Denise Chaplin stated the committee had moved backwards regarding data, citing an invariable lag in data publication and cleansing. Anthony Doudle explained that some secondary data is not available until January and that data from MIME is expensive. Denise questioned the cost of data provision to SACRE's requirements, and Anthony replied that the local authority purchases a data package. Denise explained that SACRE previously requested data directly from the local authority before it was contracted to MIME, but this arrangement was disrupted during the pandemic. Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin commented that she found the MIME report difficult to read. Anthony suggested that MIME could be asked to cost the specific data SACRE requires. Janae questioned the frequency of managing the quality of the KS3 curriculum. Denise advised that RE results are compared with other subjects to inform conversations with schools and support RE specialists, and that all children are expected to study an accredited examination course in RE. She has requested funding for KS3 twilights from Anthony, hoping it will shed light on the KS3 environment. Shaun Burns stressed the importance of knowing what is happening to fulfil the committee's duty to inform the local authority. Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin suggested that any funding requests should be made before the budget is decided.

Anthony Doudle committed to delivering a presentation on the RE strategy at the next meeting. Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin suggested that small, bite-sized presentations with a few key takeaways might help address members' understanding of local authority initiatives. The Chair proposed adding this to the agenda as a standing item, possibly for every other meeting.

Standards in Schools – Exam Results Overview

Anthony Doudle presented an overview of school exam results, highlighting that Lewisham schools achieved 67% of grade 4+ in English and Maths, a 4% increase on the previous year and an 8% increase on 2019. Performance at grade 5 in English and Maths saw a 1% increase on the previous year but a 9% increase on 2019. Attainment 8 was 47.1, a small improvement on the previous year and a 2.7 improvement on 2019. Progress 8 has significantly improved since 2019. Anthony commended the quality of teaching and learning in schools, noting that performance is well tracked and progress is positive. He also mentioned that A-levels produced more variable results compared to 2023, but had improved significantly since 2019, with A* to B increasing by 12.2% compared to 2019. The average A-level grade is B, with a 12% increase in A* to C since 2019.

Lewisham Agreed Syllabus Review

Anthony Doudle suggested holding a Zoom meeting for those interested in the review of the Agreed Syllabus and the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) guidelines. Denise Chaplin invited interested members to contact her, noting that she had invited members to join a working group for the SMSC update but had received no responses.

Matters Arising from Previous Minutes

Chariot Festival and Peace Walk: Denise Chaplin reported that Daisy Scalchi had attended and enjoyed the Chariot Festival and would provide feedback at the next meeting. Gerald Rose shared his experience of attending the Peace Walk, which proceeded to the Civic Suite and then to a mosque, joined by imams, before ending at St Stephen's Church. Approximately one hundred people were estimated to have participated.

Interfaith Week: Shaun Burns advised that activity for the Interfaith group had been impacted by the departure of a council employee. However, Alistair Curry, Bishop of Woolwich, had sent out invites for the peace walk. Denise Chaplin asked if the Mayor could be approached to revitalise the group, and Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin was advised that Alistair Curry was the appropriate contact. Denise also reported that a loose collaboration of former Interfaith Network members met to ensure the continued commemoration of Interfaith Week. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has promised funding, and the Faith and Belief Forum and NASACRE are working under the strapline 'Showing my story, building my future'. Denise had also asked Daisy Scalchi to promote Interfaith Week on BBC programming.

Holocaust Memorial Day: Denise Chaplin advised that Holocaust Memorial Day papers for schools would be circulated. Gerald Rose reported that an online launch of HMD resources for 2025 would take place on Tuesday 1 October from 4pm to 5pm, requiring registration. Shaun Burns requested that Gerald forward details to Denise to enable interested persons to register.

Jewish Life Exhibition

Gerald Rose reported receiving only six replies regarding the Jewish Life Exhibition. Denise Chaplin encouraged all members to respond to an email she had sent, noting that booking was required due to security concerns. Gerald advised that two schools, Rushey Green and Good Shepherd, had booked sessions, with morning and afternoon slots available.