The Richmond upon Thames Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Thursday 19 June 2025 to discuss the upcoming launch of the Agreed Syllabus for RE in Richmond, a proposal for a Faith Direct Day for children with special educational needs and disabilities, and feedback from the NASACRE Annual Conference. The council also followed up on a previous discussion about the Curriculum and Assessment Review.

Agreed Syllabus Launch Event

The council received a verbal update on the launch and training event for the Agreed Syllabus for RE in Richmond, which is scheduled for 3 July. The Agreed Syllabus sets out the framework for religious education in the borough's schools. At the previous meeting on 1 April 2025, the council agreed to a finalised version of the draft, with amendments including:

• The inclusion of Christianity in the table of census data
• The inclusion of a photo representing Buddhism
• Changes to the wording of the local intent

Faith Direct Day Update

The council received a verbal update on the proposal for a Faith Direct Day for schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). At the previous meeting, members were informed that attempts to organise the Faith Direct Day for special schools had been impacted by a lack of response from schools. It was noted that the special schools in the borough were all part of the same academy trust. Helena Moore, Lead School Improvement Adviser for Curriculum Development at Achieving for Children (AfC), was to follow up with the relevant officer and contact the Director for Education for assistance if required.

NASACRE Briefing and Conference Feedback

The council noted the SACRE Briefing and feedback from the NASACRE¹ Annual Conference. Fiona Foreman, from the Southwark Diocese, attended the conference and provided a report. The conference, held on 19 May 2025, focused on SACREs taking a stand: positive responses to controversial issues.

Key points from the conference included:

• NASACRE's official registration as a charity on 11 March 2025.
• Training sessions for SACRE members on managing controversial issues in schools.
• A video message from Lord Khan of Burnley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, who stated SACREs are champions of unity .
• A speech from Dr Joyce Miller on identity, community, and the role of religion and worldviews in schools and society.

The report highlighted re-hubs.uk as an excellent resource for teachers and schools, offering a website full of resources, including visiting speakers and places of worship that have undergone training and received a kitemark approval.

Curriculum and Assessment Review

The council followed up on a previous discussion about the Curriculum and Assessment Review. The review's interim report, published on 18 March, mentioned RE, noting that a lack of national agreed content standards has led to national disparities in the quality of provision. The review expects to recommend a phased programme of work in different subject areas and will publish its final report in autumn 2025.