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Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) - Thursday 10 July 2025 5.00 pm

July 10, 2025 View on council website
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Summary

The Brent Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) met on Thursday 10 July 2025 to discuss several items, including the election of a chair and vice chair, and determination applications from six primary schools. The meeting also included a general religious education (RE) update, and a National Association of SACREs (NASACRE) update.

Determination Applications

The council was scheduled to consider determination applications from six primary schools. A determination1 allows a school to not provide a daily act of collective worship that is 'wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character', as is usually required by law. Instead, the school can follow a multi-faith approach recommended by Brent SACRE, or devise their own approach.

The schools applying for a determination were:

  • Fryent Primary School - The school has had a determination for more than 20 years and follows Brent SACRE's multi-faith approach. A letter was sent to parents, and of 683 pupils on roll, there were three objections. The Fryent Primary School Application stated that the school uses the Brent SACRE model approach as a guideline, and that the Fryent School Prayer is said daily with all children in their classrooms, and is not directed at any one deity.
  • Kingsbury Green Primary School - The school community is made up of many beliefs and traditions, with significant populations of students who identify as Muslim (42%), Christian (29%), and Hindu (20%), as well as a number of children who do not adhere to any religion. The Kingsbury Green Primary School Application stated that the school has adopted the Brent Model approach to collective worship, which ensures that assemblies and other forms of collective worship are inclusive and respectful of all beliefs.
  • Leopold Primary School - The school is a community school not designated with a specific religious character. As a non-faith school it is a secular space, where no one religious or non-religious tradition takes precedent over another. The Leopold Primary School Application stated that the school recognises that children and staff from many faiths attend the school, and that it celebrates diversity and takes an inclusive approach to collective worship.
  • Park Lane Primary School - The school stated that having a determination will enable them as a school community to have collective worship that promotes common values, aspirations and commitments, and will encourage pupils and adults of different faiths and beliefs to willingly participate together in collective worship.
  • Roe Green Junior School - The school has had a determination for 25 years and has been following Brent SACRE's multi-faith approach. The Roe Green Junior School Application stated that the school would like to enable all children to take part in a daily act of collective worship of such a type that would be acceptable to all parents, and that they have been following SACRE's 'Recommended approach' since they were previously granted a determination, and wish to continue to do so.
  • Wykeham Primary School - The school serves a highly diverse community, with pupils and families from a wide range of faiths and beliefs. The Wykeham Primary School Application stated that adopting a multi-faith approach to collective worship ensures that all pupils feel included and respected, regardless of their personal religious or spiritual background.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

The meeting was scheduled to include the annual election of the SACRE Chair and Vice-Chair. The report pack noted that the local authority has agreed not to exercise their right to appoint the Chair and Vice Chair, meaning the appointments would be a matter for SACRE to agree. The appointment of Chair and Vice Chair will be for a one year term of office covering the 2025-26 academic year, with future elections to take place at the last SACRE meeting of each preceding academic year.

General RE Update

The SACRE Advisor, Nadia Nadeem, was scheduled to provide a general update on SACRE and RE related issues. The General RE Updates document included in the report pack noted discussions from the Areiac/Aulre conference at Exeter University, including teaching a decolonised RE curriculum, ensuring RE isn't 'Green washed', bringing barriers down in teaching and learning of RE, and the use of AI in the RE curriculum.

NASACRE Update

The SACRE Advisor, Nadia Nadeem, was also scheduled to provide an update from NASACRE. The NASACRE Update document included in the report pack noted that NASACRE has become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), and that the interim report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review was published with a mention of RE on page 29. The review expects to recommend a phased programme of work in different subject areas and will publish its final report in autumn 2025.



  1. A determination is an exemption from the requirement for schools to provide a daily act of collective worship that is 'wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character'. It is granted by the local SACRE, and allows schools to adopt a more inclusive, multi-faith approach to collective worship. 

Attendees

Abby Shinhmar
Profile image for Councillor Robert Johnson
Councillor Robert Johnson  Labour •  Barnhill
Profile image for Councillor Arshad Mahmood
Councillor Arshad Mahmood  Labour •  Dollis Hill
Profile image for Councillor Neil Nerva  Brent Council
Councillor Neil Nerva Brent Council  Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Leisure •  Labour and Co-operative Party •  Queens Park

Topics

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