The Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education (SACRE) met on 21 October 2025, at Emmanuel Church, Lee. The agenda included a safeguarding update, discussion of Holocaust Memorial Day 2026, and an update on Inter Faith Week 2025. The meeting also included an opportunity for members to discuss current events and their impact on local communities.

Safeguarding Update

A safeguarding update from Anthony Doudle was scheduled, with reference to two attachments. One of the attachments was the article KCSIE NGA Article, which refers to the Department for Education (DfE) draft version of their statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 (KCSIE). The final document is due to be published on 1 September 2025.

The article states that there have been other significant changes to safeguarding legislation, including:

• Reform of the safeguarding and welfare requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework¹
• Guidance on the safe use of generative AI in education
• An update to confirm that Working Together to Improve School Attendance (2024) is now statutory.

The KCSIE document is structured in five parts, with several annexes:

• Safeguarding information for all staff
• The management of safeguarding
• Safer recruitment
• Safeguarding concerns or allegations made about staff, including supply teachers, volunteers and contractors
• Child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment

Holocaust Memorial Day 2026

The meeting included discussion of Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) 2026, with the theme 'Bridging Generations'. According to the HMD-2026-Bridging-Generations theme paper, the theme:

is a call to action. A reminder that the responsibility of remembrance does not end with the survivors - it lives on through their children, their grandchildren and through all of us.

The theme encourages engagement with the past, to listen, learn and carry those lessons forward, building a bridge between memory and action, between history and hope for the future.

The theme paper considers who the 'generations' are:

• The murdered generation
• The first generation: survivors themselves
• The second and third generations: the children and grandchildren of survivors
• People today - of any generation - with no direct family link to the Holocaust or to recent genocides

The theme paper also considers what 'bridging' entails:

• Bridging from person to person
• Bridging from 'silent witnesses' - historical artefacts
• Bridging from the historical record - digitised archives

The theme paper suggests local HMD events could include opportunities for individuals of different ages to come together and learn about the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and more recent genocides. They could also inspire young people to become active custodians of Holocaust remembrance, empower current and future generations to stand up against prejudice, hate, intolerance and discrimination in all their forms, explore the long-lasting effects of the Holocaust on survivors and their descendants, research digitised archives, or visit a Holocaust Museum (in person or online).

The theme paper also lists life stories that could be included in HMD events, including Anne Frank, Peter Lantos BEM, Eva Clarke BEM, Mala Tribich MBE, and Li-Da Kruger.

Handbook for SACRE Members

The meeting included discussion of the SACRE Handbook July 2025. The handbook is designed as a point of reference for all SACRE members, and to be of interest and support, particularly to those who are new to the role.

The handbook covers:

• SACRE duties, roles and responsibilities
• SACRE membership, composition, group representation, roles and responsibilities
• Religious education and collective worship
• Local authorities and SACREs
• FAQs for new SACRE members

The handbook also includes appendices on what makes a good SACRE member and what makes an effective SACRE.

Inter Faith Week 2025

The meeting was scheduled to include an update on Inter Faith Week 2025 from Denise Chaplin. Inter Faith Week is scheduled to take place from 9–16 November 2025.

Correspondence from Abimbola Akintoye of the Faith & Belief Forum was included in the agenda. The Faith & Belief Forum are leading on the schools and colleges working group, with support from RE expert partners such as NASACRE², Culham St Gabriel's³, AREIAC⁴, NATRE⁵ and RE Today⁶. The Inter Faith Week Update document encourages SACREs to support schools by sharing the Inter Faith Week Schools website and encouraging schools to make use of the school programme, teacher guidance and curated partner resources, event ideas for assemblies, drop-down days, and community engagement, and a national poetry competition with lesson plans and prizes.

Other Business

• The agenda included welcomes and introductions, including apologies for absence and confirmation of the order of items for the meeting.
• The minutes of the previous SACRE meeting held on 17 June at Catford and Bromley Synagogue were scheduled for review.
• Matters arising from the minutes not on the agenda were scheduled for discussion, including an update on the Young Mayor's project, Holocaust Memorial Day – 'Bridging Generations', SACRE Annual Report analysis, and a revised SMSC self-evaluation tool.
• There was an item scheduled for The Chief Executive to meet SACRE members.
• The agenda included an opportunity to listen to and reflect upon how current tensions and situations are impacting nationally and on local communities.
• The meeting was scheduled to include an activity and discussion on what makes a good SACRE member.
• The agenda included information exchange and any other business, including exam data 2025.
• The dates of future meetings were scheduled for discussion, and venues were required.