The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Monday 17 November 2025 to approve minor amendments to the Wokingham RE Syllabus 2026 and discuss national updates on Religious Education. The council also reviewed the progress of a task and finish group examining the syllabus development process and expressed concerns regarding the withdrawal of funding for specialist RE teacher training.

Wokingham RE Syllabus 2026 - Approval of Minor Amendments

The SACRE's Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) convened to discuss proposed minor amendments to the Wokingham RE Syllabus 2026. Emily Waddilove, Local Authority Link Officer, explained that most of the changes related to Hinduism, with amendments having been reviewed by Hindu members and the Hindu Education Board. Shira Solomons, representing Judaism, suggested a revision to the first KS3 philosophy question to align with an amended question. The ASC groups met and unanimously approved the proposed amendments. Members were reminded that schools have until January 2027 to implement the new syllabus. The formatted syllabus was presented, and the final draft was approved.

National Updates Relating to Education and RE

Ian Nicholson provided an update on national developments, noting that the Task and Finish Group led by Vanessa Ogden was progressing rapidly, with recommendations expected to be submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) by the end of March. A significant concern was the shortage of specialist RE teachers. If legislation changes to make RE a National Curriculum subject, teaching would commence from September 2028, with schools expected to have the new curriculum by Easter 2027 to allow for preparation. CPD would be provided for teachers.

SACRE discussed recent Supreme Court rulings on RE and collective worship, and the right of withdrawal in Northern Ireland, noting that this information had reached schools. The findings of the NATRE secondary survey were also shared, highlighting that one-third of secondary schools provide no RE for non-examined Key Stage 4 pupils. The implications of the new Ofsted inspection framework for RE were outlined, and details of various training sessions were provided.

Emily Waddilove drew attention to the upcoming NASACRE Conference in Liverpool on 18 May 2026, inviting members to consider attending with the RE Advisor. She also reminded members of a Zoom keynote by Vanessa Ogden on 2 March. Sarah Whitethread raised a question about whether the government would change the directive that headteachers are not allowed to direct teachers to teach RE. Ian Nicholson stated that Wales had withdrawn the right of withdrawal completely but he had not heard of any such plans for England from Vanessa Ogden's group or the DfE. The update was noted.

Task and Finish Group to Review the Process of Syllabus Development

The Chair reported that Shira Solomons, Clare Walsha, and himself had begun the review process by creating a timeline of the syllabus development in Wokingham. They planned to investigate the processes at the Berkshire Hub and another SACRE to understand information flow and communication. While national changes might alter future syllabus requirements, the group felt it was important to learn from the experience to improve the Hub's effectiveness, SACRE's collaboration with RE Advisors, and coordination among faith groups. Shira Solomons questioned whether SACREs would still have a role in guiding schools on a national RE curriculum. No firm timescale for the review's completion was set, but an update on the proposed timing would be provided at the next meeting.

Letter Regarding Withdrawal of Funding for Specialist RE Teacher Training

Following information at the last meeting about government plans to explore making RE a compulsory national curriculum subject alongside the withdrawal of bursaries for RE teacher training, SACRE felt compelled to write a letter expressing concern. There was a consensus to oppose the withdrawal of funding for RE teacher training. Shahid Younis agreed to draft a letter on behalf of Wokingham SACRE, and it was agreed that other SACREs, the Leader of the Council, and individuals would be encouraged to join the effort.

RESOLVED That:

1. Shahid Younis would draft a letter on Wokingham SACRE's behalf expressing concern about the government's plans to withdraw funding for RE teacher training; and
2. The letter would be shared with the Leader of Wokingham Borough Council, who would be asked to consider writing a letter expressing concern.

How are things in Wokingham Schools?

This item was discussed during the presentation in item 12.

Development Plan and Budget

Emily Waddilove referred to the Development Plan, covering membership, SACRE member attendance at meetings, teacher training, and support for teachers. Recent teacher events included a well-attended and well-received primary teacher afternoon hosted by Philip Theobald's school, focusing on curriculum planning based on the new syllabus, led by Ian Nicholson. Clare Walsha and Samantha Lawless attended. A secondary teacher training day was scheduled for 27 February at Dinton Pastures Activity Centre, led by Ian Nicholson, and a primary school network meeting via Teams was planned for 18 March. SACRE members were encouraged to attend teacher training events and submit ideas for the next financial year's Development Plan.

The budget update indicated that spending was on track, with a total spend of £4,513, higher than initially stated due to design costs for the annual report and syllabus. Approximately £3,200 in further spending was anticipated before the end of the financial year. A discussion ensued regarding SACRE's role in recommending RE resources for schools, with suggestions to invite resource providers to future meetings to enhance SACRE members' knowledge for monitoring. The Chair reminded members of their role in visiting schools to observe RE delivery. Ian Nicholson confirmed there was no overarching monitoring of RE, though Ofsted reports sometimes included comments. Shahid Younis expressed concerns about the quality of RE teaching by non-specialist teachers, particularly in secondary schools. Shira Solomons raised concerns about the quality of teacher training and resources for minority religions like Judaism. Emily Waddilove urged SACRE members to attend teacher training sessions to gain insight into RE teaching and allay concerns, noting that training dates would be shared via email.

RESOLVED That:

1. The report be noted; and
2. Resource providers would be invited to attend a future meeting.

Wokingham Schools Ofsted Inspections Update

Emily Waddilove reported that due to the new Ofsted framework, no inspections had occurred at the start of the academic year. Inspections began in December, with Early St Peters Primary School and The Forest School being inspected under the new framework. The report for Early St Peters was positive, mentioning school values and inclusivity, though without explicit reference to RE. The report for The Forest School was not yet published. Sarah Whitethread shared a document detailing the differences between the old and new Ofsted frameworks, highlighting the thoroughness of the new process. Ian Nicholson added that Ofsted would start with an 'expected standard' and seek evidence to adjust the judgement. Emily Waddilove referred to a positive Catholic Schools Inspectorate report for St Dominic Savio School and confirmed she was following up on a concern regarding a secondary school whose Ofsted report indicated non-compliance with RE teaching requirements at KS4.

RESOLVED That the report be noted.

Final Annual Report on Previous Academic Year to be Shared

Emily Waddilove announced that the formatted annual report, including A-level results, was ready to be shared with schools. Wokingham's A-level results remained strong compared to national figures, despite a decline in entries. The report detailed SACRE membership, activities, and examination outcomes.

RESOLVED That the update on the SACRE Annual Report be noted.

Member Presentation - Spirited Arts Competition

Samantha Lawless, Primary RE Teacher, presented on the Spirited Arts Competition experience at Shinfield St Mary's CE Junior School. She highlighted that this national competition, running for many years, offered children creative space for spiritual, non-spiritual, religious, or non-religious expression around a chosen theme. Preparation involved staff meetings, children's assemblies, theme exploration, and timetable planning. Work was compiled into scrapbooks, allowing children to express reflections through artwork. The week concluded with a showcase, where children explained their work and selected pieces for submission. The Spirited Arts week positively impacted both children and staff. Ian Nicholson noted it was a 23-year-old national competition with 25,000 entries last year. Samantha Lawless explained that while off the usual timetable, themes could be linked to other subjects like history and geography. Members were impressed and believed it was a good way to promote RE in schools.

RESOLVED That the presentation be noted.

Briefing - Racial Equity Support for Wokingham Schools

Emily Waddilove presented on Wokingham's work regarding racial equity support for schools, framed within broader efforts to foster belonging for all children. She highlighted Wokingham's status as a Marmot Borough, its new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, and the support provided to schools on belonging, disadvantaged children, trauma-informed behaviour management, and SEND. Headteacher conferences had focused on equity and belonging, aligning with a national emphasis on belonging in schools and a recommendation for the new curriculum to reflect diversity. The new Ofsted toolkit also strengthened its focus on inclusion and belonging. Schools were offered a six-year programme of racial equity training, covering racial literacy for staff and pupils, recruitment and retention of staff of colour, incident management, and curriculum diversification. Long-term aims included developing children's awareness of unconscious racial bias and anti-racism, creating inclusive curricula, understanding the history of multi-racial Britain, recognising how racism operates, ensuring equitable academic achievement for all racial groups, reducing disproportionate sanctions for behaviour, fostering comfort and authenticity in schools, and achieving a racially diverse workforce. PowerPoint slides would be circulated. In response to a question, Emily Waddilove listed key speakers and organisations involved in the training. Shira Solomons raised concerns about RISC in Reading and their alleged connections to groups accused of antisemitism, which would be discussed outside the meeting.

RESOLVED That the report be noted.

Any Other Business

The Chair thanked Samantha Lawless for her presentation and invited members to volunteer to present about their faith at the next meeting. Members had signed a birthday card for Beth Rowland, who was celebrating her 80th birthday. Shahid Younis informed members that Ramadan was approaching and invited SACRE members to a ceremony at Reading Football Club on 27 February at 4.45pm to mark the start of the fast, requesting advance notice for catering.

Date of Next Meetings

The next meeting was scheduled for 8 June 2026, with other dates to be circulated via email.