The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) of Cornwall Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday 19 March 2026. The meeting's agenda includes discussions on the SACRE Improvement Plan, the council's budget, and the annual report.

SACRE Improvement Plan

A key item scheduled for discussion is the SACRE Improvement Plan for the academic year 2025-2026. This plan outlines the council's priorities and actions for improving Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship (CW) in Cornwall's schools. The report details how SACRE aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the locally agreed syllabus, promote improvements in teaching standards and provision, manage its own operations and partnerships, and contribute to community cohesion and social harmony. The plan is part of SACRE's annual cycle of continuous improvement, which involves assessing its performance, planning actions, implementing them, and reviewing outcomes.

The report highlights several key areas for improvement, including:

• Management of SACRE and partnerships: Ensuring effective collaboration with Cornwall Council and other stakeholders, and that SACRE meetings are purposeful and representative.
• Standards and quality of RE provision: Evaluating RE provision across the local authority and developing strategies to enhance teaching quality and pupil outcomes.
• Effectiveness of the locally agreed syllabus: Reviewing and revising the syllabus to ensure it remains fit for purpose and supports effective learning.
• Collective Worship: Supporting pupil entitlement to daily collective worship and enhancing the quality of its provision in schools.
• Contribution to community cohesion: Promoting cohesion across the community through SACRE's membership and engagement with the local area's religious, cultural, and ethnic dimensions.

The report also details specific actions and targets, such as filling membership vacancies by March 2026 and ensuring new members receive formal induction. It notes that the SACRE Improvement Plan for September 2025 to August 2026 was agreed upon in December 2025.

Budget Report

The meeting will also consider the SACRE Budget Report for the financial year 2025-2026. Cornwall Council has allocated £15,000 to SACRE for this period, with an additional £10,000 in growth funding to support the convening and launch of the Agreed Syllabus 2025-2026. The report details the expenditure against various budget lines, including consultants, and the five key areas of SACRE's work. As of 31st January 2026, the total net expenditure was £17,166, with £7,834 remaining. The report recommends that SACRE ensures its allocated funds are utilised in line with the SACRE Improvement Plan and approves the spending intentions detailed within the report.

SACRE Annual Report 2025-26

A verbal update is scheduled regarding the SACRE Annual Report for 2025-26. This report typically summarises SACRE's activities and achievements over the past year, fulfilling its legal requirement to advise the local authority on matters relating to Religious Education and Collective Worship.

Public Questions and Statements

The agenda also includes a slot for public questions and statements to SACRE. Members of the public have the opportunity to ask questions or make statements, with submissions needing to be received by the Monitoring Officer by 12.00 noon on Friday, 13 March 2026.

Membership Report

The Clerk to SACRE will provide a report on the council's membership. This follows the previous meeting where it was noted that Elizabeth Fowkes-Matson had resigned, and Mary Judkins was welcomed as a new attendee. The Improvement Plan also highlights the importance of filling vacancies and replacing inactive members to ensure better representation of different communities within Cornwall.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2025 are scheduled for confirmation. At that meeting, it was resolved that the minutes of the 11 September 2025 meeting were correctly recorded, subject to a correction regarding Councillor Ashton's role. No public questions were received at the December meeting.