Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that at the start of the meeting they should declare any known interests in any matter to be considered, and also during the meeting if it becomes apparent that they have an interest in the matters being discussed.

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting.  No declarations were made.

See explanatory note below.  Please phone the Committee Officer whose name and number appears at the top of this agenda if you need further guidance.

            Mrs Margaret Griffiths of the Swindon Interfaith Group had submitted a question in writing, which the Chair agreed to accept as a public question.

Question: ‘What is the obligation, if any, on a school to teach RE to those Students who are not doing a GCSE full or short course?  How is the syllabus, if any constructed, and by whom?  Is the SACRE happy about the arrangement?’

Response:  The Chair responded that the obligations for teaching RE to students at Secondary Level (Key Stage 4) were set out in the new Swindon Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, September 2005, page 13, which stated that:

            ‘At Key Stage 4 it is the expectation that pupils will follow a GCSE short or long course in religious education.  In schools where students are not studying religious studies or religious education to GCSE specification the school’s own certificated course should be provided, applying the enquiry and skills identified for Key Stage 4 in the appendix to the Agreed Syllabus’.

            The SACRE agreed that their responsibility was to make sure that the provision for religious education was in place, and they were satisfied that there were clear guidelines in the Agreed Syllabus for that provision to take place.  Andrew Fleet and Norma McKemey suggested that they discuss how Secondary Schools in Swindon use the provisions in the Agreed Syllabus at the next SASH (Swindon Association of Secondary Headteachers) meeting, and report back to the SACRE.

            Resolved : 1) That the Clerk to the SACRE write to Mrs Margaret Griffiths to reply to her question on behalf of the SACRE;

            2) That Andrew Fleet and Norma McKemey report back to SACRE on the outcome of their discussions with SASH at the next suitable meeting.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 13 September 2005.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 13^th September 2005, be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

            The Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Democratic Services dated 30^th November 2005, asking SACRE to confirm the appointment of a new member to a vacancy on the SACRE, and to review its current membership vacancies.

            Resolved – 1)  That the SACRE thank Mrs Helen Thomas for her work on the SACRE over many years;

            2) That Mrs Helen Hancox be appointed to the SACRE as a member of Group D (Other Faiths) representing the United Reformed Church (URC), to serve the remainder of the term of office of the URC representative up until September 2007, unless reappointed at that point for a further term by Full Council; and

            3) That the SACRE asks the SACRE Advisor to seek replacement Members for the Teachers Group in place of the vacancies left by Mrs Jan Criddle and Mrs Sarah Lashmar. 

            The SACRE received the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) Self-Evaluation Toolkit and agreed to complete its assessment of its effectiveness, began at the meeting on 21 June 2005, and to agree an appropriate development plan for the SACRE in the light of this assessment.

            The SACRE Members discussed the Swindon SACRE’s effectiveness and graded itself ‘Developing’, ‘Established’, ‘Advanced’ or ‘Exemplar’ in relation to the Sections 2-5 in the way that it carried out its roles as follows:

Section 2. Management of SACRE and Partnership with the LEA and other Key Stakeholders:

(2a) ‘SACRE Meetings’ – Established (with prospects for Advanced)

(2b) ‘Membership and Training’ – Established

(2c) ‘Improvement / Development Planning’ – Developing

(2d) ‘Professional and Financial Support’ – Established

(2e) ‘Information and Advice’ – Developing (with prospects for Established)

(2f) ‘Partnership with Other Key Stakeholders’ – Developing

Section 3. Effectiveness of the Local Agreed Syllabus:

(3a) ‘Review of the Agreed Syllabus’ – Advanced

(3b) ‘Using National Framework for Religious Education’ – Advanced

(3c) ‘Developing the Revised Agreed Syllabus’ – Advanced

(3d) ‘Consultation / Launch / Implementation of the Agreed Syllabus’ – Advanced

(3e) ‘Additional Guidance, Monitoring and Evaluating the Agreed Syllabus’ – Developing

Section 4.Collective Worship

(4a) ‘Practice and Provision for Collective Worship’ – Developing (with prospects for Established)

(4b) ‘Monitoring the Provision of Collective Worship and Addressing Issues of Non-Compliance’ - Developing.

Section 5. Contribution of SACRE to the Social and Racial Harmony Agenda.

(5a) ‘Representative Nature of SACRE’ – Advanced

(5b) ‘Knowledge and Understanding of Local Religious, Cultural and Ethnic Community’ – Advanced.

(5c) ‘Understanding of Intrinsic Contribution which RE can make to Social and Racial Harmony’ – Established.

(5d) ‘Links to Local Authority Initiatives promoting Social and Racial Harmony’ – Developing.

The SACRE agreed the two key priorities arising out of the analysis for the development plan was improving the SACRE’s links to and understanding of the wider Council and its policies, and further improvement of the provision and practice of collective worship, in particular developing ways to monitor that it is being provided effectively.

            Resolved: 1) That Catherine Coster (SACRE Adviser) draw up the development plan for the SACRE to reflect its identified priorities;

            2) That the following actions are carried out to further develop links and understanding of the wider Council : –

i)                    The Chair of SACRE and SACRE Adviser seek a meeting with the Group Director Children to create better links between the SACRE and the wider Council,

ii)                  Councillor Garry Perkins (Cabinet Member for Children’s Services) be invited to attend SACRE, to give opportunity for questions and answers and a better understanding of the  Council’s priorities for Children’s Services and the SACRE’s role.

iii)                Penny Summers report back, as appropriate, on her membership of the Children’s Overview Committee and implications of their discussions for the SACRE.

            3) That the following actions are carried out to assist with the SACRE monitoring and improving the provision of RE and Collective Worship in Schools :-

i)                    Andrew Fleet and Norma McKemey ask Headteachers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

            Catherine Coster (SACRE Adviser) introduced the Self-Evaluation Toolkit prepared by the Association of RE Inspectors, Advisors and Consultants (AREIAC).  Catherine Coster advised that this was a very thorough document that could be useful for schools in enabling them to assess their own performance and strengthen provision.  She suggested that she investigate how the document might be introduced to schools, to assist them in recognising its usefulness and to make it more accessible. 

            Resolved – The SACRE supports the SACRE Adviser seeking ways to promote the use of the AREIAC toolkit in schools in order to strengthen the provision of religious education in Swindon.

            Catherine Coster (SACRE Adviser) reported back on the NASACRE (National Association of Standing Advisory Council’s on Religious Education) Conference on 6 December 2005.  The Conference had concentrated on discussing the SACRE Self-Evaluation Toolkit and the AREIAC Self-Evaluation in RE toolkit.  A key concern for SACREs across the country, was how they would be able to assess standards in the provision of RE, now that Ofsted reports would no longer report on provision of RE specifically.

            The SACRE was advised that the Agreed Syllabus had been presented to Schools Heads at a conference held in July and the SACRE Adviser was holding cluster meetings with primary and secondary schools to implement the syllabus and explore ways to develop the schemes of work. 

            Resolved – That the SACRE supports the use of the SACRE budget for the implementation of the Agreed Syllabus including funding cluster meetings for training and for the development of schemes of work.

            The SACRE received the draft of its Annual Report which was required to be submitted to the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) under Section 391 of the Education Act 1996.

            Resolved – 1) That the Report be amended a) to reflect the decisions of the SACRE at this meeting to identify its priorities for the year of evaluating the provision of collective worship in schools and for developing its relationship and links with the wider Council and its policies and b) to record the SACRE’s thanks to the SACRE Adviser and recognise that she is held in high regard and valued by the those in local authority, in schools and in the wider community of Religious Education; and

            2) That subject to the amendments set out in 1) above the SACRE Adviser be requested to forward the Annual Report to QCA on behalf of the SACRE.

The next meeting of the SACRE is scheduled for 7 March 2006 at 6 pm.  

The next meeting of the SACRE would be held on 7^th March 2006.