Agenda and minutes

Nominations are invited for the roles of Chair and Vice-Chair.  The SACRE Constitution requires that the Chair and Vice-Chair are appointed from different representative groups (a copy of the SACRE Constitution is attached).  

Voting for the Chair and Vice-Chair will take place in constituent groups, with each constituent group entitled to a single vote on each role.

            Resolved that  - 1) Councillor Doreen Dart be appointed as Chair of the SACRE for the Municipal Year 2008-09.

            2) The appointment of Vice-Chair be deferred to the next meeting.

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 of interest 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.

            No public questions were received during the meeting.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2008.

            The Clerk to the SACRE presented a report advising that there were currently 5 vacancies on the SACRE, two in the Other Faiths Group for the Sikh Community and Catholic Diocese for which nominations were being sought, and 3 Group C (Teachers Group) vacancies.  The Committee was asked to confirm the appointment of Mrs Helen Miller to one of the Group C (Teachers Group) vacancies.

            Resolved that - 1) The Membership update be noted.

            2) Mrs Helen Miller be appointed to the SACRE as a member of Group C (Teacher Organisations) to serve until September 2011, and it be noted that the relevant Teachers Union had confirmed its agreement to this appointment.

            3) The SACRE note that approval had been received from the NASUWT (National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers) to the appointment of Mrs Mandy Sandleton to Group C (Teacher Organisations) as recommended at the last SACRE meeting.

            4) The SACRE Advisor and Clerk continue to seek representatives for the remaining SACRE vacancies.

To receive a short presentation from a member of the SACRE or a representative of another faith community or group within Swindon on their faith. 

Fidelma Meehan will be attending the meeting to give a presentation on the Bahá'í Faith, and will answer questions from SACRE members.

            The SACRE received a presentation from Fidelma Meehan on the Bahá'í Faith and Ms Meehan answered questions from the Committee.

            Resolved that -  Ms Meeham be thanked for her informative presentation on the Bahá'í Faith.

            The SACRE received a report from the Director of Community to advise that the application to NASACRE for the Swindon Face to Faith Project had been successful and a grant of £4,400 had been received.  It was noted that insufficient secondary schools had volunteered early on for the initial launch event planned for July to go ahead.  The SACRE agreed that the money should be used to extend the project to other schools, and that this could be on a phased basis.  It was suggested that the Community Support Manager, supported by Ms Katy Staples, individually contact secondary schools to confirm which schools would like to take part and to explain the level of support to be provided.

            Resolved that - The Community Support Manager, with support from Ms Katy Staples, proceed with the next stage of the Face to Faith project as set out above.

            The SACRE Advisor provided an update on the activities commissioned by the SACRE and SACRE Advisor to support schools in their provision of Religious Education and Collective Worship.  The SACRE noted that the production of schemes of work to support the teaching of the Agreed Syllabus had been completed and copies of the final supporting material would be provided to schools shortly.  The SACRE noted the training provided to teachers during this term to support the teaching of RE.  In addition, the SACRE Advisor advised on the progress of the pilot project operating, where SACRE representatives were going into volunteer schools to assist with the completion of an AERIAC (Association for RE Inspectors, Advisors and Consultants) toolkit.  This was proving very successful, assisting Schools to complete their self-evaluation, while providing the SACRE with broad information on the teaching of Religious Education in the borough.

            Resolved that - 1) The SACRE note that updated schemes of work would be completed and provided to schools by the end of term and thanked the SACRE Adviser and all the Teachers Groups who had prepared the material.

            2) The SACRE note the recent training received by primary and secondary teachers in religious education and collective worship.

            3) The SACRE note that the Pilot Project on Monitoring RE in Schools was progressing well, and was providing good support to schools, and information for the SACRE on the achievements in Religious Education across the Borough.

            The Community Support Manager advised the SACRE that the Council had set up an Interfaith Partnership in Swindon.  This in no way affected the work of the existing Interfaith Group, which built relationships between different faith groups.  The purpose of the new Interfaith Partnership was to provide an opportunity for faith leaders and representatives to have a role in supporting the development and implementation of key initiatives and policies for Swindon, in particular the Local Area Agreement.  It was noted that the Partnership had been well supported at its initial meeting by a broad range of faith representatives. 

            Resolved that – The SACRE note the development of a new Interfaith Partnership in Swindon.

Attached is the Summer 2008 edition of ‘SACRE News’, from NASACRE (the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education) for information.  SACRE Members are invited to contact the Clerk to the SACRE if there are any issues that they wish for the SACRE to explore further at a future meeting.

            The SACRE received the latest edition of SACRE News from the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education.  SACRE Members were invited to contact the Clerk to the SACRE if there were any issues raised which should be addressed by the SACRE at a future meeting.

Mrs Catherine Coster has advised that she will be retiring as SACRE Advisor from September 2008, and that this will therefore be her last meeting.  The Council have arranged with Bristol Church of England Diocese for Mrs Katy Staples (Diocese Schools Advisor) to become the new SACRE Advisor.  The Chair on behalf of the SACRE would like to thank Mrs Catherine Coster for her many years of support to this SACRE and to the SACRE Conference.

            Councillor Dart announced that Mrs Catherine Coster was retiring as SACRE Advisor from August 2008, and that this would be her last meeting.  On behalf of the SACRE, the Chair thanked Catherine Coster for her many years of support to this SACRE and to the SACRE Conference and presented Catherine with a gift.

            The SACRE noted that the Group Director, Children had arranged with Bristol Diocese for Mrs Katy Staples (Diocese Schools Advisor) to become the new SACRE Advisor.  The Chair welcomed Katy Staples to her new role.

Meetings of SACRE are scheduled for 2008/09 as follows:

Monday 29^th September 2008, 6 pm

Monday 8^th December 2008, 6 pm

Monday 9^th March 2009, 6 pm

            The SACRE noted the following dates had been scheduled for meetings of the SACRE in 2008/09:

?         Monday 29^th September 2008, 6 pm

?         Monday 8^th December 2008, 6 pm

?         Monday 9^th March 2009, 6 pm