Agenda item

Report by the Director of Children’s Services

31.1     Councillor Roy Galley, as Chair of the Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education (SACRE), introduced the report and highlighted a number of key issues for the Committee to consider, including:

·          That the five year review of the Religious Education syllabus had been completed and would be presented to the national SACRE conference on 29 March 2017.    The new syllabus takes into account requirements relating to the duty to promote ‘British Values’ and to support the moral, social, cultural and mental development of young people.     

·          As part of its development programme members of SACRE have visited 9 secondary schools and a number of primary schools.   When compared to other SACREs across the country it appears such visits are not common place.  However, East Sussex SACRE feel such visits are essential if Members are to develop an informed picture of the nature of the RE provision at individual schools within the county.  So far SACRE members have only been able to visit maintained schools.   Given the perceived value of such visits, it is also the ambition of SACRE to visit academies within the county.

·          SACRE is keen to engage more with young people and as a result, meetings have been held with members of the Youth Cabinet.   Feedback from this engagement included the view that whilst Youth Cabinet members felt they had a good understanding of Christianity and Judaism, there was a general view that more could be done to develop their understanding of other major world faiths.   Consideration is therefore being given to arranging a student conference where these matters could be discussed. </AI8>

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·          SACRE is keen to ensure that its membership draws from a wide as possible range of faiths.   Work is this therefore being undertaken to see what can be done to further diversify membership.

31.2     In response to a question about its interactions with the National Commission for Religious Education, the Committee were informed that SACRE had made a submission to the Commission.  The Committee also asked for detail about what plans are in place to ensure training will be provided to schools with respect to ongoing changes in RE.  In response the Committee were informed that the Department have been actively working on supporting training in relation to the ‘Understanding Christianity’ project and that there is also a training plan in place for Continuing Professional Development for the coming year.  It was also noted that due to financial pressures on school budgets, it appears that some schools are not accessing the training offered to them.   As a result the Department are seeking to develop training events that are attractive to schools and fit for purpose.   The Committee also noted that the RE ‘take-up’ figures for both the GCSE full and short courses in East Sussex was below the national average.   In response the Committee were informed that the Department’s expectation is that the gap between local and national figures will reduce as changes introduced by the National Curriculum take effect.

31.3     RESOLVED to note:

1)           the work of SACRE in improving the quality of religious education, especially in maintained schools;

2)           the work of SACRE in supporting schools with collective worship and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural development and British Values 2016-2106;

3)           the three year-year development plan for SACRE.