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 issues for the attention of the Committee.  The key discussion points are summarised below:

• Timing of the East Sussex SACRE Annual Report.   Councillor Galley informed the Committee of SACRE’s view that the findings of the annual report to NASACRE (National Association of SACREs) could be more effectively actioned if the deadline for its production was brought forward (the annual report was attached as Appendix 1 to the report to the Committee).   As a result, SACRE is raising this issue at the national level to see if an earlier deadline would be beneficial to other local SACREs.
• Religious Education (RE) Agreed Syllabus.   SACRE has now completed the major process of reviewing and revising the RE syllabus and the resultant agreed syllabus is now in place in East Sussex Schools.
• Training Programme.   SACRE has an ongoing training programme.   This year’s training conference will include a focus on celebrating the similarities across the Abrahamic religions and will be led by the Muslim tutor of Eton College.  
• School Visits.  SACRE has an ongoing programme of visiting all secondary schools in East Sussex.  With this in mind, nearly all of the maintained secondary schools have been visited, as well as a number of secondary academies.  SACRE also visits individual primary schools where it believes additional support maybe needed.  
• National Curriculum requirement to teach a broad-based curriculum which includes Religious Education.   Based in part on the school visits mentioned in the above point, Councillor Galley confirmed that SACRE is generally satisfied that schools in the primary sector are complying with national standards for the provision of religious education.   At the secondary level, SACRE believes there is some evidence which indicates there a number of maintained schools which may need additional support if they are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum with regard to RE.   In support of this view, Councillor Galley circulated a report from the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE).  The report cited figures taken from ‘National Workforce’ data provided by the Department for Education.  The Committee asked for more detail about the data contained in the report and clarification as to whether the relevant requirements for RE are being met in secondary schools in East Sussex.   

In response the Committee were advised that the data contained in the circulated item required  careful interpretation as, for example, different schools often use different descriptions for the teaching sessions via which RE is taught.  As a result, the data may not provide a complete picture of the levels and status of RE teaching in East Sussex.    Mandy Watson also sought to reassure the Committee that from the perspective of the Diocese of Chichester, the Agreed Syllabus for RE in East Sussex does meet relevant requirements and is of a good standard. Furthermore, that the Diocese is pleased that all schools in East Sussex will be using the Church of England’s ‘Understanding Christianity’ module.   Whilst Members accepted that the data provided by NATRE may need careful interpretation, it was requested that further clarification on the current levels of RE provision in East Sussex be provided to the Committee by its October meeting.

• Further actions.   Councillor Galley confirmed that where further work may be required, SACRE is keen to work in partnership with these schools and to provide support where it can.   Furthermore, whilst SACRE will work in partnership with those schools, there is an option for SACRE to consider making a formal complaint to the Department for Education.   In addition, following a number of unsuccessful attempts to make contact with two secondary schools to arrange a visit, Councillor Galley will write to the relevant Governing Boards and ask for their assistance.

31.2     RESOLVED - the Committee agreed to:

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

2) note the work of SACRE in supporting schools with collective worship and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural development and British Values 2016-2017; and

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

4) request that further clarification is provided to the Committee by its October meeting on how secondary schools in East Sussex are performing in relation to the requirements of the National Curriculum with regard to RE.