a) Islamic Competition
b) National Picture of RE
c) SACRE Annual Report for 2010-11
d) Youth SACRE
Minutes:
a) Islamic Competition
This very successful event had taken place at Darul Uloom on 24th November 2011. The Islamic Competition was much appreciated and valued and the Chairman would write to Mr Mahmood on behalf of SACRE to express thanks to him for organising the event.
(Action MS)
Details of the next Islamic Competition on 15th November 2012 which had been circulated to schools were circulated to SACRE Members. Ms Honey from Kemnal Technology College said that she had not received this information. The RE Adviser agreed to contact Mr Mahmood to ensure that he had the up to date contact details for the schools and academies.
(Action PSO)
b) National Picture of RE
The RE Adviser commented that a synopsis had now been received from the Wokefield Park weekend conference she had attended in October 2011 with teachers and others involved in RE (see minute 16a of the previous SACRE meeting). It had been suggested that the RE Council who represent the collective interests of a wide variety of professional associations and faith communities should be the “national voice of RE”. John Keast the Chairman of the RE Council had chaired the event and outlined not only the problems relating to RE but also looked at the positive aspects. The legal requirement to teach RE in schools was affirmed and the importance of faith communities was emphasised.
The RE Adviser commented that as from the beginning of the current term equalities and human rights would be at the heart of the Ofsted inspection framework. and they would now be inspecting Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education (SMSC) expecting to see that this underpins the whole school ethos, (see Appendix 1). Ms Honey suggested that if a letter was to be sent to schools and academies reminding them of the statutory requirement to provide RE the information from Ofsted could be incorporated.
c) SACRE Annual Report for 2010-2011
It was reported that this had been sent to NASACRE and had also been circulated to schools, libraries, the Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People and to SACRE Members. Mrs Colling said that she had not received a copy and the SACRE clerk agreed to forward another copy to her.
(Action CR)
The Chairman thanked the RE Adviser for her hard work in producing the annual report.
d) Youth SACRE
The first meeting of the new Youth SACRE took place on 18th November 2011 at Coopers Technology College when pupils from Bullers Wood School also attended. At the meeting the pupils discussed what they enjoyed about RE and also spoke about the forthcoming Islamic Competition. The RE Adviser commented that the pupils who attended the Youth SACRE were very enthusiastic. The members of the youth SACRE who attended the Islamic Competition had taken photographs of the event and planned to interview and film the winners of the competition. The Youth SACRE then hoped to make a film of the photographs and interviews.
Jed Stone reported that the Youth SACRE were going to make a presentation at the inter secondary school “Neighbourhood In-Service Training” event on 24th February 2012 at Bullers Wood School. The RE Adviser would also be talking at the event about SACRE and how it promotes religious literacy.
The Chairman asked if it would be possible for a small group of the Youth SACRE to attend the SACRE meeting on 30th May 2012. Mr Stone said that he would ask, but this might not be possible due to difficulties in arranging for pupils to attend out of school activities.
The Chairman thanked Fiona Hawkes, Jed Stone and the RE Adviser for their work in connection with the Youth SACRE.