Agenda item

Briefing Item ED13111

The Chairman circulated for information, a copy of a BBC article which reported on comments made by the Education Secretary Michael Gove in July 2013, when he remarked that Religious Education had “suffered” in England’s schools amid government changes.

SACRE Members considered a report which presented a draft Development Plan prepared by the RE Adviser for the next financial year. The recently appointed Interim Assistant Director for Education and Care Services advised that the SACRE budget for the current year was £11,375, but due to the necessity for local authority financial cut backs this was to be reduced to £7,000 for the next financial year. This would in turn necessitate a reduction in the number of days support from the RE Consultant/RE Adviser who’s contract finished at the end of the current financial year. The Assistant Director advised that competitive tendering for the position would need to be carried out and expressions of interest would be invited. She advised SACRE Members to give further consideration as to how SACRE can continue to fulfil its rolewithin the limited funds available, and suggested that SACRE review the best use of the reduced number of Consultant days which would be available. In answer to a question from Rev Varney, the Assistant Director confirmed that the SACRE Chairman would be contacted regarding the tendering process and the requirements and qualities necessary for the RE Consultant and their role with SACRE.

The Chairman stated that she understood the necessity for financial cut backs, but emphasised that the Local Authority had a statutory responsibility to establish a SACRE to ensure high quality RE and collective worship for all pupils, and to monitor and improve learning and achievement in Bromley schools. This included the specialist RE advice and clerking support for SACRE. In addition, the Local Authority had a statutory duty to ensure that the agreed RE syllabus was reviewed every five years.

Members of SACRE discussed the budget and arrangements for Bromley SACRE in the next financial year. Points raised included the following:

The RE Adviser queried whether the cost of the RE co-ordinators’ meetings was appropriated to her contract as she submitted separate invoices and she believed that these meetings had separate funding. The Assistant Director said that she would need to check this. The RE Adviser remarked that Teachers would need to be supported in the implementation of the new RE Syllabus and the Assistant Director said she would contact the Workforce Development Team regarding the possibility of a course being run to support this. The SACRE Clerk asked if a recharge was made for her services and would make enquiries to see if this was the case.

The Chairman suggested that the Development Plan should have more specific details of costs and that a budget monitoring report should be submitted to each SACRE meeting. The Assistant Director agreed to speak to the finance officer regarding the possibility of such a report being prepared. 

Rev Varney expressed the view that it would be difficult to cut back on the Development Plan and considered that SACRE needed to be sufficiently resourced. He stated that the work of SACRE needed to be made better known, that there should be a clear statement of its aims, and that its aspirations should not be curtailed. He commented that the role and purpose of SACRE far exceeded the RE Adviser’s preparation for and attendance at SACRE meetings and the preparation of the Annual SACRE Report. It was important that SACRE continued to monitor RE and collective worship in schools and Rev Varney suggested that perhaps in future SACRE Members could carry out school visits and produce the necessary reports in order to save the RE Consultant’s time.

Sue Polydorou considered that having regard to the budget cuts which needed to be made by the Local Authority, SACRE Members needed to be realistic. She suggested that a distinction needed to be made between essential and non-essential activities in the Development Plan which needed to be carried out in order for SACRE to fulfil its role.

Rev Bristow suggested that perhaps the way forward would be for SACRE to meet as a smaller group to discuss the Development Plan in detail. It was agreed that this was a good idea and the following offered to meet with the SACRE Chairman and RE Adviser: Rev Bristow, Rev Varney, Virginia Corbyn and Rachel Archer. The RE Adviser would liaise with the SACRE Clerk, and those who had offered to help would be emailed with suggested meeting dates.

RESOLVED that

(i)  the report and comments above be noted, and

(ii)  the SACRE Development Plan be reviewed in accordance with the arrangements outlined above.

(Rev Bristow left the meeting after consideration of this item.)