Agenda item

A.)  SACRE Advisor

B.)  Humanist Representative

C.)  SACRE Annual Report

D.)  Commission on Religious Education – Interim Report: Religious Education for All

E.)  REC / NATRE – The State of the Nation: A report on Religious Education provision within secondary schools in England

  This document can be accessed via the following link:

  https://www.natre.org.uk/uploads/Free%20Resources/SOTN%202017%20Report%20web%20version%20FINAL.pdf

A)  SACRE ADVISOR

The Chairman informed SACRE members that a replacement RE Advisor was needed, and it was intended that Bromley SACRE would have one. There were two options that he wished to put to members so that they could be considered and explored.

The first option was the suggestion that Bromley SACRE could share a RE Advisor with the London Borough of Bexley. These boroughs often worked together, and faced similar financial pressures. Bromley SACRE member, Virginia Corbyn, was the RE Advisor for Bexley SACRE, and the Chairman had spoken with her regarding this suggestion. The second option was to supplement the RE Advisor role, and provide support from elsewhere in the form of secondary RE teachers offering assistance. The Chairman had briefly discussed this with SACRE member, Jed Stone, who said he was keen to take on this role.

As school visits took place during the school day, SACRE members queried if a secondary school teacher could be spared by their school to attend. The Chairman responded that it was proposed that the school would be approached to release the RE teacher for the time needed for the visits to take place. Mr Stone said that he expected this to be possible, but noted that his Headteacher had not yet been approached regarding this.

One SACRE member considered that the precedent had been set by a previous RE Advisor, who had covered the same role for three of four boroughs. There had been a number of mergers of functions across Local Authorities, and they did not see a problem with Bromley and Bexley SACREs sharing a RE Advisor. The LB Bromley should not be looking to economise on the role, they should look to enhance it and offer a boost to the allowance. It was crucial to keep school visits going, and have the ability to offer advice to schools, and therefore both options were supported.

The Chairman advised SACRE members that a major piece of work that would need to be undertaken by the RE Advisor was the revision of the Agreed Syllabus. The Chairman had received an offer from the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE), to present to Bromley SACRE what they could offer in terms of a pre-produced syllabus that could be tailored to meet the needs of the LB Bromley. It was suggested that NATRE could be invited to attend the next meeting of the Bromley SACRE, but it was expected that what they would offer was likely to be expensive. Mrs Corbyn informed members that Kent County Council had recently purchased a RE syllabus from RE Today. She felt it was very good, but agreed that it would be expensive for the LB Bromley to purchase as the cost was dependent on the number of schools within a Local Authority. It was noted that the LB Bexley were in a similar position to the LB Bromley, and were also starting to revise their syllabus. The LBB Head of Service for Early Years, Schools Standards and Adult Education advised members that the LBB School Improvement Team already had established links with the LB Bexley, and there was the potential to explore and capitalise on these. The LBB Head of School Standards, Julia Andrew, had also previously worked at LB Bexley up until a couple of months ago. Following a discussion, members considered that the offer from NATRE to present their syllabus was free, and that it would be a good idea to see their views. However, it was noted that NATRE were likely to share only a very small amount of information.

Another SACRE member said they would like to see Mrs Corbyn acting as RE Advisor to Bromley SACRE, as she had the knowledge and experience. However, they questioned if she would have the time to fulfil this role, and felt that what she would be required to do, would need to be clear. With regards to reviewing the Agreed Syllabus, it was suggested that the current syllabus should be looked at, to consider if it was fit for purpose. It had only been produced five years previously, and it would be a surprise if it was wholly unsuitable, and therefore the need for a new syllabus would need to be demonstrated. The Chairman responded that the previous RE Advisor had canvassed the schools regarding their thoughts on, and use of, the Agreed Syllabus, but had received little feedback. The feedback that had been collected indicated that the Agreed Syllabus was fit for purpose, but was cumbersome and needed streamlining.

Mr Mahmood noted that a previous RE Advisor had brought people together for round the table discussions, rather than just communicating via letters. This was felt to be much better for input and contribution, and it was suggested that a conference for Bromley teachers could be organised, which would allow the Local Authority to consider whether the Agreed Syllabus was fit for purpose. Councillor Evans suggested that a questionnaire regarding the use of the Agreed Syllabus could also be included in the letter that the Chairman was drafting to schools. The Chairman agreed that he would be happy to do this, and said that he liked the idea of getting teachers together to discuss what was happening in RE.    ACTION: Chairman

Mrs Corbyn informed members that an RE Advisor role consisted of two strands of advice, for primary schools and secondary schools, which both had a different set of needs. As RE Advisor to Bexley SACRE, she covered the primary school strand, and secondary RE teachers did a lot of the secondary school work. Mr Stone advised members that there would be a meeting of the secondary school RE teachers taking place in February 2018, and he invited the Chairman to attend. The LBB Head of Service for Early Years, Schools Standards and Adult Education enquired if there were any similar meetings for primary teachers to attend. In response, the teacher representatives said that the previous RE Advisor had facilitated groups for clusters of teacher to share ideas. It was noted that primary teachers were not RE specialists, and valued the sharing of ideas and gaining of experience. Mrs Corbyn said that a large amount of time in her role as RE Advisor for Bexley SACRE was taken up by organising primary teacher meetings and that the need for them remained.

(Councillor Keith Onslow left the meeting at 7.00pm)

B)  HUMANIST REPRESENTATIVE

The Chairman advised members that Bromley SACRE had been contacted by Humanists UK with an offer to find a Humanist representative to sit on the SACRE. There had also been an approach from a member of the Baha’i faith who was interested in joining the SACRE. The Chairman asked SACRE members if they felt Humanist and Baha’i representatives were required, and if they should be appointed to Bromley SACRE.

Members questioned what proportion of Bromley residents were members of the Baha’i faith. It was felt likely that it would be very minimal, but that it should be explored and considered further. With regards to a Humanist representative, one member said they felt it was important to look at what Bromley SACRE needed in terms of representation. When the request for a Humanist representative had been made previously, a number of questions were raised; what is SACRE, and what is religion. It was considered that not having a faith meant Humanism was not a religion, and they therefore felt it was not appropriate to bring someone on to the SACRE as it seemed contradictory. Another SACRE member expressed that whilst they accepted this, the needs of young people should be considered. They needed an overview of more than just religions, it was about choices in life, and therefore there was a role on the SACRE for a Humanist representative. Members responded that this was correct, but felt that there were other forums for this such as PSHE.

(Councillor Sarah Phillips arrived at 7.05pm)

In response to a question, the Chairman confirmed that SACREs could co-opt people with specific opinions if they felt necessary. The request had come following Sue Polydorou standing down as a Humanist representative, prior to which she had been a Councillor representative on the Bromley SACRE. The Chairman agreed that he felt the reason for not requiring a Humanist representative was in the name of the SACRE, highlighting the ‘Religious Education’ element. Humanism was a world view and position, not a religion, and it would be unusual for a SACRE to specifically want to appoint a Humanist representative.

In response to a question, the Chairman advised members that the law stated that SACREs should have a membership that consisted of the major faith groups from the local community, and did not specify if they should, or should not, appoint a Humanist representative. It was noted that most SACREs would have members fulfilling other roles that may not hold a religious faith, and would therefore not have a specific need for a Humanist representative. Members considered that this was a decision that needed to be taken with great care, as it may invite other societies to want to join the membership of the SACRE. There needed to be clear guidance from Government regarding their role on SACREs; if it was just to hear their views, and without them having voting rights.

Following a discussion, members were reminded that this was just a consultation, and that they should not jump ahead. It was felt that in a couple of years’ time other changes to legislation may be suggested. After this, decisions could be made, and it was agreed that Bromley SACRE should not be trying to break boundaries to be different. The Chairman advised members that similar comments had been made at the NASACRE AGM, where it had been felt that the Government were not focussed on making changes to RE in schools. Its current focus was on Brexit, and as a result there was little chance of policies being changed before 2019, but that the consultation may inform future policy changes. It was therefore agreed that a Humanist representative was not currently required on the Bromley SACRE.      ACTION: Chairman

RESOLVED that:

(i)  the Chairman would advise Humanists UK that a representative was not currently required for the Bromley SACRE.

(ii)  the Chairman would contact the member of the Baha’i faith who had been interested in joining the SACRE to advise that the need for a representative would be explored, and considered further.

C)   SACRE ANNUAL REPORT

SACRE members were informed by the Chairman that the SACRE Annual Report 2016-2017 was in progress. The report would be completed and submitted within the first three months of 2018. In response to a question, the Chairman advised SACRE member that the annual report would be submitted to; NASACRE, who would also publish it on their website; the Secretary of State from Education; and other relevant parties. The Chairman noted that the Commission on Religious Education’s ‘Interim Report: Religious Education for All’ suggested that ‘the Government should publish all SACRE annual reports publicly on a dedicated website’.

D)  COMMISSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – INTERIM REPORT: RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR ALL

The Commission on Religious Education was established to review the legal, education, and policy frameworks for RE in schools in England. The review was designed to inform policymakers, with the ultimate aim of improving the quality and rigour of RE, and its capacity to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. The Commission had now published its interim report, ‘Religious Education for All’, which set out initial recommendations alongside a range of issues on which Commissioners would seek to consult further before drawing any conclusions.

Members had been encouraged to respond to the consultation before the deadline on 4^th December 2017. Commissioners hoped to receive feedback from as wide a range of people and organisations as possible, and the consultation would help to inform the final report of the Commission, due to be published in 2018. The Chairman advised SACRE members that the report was worth reading and considering, however it was noted that it was unlikely to produce legislation in the near future.

E)  REC / NATRE – THE STATE OF THE NATION:

A REPORT ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROVISION WITHIN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND

The State of the Nation report looks at the extent to which schools in England meet their statutory requirements to teach RE. It provides a comparison between schools where the RE curriculum is determined in three different ways:

1) Schools, including some academies, following an RE curriculum determined by their religious character;

2) Academies and other schools such as Free Schools where the RE is determined by their funding agreements;

3) Schools where a locally agreed RE syllabus must be followed.

The report argued that it is vital that students receive high quality RE. It stated that it was neither educationally, morally or legally justifiable for schools to provide minimal time on the school timetable for RE, or to expect teachers with insufficient training or expertise to deliver the subject. It was also felt that it was not acceptable for any young person to leave school without the knowledge and skills delivered through RE which would allow them to understand the beliefs and values of the diverse British society, without which they would be ill equipped to take their place in the modern world. The Chairman advised SACRE members that as this was a lengthy document, a link had been provided to enable them to view and read it online.