Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed Mrs Jayne Grundy to Committee B and Mrs Julia Almond as a co-optee representing the Spiritualist National Union.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the SACRE meeting held on 10 February 2016 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

The SACRE received an update on key issues that had occurred since their last meeting, including:

a)    Emma Jardine had returned from her maternity leave – SACRE welcomed her back and thanked Mary Gale for her support while Emma was away;

b)    Changes to the GCSE regulations – from September 2016 GCSE assessment will be graded on a scale of 1-9.  Most of the exam board qualifications had now been accredited by Ofqual and had been published to allow teachers to have sight of the proposed approach;

c)    Queries on Staffordshire’s agreed syllabus – many queries had been received from schools on the availability of the new Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus. Schools had been reassured that they could continue to teach the current syllabus until the new one became available in September;

d)    NATRE (National Association of Teachers of Religious Education) meetings – these were local meetings held at St Dominic’s School, Brewood, and hosted by Sam Kirwan. These had proved useful in keeping attendees up to date with current issues in RE;

e)    AREIAC (Association of Religious Education Inspectors, Advisors and Consultants) meetings – held in Birmingham and hosted by REToday, these meetings had proved useful in keeping officers informed of current issues; and

f)     RE Quality Mark – Mary Gale had successfully supported a school in Stoke-on-Trent in gaining a Silver Mark award. St Dominic’s School, Brewood, hoped to apply for the Quality Mark in Autumn 2016 under the leadership of Sam Kirwan.

RESOLVED – That the update on key issues be noted.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

The Chairman gave an update on recent NASACRE events, including:

a)    NASACRE Conference – held at Westminster Central Hall with key note speakers Rt Hon Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss GBE and Professor Adam Dinham;

b)    a number of changes to personnel within NASACRE, with David Hampshire standing down as chairman after becoming Deputy Director of the Interfaith Network. The Vice-Chairman, Paul Smalley who lectured at Edgehill University, had taken over as Chairman. Marie Cooper had also taken on the main administrative role for NASACRE; and,

c)    the Chairman had attended an Interfaith Religious Literacy event.

RESOLVED – That the oral report be noted.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

Members received details of results from the annual survey that monitored RE provision within Staffordshire. 38 Primary and 8 secondary schools had responded to the survey on RE provision, and 3 primary schools had responded to the survey on collective worship.

Findings showed that the majority of primary schools were providing at least 1 hour per week RE provision and were using the Agreed Syllabus. 50% of those who responded were using teaching assistants (TAs) for planning and delivering RE.

Of those secondary schools that responded all were providing at least 1 hour of RE per week. Most schools had at least one specialist teacher, however one of the schools used 11 non-specialist teachers to deliver RE. All schools were working towards a GCSE at Key Stage (KS) 4.

RESOLVED – That the results of the monitoring of provision survey be noted.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

SACRE received copies of the following correspondence:

a)    from Paul Moseley, British Humanist Association (BHA) representative on the Staffordshire SACRE which commented on the draft Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus, and the Chairman’s response to this; and

b)    sent to all SACREs from Andrew Copson in the name of the BHA citing the advice of Dr Satvinder Juss, and a joint response to this from NASACRE and AREIAC.

RESOLVED – That the correspondence be noted.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

There were none on this occasion.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

Members received a breakdown of the SACRE Budget 2015-16 and details of the current budget 2016-17. At the end of the 2015-16 financial year £1.17 remained.

Emma Jardine informed Members of changes to the way in which the SACRE Budget was administered, with County Council Finance administering the budget rather than Entrust.

Some concern was expressed over the current spending freeze and whether this would impact on the SACRE Budget. However it was understood that the same budget allocation had been awarded as last year and therefore the only change should be in the way in which invoices were dealt with.

RESOLVED – That the SACRE Budget 2015-16 end of year balance and the current 2016-17 budget be noted.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

SACRE received details of, and discussed, the following publications:

a)    “Education Excellence Everywhere: the implication for SACREs”, written by the then Chairman of NASACRE, David Hampshire;

b)    Details of the All Party Parliamentary Group on RE meeting held in January 2016 by the then Vice-Chairman of NASACRE, Paul Smalley; and,

c)    “Fit for purpose? A critique of the Purpose of Study and Aims of the REC’s 2013 Framework for RE”, produced by NASACRE’s Treasurer and Staffordshire SACRE’s Chairman giving his personal view on the Framework.

RESOLVED – That the publications be noted.

The next SACRE meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 9 November 2016, 2.00pm, Kingston Centre, Stafford.

RESOLVED – That the next SACRE meeting is held on 9 November 2016, 2.00pm, Kingston Centre, Stafford.