SACRE Monitoring Visits to Schools 

In order to support its functions to report on RE and Collective Worship in Schools City of York SACRE is proposing that it will  offer a cycle of monitoring visits to schools regarding its Collective Worship and RE on a date and time to be agreed with the school. The plan would be to arrange to visit one school each half -term of an academic year. This would be for approximately 6 schools per year in the academic year 2023-24. The process will begin with a pilot visit in February 2023 and between April 2023 and July 2023 a further 3 visits to schools will take place. The 2023 pilot visits will be used to inform the monitoring of the quality of RE, which will also include SACRE looking GCSE and A level results, workforce data and responses to the school survey. This will all be reported in the 2022-23 Annual Report.

The purpose of school visits is to:

• Ensure compliance with relevant aspects such as delivery of locally agreed syllabus
• Provide contacts and advice where appropriate for RE and Collective Worship
• Gather information for York SACRE’s statutory annual report; this would take the form of a half day visit from up to three SACRE members
• Identify and celebrate best practice in the delivery of Religious Education in York schools

During the visit:

• Observation of collective worship
• Pupil discussion forum to gather pupil views regarding collective worship and RE
• Professional discussion with lead/s for Collective Worship/RE and/or Headteacher

Following the visit

The members of SACRE who have made the visit will produce a brief confidential report for the school about their observations and information gathered which the school may use with Governors, Inspection teams and/or other stakeholders for which they see fit.

Headteachers and subject leaders will be asked to feedback to the SACRE any information they feel is important regarding the visit.

A summary report of any findings from monitoring visits will be submitted the SACRE as a standing agenda item at the SACRE meeting, confidentiality of schools will be maintained.

Any non-compliance issues will be reported to the LA adviser supporting SACRE for action.

Additional information

Schools selected for monitoring will be written to stating the reason for selection. The school does not have to accept a monitoring visit, however the SACRE would not expect a school to request non-participation more than once especially as it is hoped that this will be a supportive and sharing good practice tool that schools will be able to draw upon to support their own development.

Criteria for selection are:

• Headteacher/subject leader requests for a visit
• Application received for determination
• Action points for a school from Ofsted
• Local knowledge of innovation/good practice around Collective Worship (or RE)
• Complaints received by SACRE/ LA with regard to RE or Collective Worship
• Falling GCSE standards/numbers of entries for RE
• Headteacher/subject leader requests for LA adviser lesson observation in RE

Proposed visits February 2023- July 2023

School	Date of visit
Ralph Butterfield School (Primary)	Thursday 23^rd February (pm)
Joseph Rowntree School (Secondary)	April
Clifton Green School (Primary)	June
Huntington School (Secondary)	July

Maxine Squire

January 2023