Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair updated Members on the health of Daryoush Mazloum. He Chair reported that Ian Hodgson, Humanist representative (Group A) had resigned and had asked for SACRE to be put in touch with a Humanist. It was also reported that Mark Jones (Buddhist) would be attending the next meeting.

At this point in the meeting, Members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest or other registerable interest they might have in respect of business on this agenda, if they have not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

[Please see attached sheet for further guidance for Members]

Apologies for absence were received and accepted for Councillor Rowley BEM, Imam Ammar, Joseph Everdell, Karen Vincent, Ian Hodgson and  Daryoush Mazloum. There were no declarations of interest.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 8 July 2024.

Resolved:    That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 July 2024  be approved subject to West Offices being amended as the location for future meetings.

Matters Arising:

Minute 66: Maxine Squire had requested a link to for a link to the RE Hub on the SACRE webpage.

Minute 67:  Maxine Squire had circulated the Ofsted ‘Deep and meaningful? The religious education subject report and national standards’ to Members.

Minute 67: There had been no feedback to the Chair what could be provided to schools between the syllabus conferences.

Minute 68: The Development Plan was on the agenda.

Minute 68: Members were reminded to write a sentence or two about themselves for the SACRE website regarding who they were and why they were on SACRE.

Minute 70: Maxine Squire had spoken to Taco Michiels who had indicated that it should be fine for SACRE to visit Joseph Rowntree School. She had also spoken with the Headteacher at Huntington School and was going to speak with the Headteacher at Fulford School. Maxine undertook to circulate dates for the school visits.

Minute 71: The ‘Activist SACREs in 2024 - 35+ things a good SACRE can do!’ had been circulated to Members.

Minute 71: Members discussed the possibility of a yearly SACRE conference and agreed that it would be good to hold one. It was suggested that it would be good to use previously released material at the conference. Diane Norton was asked and agreed to contact a university colleague about doing a lecture at a possible SACRE conference. A Member noted that James Holt, a member of My Faith had spoken at York Interfaith and that he may be useful as a guest speaker.

Minute 75: Cllr Wilson noted that she would host a zoom meeting during Interfaith Week regarding the work of SACRE. Penny Coppin-Siddall noted that work was almost finished on finalising the programme, which celebrated 35 years of Interfaith York.

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It was agreed that Diane Norton would arrange a visit to the maintained schools RE group with Maxine Squire.

Update on Interfaith week: Penny Coppin-Siddall reported that work on Interfaith week was in progress. In York, Interfaith Week was to begin on 9 November 2024 with the opening activity to be an informal breakfast on from 9.00 – 10.00am on 9 November. This would be followed by an activity at Clifton Ings at 10.30am. Penny Coppin-Siddall undertook to share the Interfaith Week Plan with SACRE Members. It was noted that it was the 35^th anniversary of Interfaith Week in York.

Request for information for schools: The Chair and Maxine Squire had received two requests from external organisations to send information to schools. They suggested that SACRE put together a catalogue of events from different organisations to send to schools. It was suggested that the RE Hub could be accessed to support the information in the catalogue. It was acknowledged that it was not SACRE’s role to promote different faiths. Following discussion it was;

Resolved: That Maxine Squire  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

To analyse SACRE Annual Reports.

Members considered the NASACRE Analysis of SACRE Annual Reports 2022-2023 for the National Association of Standing Councils on Religious Education (NASACRE) and the new SACRE Annual Report framework. Maxine Squire noted that some points in the analysis of Annual Reports were common to York SACRE such as quoracy and membership and the context of SACREs changing to having no RE Advisors and ways that SACRES monitor Collective Worship as SACRE approached the review of the Agreed Syllabus. She added that SACREs also needed to advise Local Authorities.

During discussion, a number of points were made:

·        Membership was an issue.

·        There was a strong parliamentary group that advised SACREs.

·        Thought needed to be given to how the report fed into the national narrative.

·        It would be interesting to look at how SACRE could advise the LA. Maxine Squire noted that some SACREs had subject advisors and that some SACREs advised the LA around issues raised in school surveys, for example professional development. She noted that in the past, York SACRE had looked at the delivery of Collective Worship.

Resolved: That Members noted the NASACRE Analysis of SACRE Annual Reports 2022-2023 for the National Association of Standing Councils on Religious Education (NASACRE) and the new SACRE Annual Report framework.

Reason:     In order to be updated on the new SACRE Annual Report framework.

Update on the strands of the development plan, linked to the Ofsted subject report.

Maxine Squire reported that it would be good to look at future priorities for the development plan and identify mechanisms for the priorities, for example three areas where SACRE could input into, for example working with York Interfaith on a joint competition or event twice a year. She also noted that SACRE also needed to think about continuous professional development (CPD) in schools. It was reported that the Chair, Vice Chair and Cllr Rowley had RAG (red, amber, green) rated the development plan and Maxine Squire suggested that the Chair and Vice Chair RAG rate the current development plan to identify priorities that emerge. It was then:

Resolved: That the Chair, Vice Chair and Maxine Squire meet to examine the development plan.

Reason:     To review and identify priotrities for the development plan.

A school survey for Religious Education in York.

Maxine Squire reported that a school survey was undertaken the previous year that used the survey by Olivia Hargreaves at North Yorkshire Council. She asked Members if a brief pupil voice survey should be undertaken. Members were asked to think about five questions they would like to ask young people to take to the RE teachers group to use with their pupils. Maxine Squire noted that RE subject leaders could be contacted to find out what top CPD topics they would like and then SACRE could commission training on those topics.

Maxine Squire was asked and explained the 2023 school survey and undertook to send it to the Vice Chair. A Member gave feedback on the 2023 survey and may ne some themes that SACRE way like to track. A Member asked if it would be useful to ask teachers about their knowledge of SACRE, along with CPD. Maxine Squire agreed to add this into the survey. A Member noted that the previous year’s survey was onerous for teachers and it would suggested that some of those questions be kept in the 2024 survey to track responses along with asking what SACRE could do for teachers. Maxine was asked and explained that feedback on the survey results was provided to schools via the published papers. A Member noted that during SACRE school visits, pupils raised a number of points for example, what they would like to lean about different religions and that they liked discussions in RE. Regarding pupil voice, it was suggested that pupils could be asked what their favourite thing in RE was.

Resolved: That Maxine Squire would send out the previous year’s questions via the Democracy Officer to forward onto Members for feedback.

Reason:     To update the school survey.

To consider Collective Worship Guidance.

Members considered the Appendix 4: Collective Worship- Self-evaluation toolkit from the York SACRE Collective Worship Guidance 2017. Maxine Squire noted that the current guidance was put together in 2017 and that it was a good opportunity to revisit the guidance. Members were asked if there was an areas of the guidance they would like to revisit. A Member noted that the toolkit had not been looked at at the RE network meetings and suggested that a relaunch was due. Maxine Squire noted that Collective Worship Guidance was a statutory document and that it was important that SACRE remind schools about it.

A Member noted that Collective Worship was not RE and Maxine Squire added that it would be a good idea to promote good practice in RE. The Vice Chair noted that it would be useful to promote good practice in RE. The Chair asked how examples of good practice could be found and suggested that it might be useful to contact Headteachers regarding Collective Worship good practice and suggested that there could be an online event for the relaunch of the Collective Worship Guidance. A Member suggested that the guidance could be put online for parents to view.

The Chair asked Diane Norton if it would be useful to look at Collective Worship with trainee RE teachers. Diane Norton noted that it would be good to look at the pastoral part of Collective Worship and that it may be good to look at the RE Hubs.

Following discussion it was;

Resolved: That when feedback on good practice had been received, there would be an online relaunch of the Collective Worship Guidance.

Reason:     To update Collective Worship Guidance.

[Ben Rich and Maxine Squire left the meeting at 7.00pm]

A verbal update will be given on complaints received and the determinations in respect of those complaints.

It was reported that there had been no complaints to SACRE.

Resolved: That Members be updated on complaints.

Reason:     In order to be kept updated on complaints to SACRE and determinations of complaints.

Cllr Knight reported that she had put together a SACRE newsletter and would send it to SACRE Members and York Interfaith for feedback. Following feedback, she would produce the newsletter on a monthly basis.

27 January 2025 at 6pm at Wet Offices

11 March 2025 at 6pm at West Offices

15 July 2025 at 6pm at West Offices

27 January 2025 at 6pm at Wet Offices

11 March 2025 at 6pm at West Offices

15 July 2025 at 6pm at West Offices