Archived decisions

APPENDIX 1

(send to HT group first for comment)

Dear Headteacher,

Evaluation of Hampshire RE Provision

It is a major responsibility of the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) to monitor the provision of religious education within the authority and report its findings to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). Changes to the Ofsted inspection framework and subsequent lack of data on subjects has affected SACREs ability to carry out this statutory responsibility . As a result, SACREs have been charged with the alternative means of monitoring the quality of RE.

Headteacher representatives and the Hampshire RE Inspectors have consulted to discuss the issues. The following protocols have been agreed for supporting RE managers in undertaking subject specific self-evaluation and thereby providing SACRE with the data required to carry out its statutory monitoring responsibility.

Agreed protocol for SACRE monitoring of RE

    1. RE already has mechanisms for working with schools on a regular and systematic basis through County Regional Development Groups, Steering Groups, and school visits made by the County RE Inspectors.

    2. In Spring 2007 a questionnaire about the implementation of the Agreed Syllabus, Living Difference, will be sent to schools.

    3. It is suggested that monitoring of standards and quality of provision in RE could be undertaken by linking the completion of the questionnaire to RE managers' ongoing monitoring and evaluation of their school's provision. (Support for this activity is provided in the chapter 6 of Living Difference, the Primary Handbook).

    4. Schools can be encouraged to attend a course focussing on evaluating the provision of RE and producing development plans as a result. Delegates will be offered the opportunity to subsequently submit their RE evaluations and their RE development plans.

    5. Some schools, under management partnership, are buying in the County Inspectors for the purpose of scrutinising the provision and producing RE development plans.

    6. Through the above mechanisms the Inspectors for RE should present the SACRE monitoring sub-group, acting on behalf of SACRE, with a regular review of self-evaluation in RE. This review should not name schools but should provide a summary of the quality of provision.

This process is integrated within the ongoing development plan for RE in Hampshire alongside the development plan for SACRE, to enable it to be more effective in its support for schools. The ongoing evaluation of RE in schools, initiated through the questionnaire, will specifically be of benefit to schools in identifying focused targets for RE managers. It will also enable schools to share good practice through the development groups, e-mail communication, the RE website and RE newsletters.

The on-line questionnaire will be posted during the spring term 2007

A summary of findings will be made available .

The self-evaluation training course will be offered across two half days during the spring and summer terms of 2007.

Thank you for your time and anticipated response through the questionnaire. Please feel free to contact me if you wish for further clarification or consider that this developmental process can be improved in any way.

        Yours faithfully,

        Clive Erricker

        County Inspector for RE