Archived decisions

Appendix 1

QCA/NASACRE Conference on 17th January 2008

RE and Community Cohesion: The Future for SACREs

1. Keynote address from Jim Knight (Minister of State for Schools and Learning)

    · RE is essential to prepare pupils for a diverse society and contribute towards, community cohesion.

    · RE contributes to pupils' intellectual development, looks at life and death issues , right and wrong and questions of purpose.

    · RE prepares students for the world of work

    · RE is the third fastest growing subject taken at A level.

    · Reference was made to the HMI report of 2007, "Making Sense of Religion", which identifies that RE is in need of some improvements.

    · Reference was made to the success of locally agreed syllabuses followed by "It is hoped that, in time, all authorities will adopt the National RE Framework."

    · Funding will be allocated to support training resources for schools

    · There will be an improvement with initial teacher training for RE in consultation with NATRE (National Association of Teachers of RE) and the RE Council.

    · There will be a consultation for a review of Circular 1/94. The review will be about the RE aspect of the guidance in the Circular but will not review the collective worship guidance.

    · Those SACREs without specialist support were recommended to share a post with another SACRE

2. The New Secondary Curriculum for your SACRE Agenda. A presentation from Dave Francis

Dave Francis, who is leading the project for training RE teachers in relation to RE in the new Secondary Curriculum, provided an outline for the project. (See notes attached Appendix 2)

3. Community Cohesion strategies in Bradford. A presentation by Joyce Miller.

Joyce Miller, the current Chair of the Association of RE Inspectors, Advisors and Consultants (AREIAC), gave a presentation explaining the activities that have been taking place in Bradford in support of community cohesion. Some of the strategies are as follows :-

    · 19 staff were appointed to a community cohesion team

    · Separate faith tutors have been trained and lead RE and collective worship in schools

    · A range of resource boxes and study units are available to loan to schools

    · Linked visits have been arranged between schools.

    · 20,000 children have visited places of worship during the project in Bradford

    · Young people have been consulted in preparation for the agreed syllabus review

4. Julie Grove gave a brief presentation about the SACRE recruitment and training pilot scheme 2006/07.

The scheme included 1 day training for RE and 1 day training for collective worship and a programme of visits to schools to observe RE and collective worship.

There are plans for a role out programme in the future but nothing definite to date.

5. A number of workshops were offered to delegates .

Hampshire was represented in the workshop on "How a SACRE Seeks to Monitor Standards in RE" provided by Judith Lowndes (General Inspector for RE).

Other workshops offered were:-

Attracting and training minority faith representatives on SACREs.

Young people's inter faith forum.

Engaging with community cohesion

SACREs and community cohesion

Updating Circular 1/94

Shaping the new primary curriculum

6. A plenary session offered opportunities for feedback from delegates

The feedback from delegates indicated that the day was considered to be stimulating and informative. The overwhelming response was the importance of including young people themselves in strategies and plans for developing community cohesion.