Hampshire County Council

SACRE Item 10

10 June 2008

Report on Networking with Local SACRE representatives

Report of the Director of Children's Services

1

Summary

1.1

This report provides a summary of the second meeting of representatives from Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire SACREs which convened in order to discuss opportunities and strategies for future collaboration.

1.2

This paper supports the Corporate Strategy (maximising well being) by ensuring children's provision in religious education is secure.

2

Recommendations

SACRE notes the report and endorses the continued meetings with members of local SACREs in order to seek collaboration and joint activities.

3

Background

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

Chairpersons and support officers of SACREs from Portsmouth, Hampshire and Southampton met on 27 March 2008. Representatives from other local SACREs had not been invited. Those present were:

· Mike Johns (Portsmouth)

· Sam Jordan (Southampton)

· Sue Langdon (Southampton)

· Parvin Damani (Southampton)

· Tony Blackshaw (Southampton and Hampshire)

· Clive Erricker (Hampshire)

· Judith Lowndes (Hampshire)

· Anna McNair Scott (Hampshire)

It was agreed at the meeting that the Hampshire RE team could provide training about the conceptual enquiry approach to learning of the joint agreed syllabus, Living Difference, for faith representatives within Southampton and Portsmouth as well as Hamsphire. SACRE faith representatives in each authority would distribute the information within their local groups.

The aims and objectives were clarified including to achieve a baseline consistency of approach across the member SACREs to issues relating to RE. There was general agreement that SACREs could have a role in giving guidance and training to ensure that speakers spoke appropriately on the subject of faith and to the different age groups, together with acquiring some understanding of the Agreed Syllabus. It was felt that basic guidance and a protocol needed to be developed and that training should explore speakers' expectations and how schools approach teaching RE.

It was agreed that a paper would be produced by the Hampshire RE Team outlining the procedures for the review of the shared agreed syllabus, including a timescale and costings (see Appendix 1).

It was agreed that:

· the notes of the meetings so far and an invitation to attend future meetings be sent to Westminster City Council SACRE

· there be two meetings per year to include the Agreed Syllabus SACREs - Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton and Westminster and that the IOW SACREs also be invited to these meetings; and

· there be an additional annual meeting to include invitations to Bournemouth and West Sussex SACRE.

· the aims and objectives of the group were clarified.

· the network group could give a joint celebratory event further consideration for the launch of the next Agreed Syllabus in 2010.

· SACRE Annual Reports could be an effective method of communicating concerns to leaders in continued professional development and that the group should aim for some consistency in this by sharing the content of their annual reports prior to submission.

LINK(S) TO CORPORATE STRATEGY

YES

NO

Hampshire safer and more secure for all

_

Maximising well-being

_

Enhancing our quality of place

_

This proposal does not link to the Corporate Strategy but, nevertheless, requires a decision because: