Agenda and minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on the 6 February 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2024 were signed as a correct record of the meeting.

Items which in the opinion of the Chair should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

There was no item raised requiring urgent attention.

Group A- Christian and Other Religions and Belief Communities, with the exception of the Church of England

Leonore Newson is replacing Maia Miller as Pagan representative

Dr Dave Regis is replacing Keith Denby as Humanist representative

Group C - Teachers Associations
Susannah Cornwall is replacing David Tollerton as the Universities representative

Gerry Winnall has stepped down from the Committee

Group D – The County Council

Councillor Colin Slade is replacing Councillor Margaret Squires

The Committee NOTED the following changes to the membership of the Committee:

Group A- Christian and Other Religions and Belief Communities, with the exception of the Church of England

Leonore Newson replaced Maia Miller as Pagan representative

Dr Dave Regis replaced Keith Denby as Humanist representative

Group C - Teachers Associations
Susannah Cornwall  replaced David Tollerton as the Universities representative

Gerry Winnall has stepped down from the Committee

Group D – The County Council

Councillor Colin Slade replaced Councillor Margaret Squires

The committee thanked Maia Miller, Keith Denby, Gerry Winnall and Councillor Squires for their work for Devon SACRE.

Leonore Newson, Susannah Cornwall and  Councillor Slade all introduced themselves to the committee and welcomed their appointment to the committee.

It was noted that the recently revised SACRE constitution included that members would serve a maximum of four years, followed by another term of four years unless it was considered that the position  could not be easily be replaced.

It was recognised that although it was important to draw in new members, it was also important to retain expertise.

To  update SACRE members on the findings published in recent Ofsted reports, particularly where comments relate to Religious Education (RE), collective worship or Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC) of pupils. Where appropriate, the report may recommend that SACRE officers should contact specified schools to either congratulate them on their outstanding practice, or to offer curriculum support in specified areas.

Ofsted reports from a number of primary schools make reference to issues relating to RE/CW/SMSC. Most of these comments are very encouraging.

Two schools are being followed up specifically with regard to comments in their reports. 

The Committee received an update on the findings published in recent Ofsted reports, particularly where comments related to religious education (RE) collective worship or spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

It was NOTED  that Ofsted reports from a number of schools made reference to issues relating to RE provision and that two schools had been followed up with regard to comments in their reports and whether assistance could be offered.

It was also noted that deep dive reviews were chosen on a random basis as these had recently occurred in both Exmouth and Sidmouth schools.

To update SACRE members on the progress of the review of the Devon and Torbay Agreed Syllabus.

The new syllabus has been completed, ready for the launch in the summer term.

The new syllabus will be introduced for teaching from September 2024

Syllabus launch events will be taking place across Devon and Plymouth on Monday 17^th, Tuesday 18^th, Wednesday 19^th June 2024 (and online on 10^th July), led by syllabus-writers Fiona Moss and Stephen Pett (RE Today). Further launch events are being planned for schools in the Autumn of 2024.

The cost of the new syllabus is £35 per school. SACRE has the assurance from the Local Authority that it will pay for a copy of the syllabus to go to every school in Devon (including academies). It is expected that a significant proportion of this cost will be recouped through the ‘paid-for’ launch events.

There will need to be ongoing training for teachers as a follow-up to the introduction of this new syllabus, partly via the LTLRE hub meetings and the annual conference.

The recent launch events promoting the new syllabus led by Fiona Moss and Stephen Pett of had been well received in Bideford (45 delegates attended) Exeter (130 delegates attended) and Plymouth (41 delegates attended) and the Committee NOTED that feedback from delegates was very positive.

The online launch session is scheduled to be held on 10 July 2024. 40 delegates had already registered to attend.

Ongoing training for teachers would be provided during 2024/25 via inset day training, the Learn Teach Lead RE (LTLRE) conference and hub meetings.

The cost of £35 per school for the syllabus had been funded by Devon County Council however, a significant proportion of this cost was expected to be recouped through the launch events.

During general discussion the Committee made the following comments:

·       that those Multi Academy Trusts  not engaged at the launch should be contacted

·       teachers recognised a proportion of people have non-religious views

·       the importance of Key Stage 4 non-examination study

·       Special school tuition of worldviews

·       following the complaint made by Devon SACRE to the Department for Education in 2022 regarding the reduction of RE provision in a specific multi academy trust (MAT), subject learning has been restored in that MAT.

To update SACRE members on the progress of the Learn, Teach, Lead RE (LTLRE) hub network.

The next annual conference 2024 will take place on 4^th October 2024, at the St Mellion Conference Centre.

Hub leaders training takes place on 1^st March, 5^th July and 3^rd October 2024.

The LTLRE hub groups across Devon continue to be successful, with termly meetings attracting both primary and secondary teachers of RE. These meetings take place both in person and online, depending on the context and topic being covered. The new SWIFT hub continues to be very successful.

The Committee NOTED the following :

·       that the 2024 annual conference was scheduled for 4 October 2024. 

·       Hub leaders training would be taking place on 1 March, 5 July or 3 October 2024

·       Devon hub groups have held a mix of hybrid face-to-face meetings during the year and a number of new leaders have been recently identified.

·       an update was made regarding the East Devon/Exeter hub and the importance of offering guidance and advice to school.

A verbal update will be given about the session the RE Advisor to Devon SACRE is giving to Devon Head Teachers on Thursday 27^th June 2024.

It was NOTED that the Chair and Advisor of the Committee would be addressing headteachers on the 27 June 2024. The update would include how well the launch of the new syllabus had been received, time teaching RE in schools and the latest Ofsted reports.

An update on the latest Regional and National developments will be given at the meeting.

The Committee NOTED the current updates on the RE Hub website.

The Committee  also received an update about the  development of the Handbook on  Religion and Worldview.

·       the project is for three years

·       it would build on the religion and worldviews approach advocated by independent commission on religious education 2018

·       it offers an approach to RE which is  academically rigorous and multidisciplinary

·       it draws on the lived experience of those that inhabit both religious and religious world views

·       it draws on the best that RE has traditionally offered and uses the subject into dialogue with contemporary academic approaches

The handbook is designed as:

·       a tool kit for development of the core vision of religion and worldviews approach; 

·       it is offered as  a resource as part of an ongoing conversation ;

·       a new way to handle religious and non-religious beliefs and ways of living in the RE classroom;

·       it works towards an understanding of how worldviews work in human experience increasing the pupils own;

·       to increase an understanding of the world and people themselves

An update will be given regarding the Young Ambassadors project previously reported to Devon SACRE and led by the Association of RE Inspectors and Advisors.

The Devon SACRE Advisor is continuing work  with Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust  to train and empower a group of primary  and secondary students to become Ambassadors  for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

The Committee received an update about the Young Ambassador project.

The update included that they have

·       Written questions for the Children’s Commissioner Rachel DeSouza

·       Been involved in the  making of a film for the REady work campaign

·       Visits to places of religion and worldview significant in Exeter

·       A campaign for a prayer room in the school

The Committee requested that representatives from the Young Ambassadors project  be invited to a future Devon SACRE meeting.

Holocaust Memorial Day on the 27 January 2025 theme will be ‘For a better future’.

The Committee NOTED that Holocaust  Memorial Day (HMD) would be held on 27 January 2025 and the theme is to be ‘For a better future’.  A meeting of the HMD 2025 planning group to be convened.

Dates of future meetings  to be held at 10.00am in the Committee Suite, County Hall, Exeter.

Monday 4 November 2024
Thursday 6 Feb 2025
Tuesday 17 June 2025
Thursday 13 Nov 2025

The Committee noted the dates of future meetings:

Monday 4 November  2024
Thursday 6 February 2025
Tuesday 17 June 2025
Thursday 13  November 2025

The NASACRE Executive had made an application to become a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) and have offered an online forum on 9 July 2024 to hear and discuss questions and comments about the plans.  The Chair would attend the session.