Agenda and minutes

Members of the public are welcome to attend our meetings to watch them in person at any of the venues across the County. Publicly accessible meetings held in County Hall will be webcast, which means they are available to be watched live or recorded on our website. Please see our webcasting notice here. The Committee may, in certain circumstances, resolve to hold part of the meeting in private. If this is the case, you will be required to leave the meeting.

Venue: Committee Room 'D' - The Henry Bolingbroke Room, County Hall, Preston. View directions

Contact: Katrina Dale  Tel: 01772 533651, Email:  katrina.dale@lancashire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Present

Minutes:

 

 

Christian and other Religious Groups appropriately reflecting the Principal Traditions in the Area

Roman Catholic Church

Ms J Busby

 

 

The Free Churches Group

Mr P Baker

 

Mr C Wills

 

 

Islam

Mr N Anwar

 

Mr I Nakhuda

 

 

Hindu Faith

Mrs K Parekh

 

 

Teachers Associations

Ms J Crabtree (NUT)

 

Mrs S Greenhow (NASUWT)

 

Mr P Martin (ASCL)

 

  (Chair)

 

Mrs A Robinson (ATL)

 

 

Church of England

Miss L Fenton

 

Mrs H Sage

 

 

Lancashire County Council

County Councillor P Malpas

 

County Councillor Y Motala

 

Mr F Williams

 

 

Co-opted Members

Mrs K Cooper (LASGB)

 

Mrs J Sawyer (Teachers in the Primary Sector)

 

 

Observers

Mr A Brennand (Pagan Federation)

 

Mrs E Saunderson (Society of Friends)

 

 

Religious Education Consultant

Mrs H Harrison

 

 

Officers in Attendance

Mr J Hewitt

 

Mr J Mynott

 

Ms K Dale

 

 

 

2.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were presented on behalf of Rabbi D Braunold, Dr M Craig, CC K Ellard, Mr D Fann, Mr S Jogi, Mr H Mulla, Mrs J O'Rourke, Mr C Pountain, Mrs H Shukla, CC A Thornton and Mrs A Tidswell.

3.

Minutes and matters arising pdf icon PDF 50 KB

Confirmation of the minutes of the last meeting held on 18 June 2012.  Minutes attached at Item 2.

Minutes:

With regard to the minute 'National Update on Religious Education', the bullet point dealing with the Religious Education Council was changed to read as follows:

 

  • The Religious Education Council (REC) was seen nationally as representing the collective interests of a wide variety of RE groups.

 

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting of the Lancashire SACRE held on 18 June 2012, subject to the amendment being made, be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

 

4.

SACRE membership

  i.  Members are asked to note the recent appointment of Mr Ismaeel Nakhuda of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, as a representative of Islam.

 

  ii.  Members are asked to note that Mr Bob Waring, ATL representative has stepped down from the SACRE to allow for the re-appointment of Alice Robinson to the SACRE, following her year as ATL National President.

 

 

  iii.  Members are asked to consider the appointment of a co-opted member representing the Secondary Sector to the SACRE.

 

Minutes:

  1. Members noted the recent appointment to the SACRE of Mr Ismaeel Nakhuda, representing the Lancashire Council of Mosques, within the group entitled: 'Christian and other Religious Groups appropriately reflecting the principle traditions in the area' and welcomed him to the meeting.

 

  1. Members noted that Mr Bob Waring representing the ATL had recently stepped down from the SACRE to allow for the re-appointment of Mrs Alice Robinson following her year as ATL national president.

 

  1. Regarding the appointment of a co-opted member representing the secondary sector, it was suggested that applications be invited from teachers whose schools were members of the Youth SACRE, and that a process be entered into to evaluate any applications received, with a view to SACRE making an appointment at its next meeting on 26 November 2012. 

 

RESOLVED:    i  That applications for the co-opted position on the SACRE representing the secondary sector be invited from teachers whose schools are members of the Youth SACRE.

 

  ii  That a process to select a co-opted member representing the secondary sector be entered into in order to enable SACRE to appoint to the position at the meeting on 26 November 2012. 

5.

Collective Worship pdf icon PDF 18 KB

  i.  Consideration of the draft protocol for school visits by SACRE members to share in schools' Collective Worship, attached at Item 4.

 

  ii.  Training exercise for members on Collective Worship, with reference to the resource 'Mirrors and Doors'.

Minutes:

i  Draft protocol for School Visits by Members to Observe Collective Worship (CW)

 

Members considered the draft protocol for school visits by members to take part in Collective Worship and through discussion the following comments were made:

 

  • The invitation to visit a school would need to come from the Head teacher

 

  • Strategiesincluding those listed below could be used In order to raise awareness of the offer by members to visit schools,

 

o  Through the Youth SACRE

o  Via the Primary network groups

o  Through school governors

o  With the introduction of the revised Agreed Syllabus for RE

 

  • The bullet point in the draft protocol regarding supporting schools in providing excellent Collective Worship referred to offering SACRE's help through discussion with schools

 

  • It was felt that it would be helpful to give an explanation as to why members were requested in the draft protocol not to make notes, although the duplicated reference to the point could be deleted

 

 

A password is required to gain access to 'Mirrors and Doors' – this was given to members at the meeting (for their personal use only).

 

ii  Training Exercise on Collective Worship (CW) led by the RE Consultant with reference to Mirrors and Doors

 

Members were asked to split into groups to take part in a training exercise on Collective Worship.  Each group was provided with four Christmas carols and asked to report back on which carol they would choose, if any, to use for a Christmas act of Collective Worship in a medium sized Community Primary School.

 

It was explained that Collective Worship might be at class or group level and not necessarily for the whole school. 

 

According to the law all pupils are required have a daily act of CW which must be 'wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character'.  However, there still remained the right of parents to withdraw their child from CW. 

 

Mirrors and Doors' states that CW is 'to provide opportunities for the school community to reflect on, and develop, a deeper understanding of the dignity and worth of each individual and their contribution to the school and wider communities'.  The interpretation of 'wholly, mainly, broadly Christian' relates to the character not the content.  Certain principles could be mapped against other faiths.  CW should be inclusive and both diversity and difference explored and celebrated.

 

Mirrors and Doors policy sets out the aims of CW in relation to both the school and the pupil.

 

Members were then asked to discuss in small groups how CW contributed to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development with each group focusing on a particular aspect and reporting back their comments to the meeting.

 

As a final exercise members were asked to consider individually and write down what they felt would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Lancashire SACRE Development Plan 2011 - 2013 pdf icon PDF 67 KB

Members are asked to consider the draft Development Plan which has been updated with reference to comments made by the QSS at its meeting on 17 July 2012.  Attached at Item 5.

Minutes:

Members noted the Development Plan 2011 - 13 as updated by the Quality and Standards Sub-group at its meeting on 17 July 2012.  A copy of the Development Plan, as presented, is on record in the minute book.

 

7.

Youth SACRE/Youth Voice pdf icon PDF 33 KB

Note of Youth SACRE Phase 3 Teachers' Meeting on 11 July 2012 attached at Item 6 for information.

Minutes:

A record of the Youth SACRE Phase 3 teachers' meeting which took place on 11 July 2012 was noted.  Two issues were raised in the note as follows:

 

  • Request for approval from the SACRE for a change in name from the Youth SACRE to the Lancashire SACRE Youth Voice
  • Request that letters of thanks be sent out to the schools involved  together with certificates recognising the work of the individual students involved

 

RESOLVED:    That:

 

  1. The change in name from Youth SACRE to Lancashire SACRE Youth Voice be approved.

 

  1. That letters of thanks be sent from the SACRE to the schools involved in the Youth Voice together with certificates recognising the work of the individual students.

 

8.

Report of the Quality and Standards Sub-group pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Members are asked to note the minutes of the meeting of the Quality and Standards Sub-group which took place on 17 July 2012, attached at Item 7.

Minutes:

 

The minutes of the meeting of the Quality and Standards Sub-group (QSS) which took place on 17 July 2012 were noted.

 

The QSS had worked on and updated the SACRE Development Plan.  In order to raise awareness of the Lancashire Agreed Syllabus an item was to be included on school governors' meetings agendas as governors are responsible for ensuring the delivery of RE in schools.  It was anticipated that future training on the curriculum would highlight RE.  A primary conference had been arranged for the Spring Term 2013 and this would also help to raise the profile.  The Officer to the SACRE would raise the issue of support for CW with the Lancashire Association of Secondary School Head teachers.

 

The comment was made that in order to help raise the profile of CW the Youth Voice could produce its own leaflet explaining the function of CW.

9.

Verbal Report from the Advanced Skills Teacher, Primary (AST)

Minutes:

Jo Crabtree updated members on her activities as AST, Primary, as follows:

 

  • Jo had received several requests from schools for support which would carry through to January 2013

 

  • Rossendale and Burnley network groups were still running

 

  • Planning grids for every religion in every primary year group had been produced and put on the web site

 

  • Jo had worked on the web site over the summer and had asked teachers via email to let her know of any glitches which would need sorting out before April (when the post of AST comes to an end).

 

  • Teachers were asking for more guidance on how to write their own planning grids

 

  • Jo received emails for help on a daily basis, the main focus of which was now Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC) with requests for information on trips to faith venues and for faith visitors to schools.  Jo directed such requests to the DIFA web site.  It was noted however, that the DIFA web site was very sparsely populated and a request was made for details of individuals or groups who were willing to help.  It was up to individual organisations to decide whether a charge (and how much) would be made for visits by schools. The need to ensure that the sites posted on the website should be official sites was outlined as individuals could not be endorsed by the County Council. 

 

RESOLVED:  That the work by the AST primary be noted.

 

10.

National Update on Religious Education

The Religious Education Consultant to the SACRE to update members on the national situation of RE.

Minutes:

The Religious Education Consultant updated members on the national situation regarding RE.

 

  • The Religious Education Council (REC) represented a wide range of RE bodies and its Chairman, John Keast, provided a voice for RE in the media.

 

  • David Laws MP recently replaced Nick Gibb as Minister of State for Schools and Elizabeth Truss was named as Under Secretary of State for Education and Children.  The REC deemed it essential to continue communication with ministers as well as the Department for Education especially as they begin the RE curriculum review

 

  • Although RE remained statutory, Academies and Free Schools were not required to follow Agreed Syllabuses - Academies' funding agreements, should however, have reference to RE.  Any individual or body could write to Academies asking what provision is made for RE, for example, via referral to Regional Education Funding Agencies

 

  • It was envisaged that the report on the curriculum review would be published in July 2013

 

·  Subject inspections of RE by HMI would end in the new year

 

·  Short course RE entries in England were down 10% with a rise of 5% in Wales. Full course entries were up.

 

  • Alan Brine's(HMI)  long report was due to be published in December 2012

 

·  NATRE was about to release a survey of 625 RE teachers hoping for Times Education Supplement interest and that individuals would contact their MPs about their findings.

 

  • The RE Quality Mark pilot scheme had been hugely successful nationally

 

  • The REC was looking at fundraising and ways to raise the profile of RE nationally and hoped to find 20 groups of 50 people nationwide to raise funds by taking part in a sponsored walk.  The educational aim would be to bring together schools and local faith groups, with each walk taking in several sacred spaces which could then form an RE Trail for future use by schools.  The proceeds of the walks would be divided up 50% to the REC and 50% to charity.

 

  • Notes of REC meetings were usually circulated to faith groups

 

A copy of the RE Consultant's national update presentation is on record in the minute book.

11.

SACRE members' news

Minutes:

Colin Wills informed members that interfaith week this year had been extended to ten days and would be taking place between 18 and 27 November 2012. 

 

12.

Correspondence

·  Correspondence received from Building Bridges in Burnley - thanking members for holding the last meeting of the SACRE in Burnley and making a valuable contribution to the Building Bridges In Burnley 10th Anniversary Celebrations.

 

Minutes:

It was noted that correspondence had been received from Building Bridges in Burnley thanking the SACRE for holding its last meeting on 18 June 2012 in Burnley and for making a valuable contribution to the Building Bridges in Burnley 10th Anniversary Celebrations.

 

13.

Date of the Next Meeting

Members are asked to note that the next meeting of the SACRE will be the AGM which is scheduled to take place on Monday 26 November 2012, at 10am, in County Hall, Preston. 

Minutes:

The date of the next meeting of the Lancashire SACRE was noted as Monday 26 November 2012 to take place at County Hall, Preston.