Agenda item

i)  Minutes of the meeting of the Quality and Standards Sub-group, 9 March 2011, attached at Item 6.

ii)  Draft minutes of the meeting of the Quality and Standards Sub-group, 17 May 2011, attached at Item 6a.

iii)  Draft SACRE Development Plan 2011/12/13, attached at item 6b.

Members noted the minutes of the meetings of the Quality and Standards Sub-group which had taken place on 9 March and 17 May 2011. 

The meeting of the 9 March had dealt with the issue of future support for the SACRE and ASC in the form of dialogue between members and Jonathan Hewitt, Head of Quality and Continuous Improvement. 

The meeting of 17 May had reviewed the SACRE membership and attendance at meetings which had generally been found to be good and had also included consideration and updating the SACRE Development Plan 2011/13.  The columns in the Development Plan: 'Costing' and 'People' had been left blank until personnel and costing implications were known.

Members were then asked to divide into groups to consider four priorities of the Development Plan, excluding Priority 4: Collective Worship, as the organisation RE Today Services would have completed an update of the Collective Worship CD 'Mirrors and Doors' by the end of the Summer Term 2011.

Members were asked to consider whether each area remained appropriate, to suggest any changes and to report back their findings both orally to the meeting and in writing.  Groups reported back and commented as follows:

Priority 1: Standards and Quality of Provision of RE

• How to collect data from schools, particularly primary schools
• How to find out about subject specialism in schools
• Accountability – implementation of the Agreed Syllabus – it was suggested that this could be carried out by writing to governors through Governor Services and perhaps asking how governing bodies evaluate the teaching of RE
• Recognition that training needs differ between high school/primary school
• Need to raise the profile of RE within schools – being statutory

Priority 2: Management of Lancashire SACRE and Partnership with the LA and other Key Stakeholders

• Suggestion that the development of the SACRE should be done by the Authority in tandem with development of the curriculum
• How to evaluate the contribution of RE to school improvement over a certain period – use of network groups as support system
• Aspiration to involve more schools in the Youth Conference
• Involvement of parents was considered important and a web forum could be a useful tool, or even formal meetings.  As an example of good practice, members noted that one school already sent questionnaires to parents on RE and then provided them with feedback.

Priority 3: The Effectiveness of the Lancashire Agreed Syllabus for RE

• Concerns were raised over the time available to support the delivery of the syllabus – RE Consultant, ASTs and Gill Sharples time was limited.  If schools had to opt in to buy training how would SACRE know that the syllabus was being delivered – teachers needed support
• The revision of the syllabus was as yet unfinished
• Members were concerned about the situation of RE nationally
• Who would continue to develop exemplification?
• Could the SACRE develop awards for good practice/good work (Liverpool Anglican diocese was currently piloting an RE mark)

Priority 5: Contribution of SACRE to the Social and Racial Harmony Agenda

• Members commented that the DIFA web site was an excellent resource for teachers in helping to find people willing to come and talk to children face to face about their organisation/faith.  There was, however, a need to raise the DIFA profile, possibly by advertising through the Schools Portal to Heads and teachers and even changing the name to make the content more obvious.  Information about DIFA could also be included in the newsletter. 
• SACRE members could email Gillian Sharples with any events happening locally for possible inclusion on the SACRE web site – but monitoring could be an issue

RESOLVED:    That the Development Plan be updated with regard to members' comments