Agenda item

  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'.

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

• Training was available, provided by the Authority, on the Collective Worship resource - the recently revised CD 'Mirrors and Doors', which members could access themselves via the RE and Lancashire SACRE web site at the following address: http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/re/index.php?category_id=76&page_no=

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 lost and what would be gained if the requirement for a daily act of Collective Worship were to be abolished.  Members' comments would be collated for consideration at a future SACRE meeting.

RESOLVED:  That the protocol for School Visits by members to observe Collective Worship be amended with regard to the comments made by members at the meeting.