The Chair introduced the SACRE Development Plan and then talked through progress in each area:

Key Area 1a – Funding: Professional and financial support

The Chair advised that there were currently no funding proposals as the budget was not yet spent. She noted that in relation to development costs there was potential for additional budget to be required.

Key Area 1e – Information and advice

The RBWM self-assessment system, based on the national REQM award, was currently being trialled in three schools. It was recognised that these things take time to become embedded and to provide useful data. 

Key Area 1g – Relations with the Academies sector

The Chair explained that this had been RAG rated red as there was currently no Headteacher representation from an Academy but as previously discussed this was being progressed.

Priority A2 – Arising from SACRE Self-assessment tool

Laura Dexter commented that the self-assessment tool offered a universal approach to auditing RE. Barbara Meaney and Clare Roberts also spoke positively of the impact of this approach to assessment which they were sharing with other staff.

Laura Dexter reported that at the RE Network meeting, the tool had engaged attendees. She suggested that a ‘Top Tips’ page could be created to help colleagues to use it. Pupil RE Ambassadors were being deployed within her school who were helping her to create a scrapbook to collect examples of evidence.  The tool was also helping to capture the voice of the child.

Barbara Meaney explained that for those considering working towards the RE Quality Mark, the self-assessment tool had been developed using a simplified version of the Quality Mark criteria to help schools move towards achieving the national qualification.

The Chair asked if the scrapbook could be shared at a future meeting to help SACRE members see how it was being used. It was acknowledged that RE was a huge subject area and there were fewer resources available for subject leads.

Anne Andrews advised that all SACRE newsletters highlight where to find resource information and what else was available.

Laura Dexter added that the self-assessment tool had been used to help identify staff development needs and that the approach she was taking was focusing on one strand before moving on to another.

Anne Andrews proposed that this could be a topic of discussion at the Autumn term network meeting.

Barbara Meaney advised that she was meeting with Thomas Kingsley-Jones to develop the self-assessment for Key Stage 3 and perhaps also Key Stage 4.

Clare Roberts reiterated how useful the self-assessment tool had been. She liked the idea of having RE Ambassadors within the school and endorsed the fact that it was a useful framework for looking at CPD for teachers. She commented that some teachers lack confidence in certain faiths and were worried about promoting misconceptions or making a faux pas.

Clare suggested that it might be discussed at a future Cluster meeting to share the approach across different schools. Anne Andrews agreed and that the process of researching and presenting to the meeting, of itself, provided an opportunity to upskill people.

Laura Dexter explained that the assessment tool at her school was also focussed on the Early Years.

Barbara Meaney updated the meeting that at her school, St. Edward’s RF Ecumenical Middle, they were building towards Quality Mark and using the self-assessment tool to highlight areas for staff CPD. Her Year 7 and 8 pupils worked through the self-assessment tool with her.  

The Chair discussed the action on page 17 relating to SACRE’s role in auditing Collective Worship in all schools and how the information could be gathered. It was noted that the NASCRE website has resources and information about approaches that other LAs had taken to do this and SACRE could learn from this.

Anne Andrews reflected that as there were good levels of responses from SACRE areas where schools were geographically close together, it was easier to glean information. RBWM’s schools covered a larger area and were all very different so this presents a greater challenge for us.

In response to an enquiry from Cllr Douglas, it was explained that SACRE had no direct contact with parents or pupils or even schools so surveys would need to be undertaken via the local authority. Clive Haines added that the local authority also relied upon schools and their newsletters to communicate with families. He explained that they were currently undertaking the ‘Deliver Better Value’ programme and a number of surveys were being undertaken so it was not a good time to pursue this.