Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chairperson for the SACRE.

The election of Chairperson for the SACRE was considered. The serving Vice-Chair informed Members that the Gwynedd and Anglesey SACRE bodies has retained the right to elect a Chairperson from among the LEA’s elected member representatives on the SACRE forum and that to propose otherwise would be unconstitutional. Moreover the Chairperson historically has been appointed by consensus by the LEA.

Following discussion, it was resolved to defer the election of Chairperson to allow the LEA’s elected representatives to come to an agreement regarding the appointment to the office of Chair of the SACRE.

To elect a Vice-Chairperson for the SACRE.

(Current Vice-Chairperson – Mr Rheinallt Thomas, Presbyterian Church of Wales)

Mr Rheinallt Thomas, Presbyterian Church of Wales was re-elected Vice-Chairperson of the SACRE.

To receive any declaration of interest by any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

No declaration of interest was received.

To present the minutes of the previous meeting of the SACRE held on 13th March, 2013.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the SACRE held on 13th March, 2013 were presented and confirmed as correct.

Matters arising –

•           The Education Officer referred to the three primary schools whose Religious Education self-evaluation documents were outstanding from the previous meeting and he informed the Members that Ysgol Penysarn’s self-evaluation (tabled at the meeting) had now been received. He explained briefly that it is through scrutiny of RE self-evaluation reports which the Island’s schools are asked to provide that the SACRE body fulfils its advisory function in relation to Religious Education standards and the quality of collective worship. However, the self-evaluation reports of Ysgol y Fali and Ysgol Pentraeth  remain outstanding. The Officer said that in addition, the self-evaluations reports of Ysgol Gynradd Llanbedrgoch and Ysgol Tywyn which schools had been the subject of inspection in the Autumn, 2012 term have been received and are presented as part of the matters arising documentation. As has been the pattern previously there is some variation in the quality and contents of the information presented by the schools in question in terms of their self-evaluations with only one of the schools adopting the Ysgol Corn Hir model.

The Vice-Chair emphasised that it is essential that the SACRE is provided with this information as the only means currently whereby the body is able to discharge its monitoring responsibilities. The Education Officer said that whilst he would continue to pursue the matter with the two schools whose self-evaluations had not yet been received, he believed there were mitigating circumstances in relation to why the reports had not been made available to the SACRE this time which he explained  to Members.

The SACRE’s Members noted the information and the position in relation to the two schools whose self-evaluations remained outstanding.

Action Arising: The Education Officer to continue to make enquiries regarding the self-evaluation reports not yet made available to the SACRE.

•           The Education Officer drew Members’ attention to the response of the Chief Inspector of Estyn to correspondence sent to her following the previous meeting of the SACRE to highlight inaccuracies in the Inspector’s report regarding Ysgol y Tywyn in relation to the use of terminology which the SACRE had noted. In her reply, the Chief Inspector makes reference to Estyn’s supplementary guidance for inspectors in relation to collective worship and to the distinction made in the guidance between collective worship and morning assembly and to the fact that morning assembly may incorporate an act of collective worship. The guidance also addresses the relationship between collective worship and moral, spiritual, social and cultural development. Inspectors do not have to refer to collective worship in inspection reports unless the school in question does not conform to the statutory requirements in this respect or unless the school’s morning assemblies or act of collective worship contributes significantly to the pupils’ welfare. If an opinion is given in an inspection report it is important that the correct terms are used. The Chief Inspector invites the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To present the definitive version of the 2011/12 Annual Report.

The definitive version of the Anglesey SACRE’s Annual Report for 2011/12 was presented and noted for information purposes only.

 The Education Officer to report.

The Education Officer informed the SACRE’s Members that one school, namely Ysgol Llanfachraeth had been inspected during the Spring term and that the overall inspection report is good. In the context of Religious Education the Inspector comments that the school provides a wide range of rich learning experiences that gain most pupils’ interests and meet the requirements of the Foundation Phase, the National Curriculum and Religious Education fully. With reference to pupils’ spiritual and moral development, the Inspector goes on to describe the school as a friendly and caring community and that all staff promote high values. Provision for promoting moral, social, cultural and sprititual development is effective. The Officer said there were no recommendations arising from the inspection report with regard to RE and/or collective worship.

Members welcomed the information and congratulated the staff and pupils of Ysgol Llanfachraeth on their attainment.

It was agreed to accept and to note the information.

Action Arising: The Education Officer to send a letter on behalf of the SACRE to the Headteacher of Ysgol Llanfachraeth in recognition of the school’s efforts and success as reflected by the Estyn inspection report.

To present a report by the Education Officer.

The Education Officer presented a briefing report which he had circulated to the Island’s Head teachers seeking their views on a proposal to assist the SACRE body to fulfil its statutory duties in monitoring standards of Religious Education and collective worship in schools whereby the SACRE would collect self-evaluation reports within a 3 year cycle meaning that individual schools present a report to the SACRE every 3 years based on the pattern suggested in the paper. The Officer said that primary head teachers had considered the proposal and were amenable to the request but would appreciate advanced notice of when the reports were required. Secondary head teachers had yet to consider the matter. The intention was that the Education Officer would liaise with 16 primary and 2 secondary schools in each year to ask for their self-evaluation reports to be made available to the SACRE. Miss Bethan James said that the proposal meant that the SACRE would be able to scrutinise 5 school self-evaluation reports each year and could also consider inviting a head teacher to address the SACRE the following term.

It was agreed to accept the proposal as a means of assisting the SACRE to fulfil its statutory duties in monitoring standards of Religious Education and collective worship in Anglesey’s schools.

Action Arising: The Education Officer to put the system into practice subject to obtaining the agreement of the secondary head teachers.

Miss Bethan James provided Members with a presentation based on a draft model on how the SACRE can monitor standards given that under the new system under the GwE, there is no mechanism for officer contact with schools for the purpose of providing the SACRE body with feedback on the provision of Religious Education and arrangements for collective worship. She made reference to the following considerations:

•           The  means by which the SACRE can gather information and the sources available

•           The self-evaluation proforma which the SACRE has adopted to obtain information from schools on their own assessment of the outcomes in religious education; the quality of the RE provision and the quality of the arrangements for collective worship

•           The need for school self-evaluations to mirror inspection language in the use of evaluative terms and to reflect an understanding of what Estyn means by reference to quantities and proportions

•           Publications which are designed to support teachers in their understanding of RE standards and activities

•           A questionnaire which she asked the SACRE’s Members to complete to demonstrate their understanding of RE and how standards might be monitored.

•           The thematic review of Religious Education undertaken by  Estyn based on a sample of schools throughout Wales (schools from Gwynedd and Anglesey were not part of the sample) which focused on RE provision in KS3 and the provision of statutory RE to pupils aged 14 to 16, under the title Religious Education in Secondary Schools. The report makes six recommendations specifically for schools and two recommendations for the Welsh Government.

•           Miss Bethan James proceeded  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

·        To present the minutes of the meeting of the WASACRE held on 22^nd

 March, 2013 in Newport and associated papers.

·        To receive feedback from the WASACRE meeting held in Caernarfon on 19^th  June, 2013.

The minutes and associated papers of the meeting of the WASACRE held on 22nd March, 2013 in Newport were presented and noted.

Professor Euros Wyn Jones aid that whilst he had not attended the WASACRE meeting held in Caernarfon on 19th July he was able to present information regarding the principal discussion points from the meeting as provided by another attendee. These included the RE Quality Mark and Estyn Thematic review of RE in secondary schools as discussed above. In addition, the response of the Education and Skills Minister to correspondence sent to him in respect of the lack of consideration given to RE in the current review of the Curriculum was presented and considered. In his reply the Minister emphasises that only those subjects within the National Curriculum are subject to review at present; that he is convinced that RE has a key role to play in developing literacy and numeracy skills in schools; that SACRE bodies will be added to the circulation list for the review report and that he would welcome feedback from SACRE bodies in adopting its recommendations.

The Vice-Chair updated the SACRE on appointments to the WASACE Executive and to the posts of Chair and Vice-Chair.

No further action arising.

The Education Officer to report.

The Vice-Chair informed the SACRE’s Members that it is the WASACRE’s suggestion that a scheduled review of the Agreed Syllabus be deferred until after the completion of the National Curriculum subjects review.

Professor Euros Wyn Jones on behalf of the Religious Denominations groups proposed that this course of action be adopted and Mrs Bethan Ll.Jones on behalf of the Teachers’ group seconded the proposal. Councillor Alun Mummery on behalf of the LEA elected representatives group indicated his concurrence with the proposal.

It was agreed to defer the review of the Agreed Syllabus until after the completion of the current review of National Curriculum subjects.

No further action arising.

Information enclosed.

Information regarding the Handbook for SACRE Members in Wales was circulated as part of the agenda for the meeting. The Committee Officer confirmed that those LEA Elected Member representatives new to the SACRE had received a copy of the handbook directly.

No further action arising.

Tuesday, 8^th October, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

It was noted that the next meeting of the SACRE would be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 8^th October, 2013.