Agenda item

•  To submit for confirmation, the draft minutes of the previous meeting of the

   SACRE held on 18 April 2018.

•  To discuss any matters arising from the above minutes.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the SACRE held on 18th April, 2018 were presented and confirmed as correct, subject to the following:-

Matters Arising

(2) - Minutes

•  Mr Rhun ap Iorwerth, AM’s response regarding the Welsh Assembly’s Petitions Committee’s decision on the collective worship petition was forwarded to SACRE members on 9th May, 2018.

•  Further to the SACRE’s concerns regarding the lack of suitable RE teacher training through the medium of Welsh, Professor Euros Wyn Jones reported that Mr Rheinallt Thomas, as President of the Free Welsh Churches, will be raising the matter in a forum meeting of the Welsh National College and Colleges of Higher Education, and will report back to the SACRE in due course.

•  It was noted that the new template for schools’ self-evaluation reports has been shared with the SACRE.

(3) - Chairman’s Summary on the Anglesey SACRE’s Annual Report for 2016/17

It was confirmed that a copy of the Chairman’s Summary has been forwarded to the Head of Learning to finalise the Anglesey SACRE’s Annual Report for 2016/17.

(4) - Religious Education Standards

Due to a full agenda, it had not been possible to include ‘Collective Worship in Schools’ on the WASACRE agenda for the meeting held in Anglesey on 6th July, 2018. 

RESOLVED that the Chair on behalf of the SACRE, requests that ‘Collective Worship in Schools’ be included on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting of the WASACRE.

Action: As noted above.

(5) - Support for the Future

•  It was noted that Mr Arwyn Thomas, GwE’s Chief Executive, has not responded to the Chair’s correspondence expressing SACRE’s concern that Miss Bethan James’s support to the Anglesey SACRE has been withdrawn without prior notice.

RESOLVED:-

•  That the Chair writes to Mr Arwyn Thomas, expressing the SACRE’s disappointment that he has not responded to concerns raised by the Chair.

•  That the SACRE invites Mr Thomas to attend its next meeting in February 2019.

Action: As noted above.

•  The Chair reported that the Head of Learning has arranged for the Heads of RE Departments from each of the five secondary schools in Anglesey to undertake the role of Challenge Advisors to the SACRE, alternating on an yearly basis.

The SACRE agreed to monitor the situation, but felt that the support and guidance necessary to fulfil its role and responsibility would not be met via the arrangement.  Members of the SACRE showed concern that teachers would be put under greater pressure to undertake extra duties, when they are already overstretched.

•  It was noted that the Portfolio Holder for Education has been informed of the SACRE’s concerns regarding GwE withdrawing the support and guidance of the GwE Challenge Advisor to the SACRE.

•  The Welsh Government Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams, AM, has responded to concerns raised by the SACRE that the new GCSE curriculum in RE is too onerous, and that there is a lack of available resources for teaching RE in Welsh. 

RESOLVED that the SACRE monitors the current situation and concerns raised regarding the new curriculum, and acts upon feedback from RE teachers in due course.

Action: As noted above.

•  The Anglesey Presbyterian Church of Wales has not responded to the SACRE’s request for the Church to nominate a member to represent the SACRE.     

RESOLVED that the Clerk, on behalf of the Chair, writes to the Presbyterian Church of Wales requesting that the Church nominates a member as a representative on the SACRE.

Action: As noted above.

•  The Chair reported that there is also a vacant seat on the SACRE for a member from the teaching sector.

RESOLVED that the Clerk to the SACRE requests nominations from teachers for the role of teacher representative on the SACRE.

Action: As noted above.