Agenda item

The Clerk to the SACRE to provide an update on the following Welsh Government Consultations:-

·      Curriculum for Wales – Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) and

·      Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) (guidances attached).

The RE Advisor reported on the Welsh Government’s Curriculum for Wales  Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE), which will be published in September 2022.  

She stated that the changes to the curriculum will have huge implications on schools in every subject.

Discussion focused on whether the Curriculum for Wales RVE guidance is clear and robust enough for teachers?  The SACRE highlighted that teachers need support, guidance and quality bilingual resources to move forward, and    welcomed the Welsh Government’s decision to put more resources into professional learning.  It was noted that there are risks in allowing schools to choose their own curriculums, as some schools might not give RE due attention in the Humanities AoLE.  It was also noted that SACREs will need to be open enough to allow individual schools to have their own ideas to develop.

Following the WASACRE meeting on 16 June 2021, feedback from the WASACRE’s Executive was forwarded to SACREs in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. 

The Chair showed his appreciation for the early thoughts slides from the WASACRE’s Executive, and suggested that the Ynys Môn SACRE consider their responses individually, before reading WASACRE’s feedback.  He requested that comments on the consultation be forwarded to the RE Advisor by 9 July 2021, for the SACRE to prepare an official response by the closing date of 16 July 2021. 

Mr Chris Thomas highlighted the following points from the WASACRE meeting in response to the consultation:-

•  Adequate time must be given to RVE, so that leaders can develop a major and ambitious curriculum. 

•  Flexibility is important for schools to build upon, and have distinct ownership of their curriculums.

•  Links need to be looked at and drawn together.  Reference was made to St Giles Centre in Wrexham, who have a very helpful and interesting video on how to navigate guidance and links to the hub.

•  With reference to glossaries, certain words need a better explanation in English eg “plurality”, “worldviews” and “cynefin”.  It was suggested that using a Welsh word in English translation would emphasise its significance.

•  The importance of the Welsh Language was highlighted. 

•  Welsh Government has established that central funding is necessary to develop RE resources for professional learning in digital and hard copy format.

•  There is no opt-out of RVE lessons or relationships and sexuality education lessons (RSE). 

Mr Rheinallt Thomas also attended the WASACRE meeting, and reiterated what Mr Chris Thomas had said, in that we need to be clear that the Agreed Syllabus will be different to past syllabuses.  He reported that the syllabus will be a skeleton of guidelines and aims, and a core part of the thinking behind the new curriculum will be that schools can develop their own curriculums.  He highlighted the importance of the principles in the RE Framework, which in its final form will be what the Ynys Môn SACRE will have to come to an individual decision about.

It was noted that the Church in Wales is currently working with Welsh Government on the new curriculum. The Church has expressed concern regarding the lack of detail in some resources.  The Church wants to develop a lens for Christianity, which is linked to history, and it is important that this will be reflected.  It was further noted that the Church in Wales will be presenting its own recommendations on the curriculum. 

The RE Advisor reported that the Operational Panel will meet this month to respond to the consultation, and present teachers’ views on the curriculum.

The RE Advisor reported that she has included the Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) Statutory Guidance and Code on the agenda for information, to give the SACRE the option to participate in the consultation.

RESOLVED:-

•  To note the information presented.

•  That the RE Advisor forwards the St Giles video to the members of the

    Ynys Môn SACRE.