Agenda item

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 to update the SACRE’s Members on the position with regard to the RE Quality Mark. The quality mark system has been developed in England and consent has been given to adapt the criteria for Wales and the WASACRE has agreed to undertake this work. The Officer said that it is a means for schools to gain external recognition for their work in RE is a useful tool in terms of self-evaluation. A fee in the region of £400 to £500 is payable for the accreditation and once schools have been through the process they are then eligible to act as accreditors themselves.

•           Miss Bethan James confirmed that the WASACRE Conference would be held in Treforest, Cardiff on 10 October, 2013.

Members of the SACRE considered the information presented and the ensuing discussion focused on the availability of professional support  to the SACRE under the new regional body the GwE to help it undertake and discharge its statutory responsibilities with regard to RE and collective worship and the form and nature which the support might take. Members were informed that support arrangements for the Gwynedd and Anglesey SACREs remain under discussion. Members considered possible models and there was consensus that the Anglesey SACRE body is of the opinion that in order to be able to fulfil its responsibilities effectively it requires support through feedback from school visits. It was therefore agreed that the SACRE requests the LEA to endeavour to ensure that the professional support arrangements it commissions from the GwE for the SACRE body include officer contact with schools. Members were also keen that the Island’s secondary schools be alerted to the recommendations of the Estyn thematic review report on RE in secondary schools and that they give the recommendations their consideration. The Education Officer suggested that the five secondary head teachers discuss the aforementioned recommendations collectively.

Members discussed the SACRE’s representation at the WASACRE Conference in October. It was agreed that Professor Euros Wyn Jones would attend on behalf of the Religious Denominations Group and that the LEA Elected Members group be represented by the Chair once appointed.

It was agreed –

•           To note the developments to date.

•           To request the LEA to endeavour to ensure that the professional support arrangements it commissions from the GwE for the SACRE include officer contact with schools.

•           To ask the Education Officer to bring to the attention of the Island’s secondary schools, the six relevant recommendations arising from the Estyn Thematic Review of RE in secondary schools with the recommendation that the secondary Head teachers meet to consider the recommendations.

•           That Professor Euros Wyn Jones attends the WASACRE Conference in October 2013 on behalf of the Religious Denominations group and that the LEA councillor group is represented at the Conference by the Chair once appointed.

Actions Arising:

•           Education Officer to inform the Director of Lifelong Learning of the SACRE’s wishes with regard to the nature of the professional support arrangements for the body.

•           Education Officer to forward information about the recommendations of the Estyn Thematic review report regarding RE in secondary schools to the Island’s secondary Head Teachers with the recommendation that they meet to discuss the recommendations pertaining to schools.