Agenda item

To discuss the Authority’s response to the recommendations of the report.

The Systems Leader made a presentation to the SACRE based on the recommendations made by the SACRE to the Local Authority as set out in its Annual Report for 2012/13 in relation to promoting good practice and maintaining standards in RE Provision and collective worship arrangements across the county’s schools and in relation to facilitating access for RE teachers and practitioners to guidance and supporting materials. In her presentation the Systems Leader focussed on how the SACRE can be assured that those recommendations are implemented fully by the Local Authority and how subsequently it can evaluate its own effectiveness as an advisory body.

In discussing the role of the SACRE in supporting Religious Education co-ordinators and subject leaders the following points were made –

•           That given the national focus is on Literacy and Numeracy as priority areas in the school improvement agenda, the emphasis placed on improving these skills across all subjects in the National Curriculum and RE can have potential implications for the teaching of subject contents.

•           The need for schools/ head teachers to ensure that provision for RE is made in teacher training arrangements.

•           The need to consider ways of enabling the SACRE to monitor whether training has taken place and its effectiveness. e.g. by canvassing views via an annual teacher questionnaire which would address the range and number of opportunities provided for RE training and the activities undertaken.

•           The need to consider potential sources of training provision in the form of the Churches and third party organisations such as the Religious Education Movement Wales. It was noted that the REMW is currently considering what part it might  play as a training co-ordinator  across Wales subject to agreeing funding and other arrangements with the LEAs; education consortia and or/schools.

•           The possibility of the SACRE’s members visiting individual schools as observers as a means of discharging the body’s monitoring responsibility in relation to collective worship arrangements in schools and how such visits might be effected in practice. It was suggested that Members of the SACRE be matched with their local schools and that any visits conducted should be on the basis of an invitation made by the school.

•           The need to develop a protocol for gathering information on visits to schools and subsequently for feeding the information back to the SACRE forum. It was suggested that a questionnaire be developed exclusively for the use of the SACRE’s Members to ensure uniformity of approach and reporting in such visits.

•           That consideration be given to the formulation of an Action Plan to enable the SACRE to regularly monitor progress on fulfilling the aims and objectives of the Annual Report.

ACTIONS ARISING:

•           Systems Leader to report back to the SACRE on possible options for addressing the following:

•           To identify means of facilitating and supporting training courses for RE teachers/Co-ordinators.

•           To identify ways of obtaining feedback from teachers on opportunities for accessing training and sharing good practice and the effectiveness thereof.

•           To identify ways of enabling the SACRE to obtain information and understanding of collective worship arrangements in schools to enable the body to fulfil its monitoring responsibilities with regard to the same.

•           Education Officer in consultation with the Systems Leader to develop an Action Plan to enable the SACRE to track progress on achieving the objectives of the Annual Report.