Agenda item

To present the minutes of the previous meeting of the SACRE held on 18^th February, 2014.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the SACRE held on 18 February, 2014 were presented and confirmed as correct subject to the inclusion of Mr Rheinallt Thomas (Vice-Chair) in the list of attendees.

Arising thereon –

•           The Systems Leader  reported with respect to identifying means of facilitating and supporting training opportunities for RE Teachers and Co-Ordinators to raise RE standards where that is required that three considerations had emerged, namely –

•           The need to come to an understanding in principle that the Anglesey SACRE along with the Authority in Anglesey is willing to work collaboratively with other SACRE bodies in Wales to formulate a training programme. The Systems Leader referred to the training course for KS3 teachers on understanding standards in KS3 which was held last year, as an example of the advantages of working collaboratively to deliver training at a time when groups traditionally responsible for delivering teacher training in RE are no longer available. The course involved in terms of arrangement, contribution and participation - the North Wales SACRE bodies; the WASACRE; Anglesey and other North Wales councils and their schools. The Officer said that she and her fellow members of the NAPfRE are looking to build on the success of this model of collaborative working and to further develop it in future. Her recommendation would be that Anglesey Council supports other councils and SACRE bodies as regards working jointly to deliver a training programme. It is also felt that consideration should be given to developing  a programme of courses over 2 to 3 years which are - accessible locally; which allow teachers some time to plan for them  and which will give due attention to the needs of the primary and secondary sectors and will address current requirements such as literacy and numeracy.

•           As regards facilitating and supporting teachers to come together to discuss areas related to Religious Education with a view to sharing good practice and ideas, the Systems Leader said that with regard to the primary sector especially, the SACRE might need to accept that this has to be a low cost joint provision not involving outside groups and which builds on current groups locally. The SACRE as a body might be asked to consider bearing some of the administrative support work and a rota of facilitators could be established with perhaps the Anglesey Council funding an initial session. Perhaps it might subsequently be possible to prompt RE Co-ordinators in the primary sector to set up their own network within the county.

•           To establish after school surgeries at the start of each term for those schools due to present their self-evaluation reports to the SACRE to remind them of some of the key considerations in so doing.

The Vice-Chair informed the Members that a letter on behalf of the Wales Free Churches Council had been sent to the Welsh Government’s Minister for Education congratulating him on his address to the Conference held in Cardiff recently for the recognition he gave to Religious Education whilst at the same time bringing his attention to two key considerations –

•           The future of SACRE bodies in Wales. The letter asks the Minister to re-state and remind each local authority that they are statutorily required to establish a SACRE body.

•           Due to the local requirement on RE, that steps are taken to re-establish some system of direct support and advice for schools and teachers  following the demise of the previous system of subject advisors as a result of the introduction of system leaders as part of the GwE, and to ensure support for that system.

The Vice Chair said that the letter had been forwarded to all the religious denominations with a request that they pursue the matter.

The secondary school teachers’ representative supported the suggestions made for strengthening the provision of support and advice for schools and for RE teachers and she said that given the current emphasis on improving literacy and numeracy skills there is now less opportunity for subject based training.

The Chair referred to the Action Plan which the Systems Leader had tabled at the meeting and which was intended to ensure that the aims and objectives of the Anglesey SACRE’s Annual Report for 2012/13 are delivered in a timely and effective way and he suggested that it be considered as part of the agenda for the next meeting.  The Systems Leader said that in light of the comments made in the Review of SACREs’ Annual Reports that SACRE bodies adopt a more self-evaluative approach to their work she would suggest that the Members consider what is practical within the Action Plan and that they identify outputs against which they can assess themselves as a SACRE body within one or two years in order to demonstrate the body’s effectiveness.

It was resolved –

•           To endorse the suggestions made by the Systems Leader for facilitating and supporting training opportunities for RE Teachers to raise RE standards in schools.

•           That the Action Plan be included for consideration on the agenda for the SACRE’s next meeting.

ACTION ARISING: Committee Officer to include the Action Plan on the agenda for the SACRE’s next meeting.

•           The Chair referred to the suggestion which he made at the previous meeting that a spiritual element be introduced to the SACRE’s meetings by way of a prayer or pause for reflection and he said that this had raised some legal considerations which he had clarified with the Council’s Monitoring Officer. In light of the Monitoring Officer’s advice he now suggested that each meeting of the Anglesey SACRE be closed with a prayer after the meeting’s formal business has been concluded to allow anyone wishing to leave to do so.  Members of all three representative groups of the SACRE were in concurrence with this suggestion.

It was resolved that each meeting of the SACRE be closed with a prayer following the conclusion of the meeting’s formal business.