To receive an update by the GwE Challenge Advisor (Miss Bethan James), to include the Action Plan.
Minutes:
1. New Members of the SACRE
The GwE Challenge Adviser summarised the role of SACRE members, and arranged for new members to receive information on the SACRE’s role and responsibility. She informed members that the RE curriculum and guidelines are locally determined, and that each local authority and SACRE in Wales have adopted the National Exemplar Framework for Religious Education.
Action:
Primary Education Officer to circulate the following documents to new members of the SACRE.
a) The Role of the SACRE’s Members;
b) Anglesey & Gwynedd’s Agreed Syllabus;
c) Successful Future.
2. New GCSE Religious Studies Course
Mrs Heledd Hearn of Ysgol Bodedern provided an update on the new GCSE Religious Studies (RS) course. She reported that RE teachers have shared resources for the course, which commences in September, and will be available on the GwE website.
Concerns were raised that not all schools would have the same amount of time in order to deliver the new RS GCSE course to their pupils. Concerns were also raised that some commercial resources have not been translated.
The SACRE thanked the teachers for their input and joint working with Gwynedd:-
• “Many thanks to the heads for their support with regard to the new Religious Studies GCSE in allowing time for teachers to meet as a HUB and attend
relevant courses;
• Understand that a great deal of the preparatory work has already been done
and shared with the teachers during the meeting on 12 June in Caernarfon;
• Praise the teachers for their willingness to co-operate, support each other
and share resources;
• Hope that sufficient time is given for the teachers to teach the new course”.
Action:
Primary Education Officer on behalf of the SACRE to:-
• write to Head Teachers on Anglesey,
a) thanking them for supporting their RS teachers, so that they could
attend training courses and meetings to help them prepare for the new RS GCSE course;
b) congratulating their RE teachers for their hard work, and,
c) asking that time allocated to the RE Department to teach the new
RE course be in accordance with the WJEC guidance.
• write to the Dean of the Welsh National College expressing the SACRE’s concerns that theology courses for undergraduates and prospective teachers are in decline.
• share the minutes of this meeting with the Head of Learning.
3. Religious Education and the New Curriculum
The GwE Challenge Adviser reported on the following:-
• that the new curriculum must respond to the following 4 purposes of education from the Donaldson Report – That all our children and young people will be:-
• ambitious, capable learners
• enterprising, creative participants
• principalled, informed citizens who are ready to act
• individuals who are healthy and confident
• RE is part of the Humanities area of learning and experience. The RE field must link in to the other 5 fields of learning and experience, and is expected to contribute to health and wellbeing.
• A group of pioneer schools are responsible for developing each area of learning and experience. To date, the schools have researched curricular modules in other countries, and have received guidance from external experts. Each group has outlined the extent of the areas of learning and experience, and are currently considering the value of identifying the ‘big ideas’ within RE.
• The content of the new curriculum has not yet been decided.
• No decision has been made to date as regards assessment.
• Inter-curricular skills will continue: literacy, numeracy and digital competence.
The Gwe Challenge Adviser reported that she had attended a meeting of the Humanities group as an observer and representative of the WASACRE/ NAPfRE. She further reported that Manon Jones, who is facilitating the Humanities group, has received the draft version of the document ‘What is good RE?’ developed by NAPfRE members, but the document is yet to be circulated to teachers in the pioneer schools.
Mr Christopher Thomas raised concern that if RE is gradually replaced by Social Studies, there will be an absence of Theology under the Humanities umbrella. The GwE Challenge Adviser responded that in relation to RE and the new curriculum, a fresh approach is necessary to ensure that what is presented is enriching and relevant to the lives of children and young people.
4. Estyn
The GwE Challenge Adviser reported that Estyn inspections had noted that the standards and provision of RE in some schools was weak. Members of the SACRE were given an ‘aide memoire’ prepared by the Challenge Adviser noting 10 key facts about RE in primary schools. Members of the SACRE were afforded a summary of each key point.
It was noted Estyn will be carrying out thematic inspections of ‘RE KS2 and
KS3’ during 2017-18. They are likely to visit a cross section of 20 schools across Wales.
5. Collective Worship
The GwE Challenge Adviser reported that two pupils from Glan Taf School have established a petition on the Welsh Assembly Government website to abolish collective worship as a statutory requirement in schools. Another petition was set up on the website in favour of preserving the Christian element of collective worship, whilst acknowledging the need to respect other religions within the school community.
Members of the SACRE were invited to sign the petition via a link to the website.
Action:
Primary Education Officer to forward the link to Members of the SACRE.
6. Religious Education E-circular KS3
The GwE Challenge Adviser reported that the following Welsh medium
e-journals are available on the Hwb website:-
a) No 1: Organ Donation
b) No 2: Refugees
c) No 3: War and Peace
The contents of the above were noted by the SACRE’s members.