Agenda and minutes

ACTION

The newly elected Chair welcomed everybody to the meeting.

At the invitation of the Chair, a moment of reflection was provided at the start of the meeting by the Baha’i representative, Jeff Lynn.

Rev David Turner asked that Rev Geoff Annas be congratulated for his new appointment as Bishop of Stafford and that he be thanked for his contribution to the SACRE.

ED

Apologies were received from:-

Group A

Peter Howard

The Assemblies of God

Group B

Anne Steele-Arnett

The Church of England

Group D

Mrs. K. Martin

Southampton City Council (substitute)

ACTION

It was noted that the issue of Humanism needed to be clarified and that this would come to a future meeting.

ED, SL and/or KS

RESOLVED that the proposed amendments to the SACRE constitution be agreed and that the Constitution be updated.

KS

ACTION

Changes to the SACRE membership were noted as follows:-

• that there was still a vacancy for the United Reformed Church in Group A.
• that Rev Canon Geoff Annas’ departure left a vacancy for Group B, Church of England.
• that Councillor Damani’s departure left a vacancy for Group D.

It was noted that Tony Blackshaw would inform the Chair when Rev Geoff Annas was to step down.

TB

Councillor Parnell asked that Councillor Damani be thanked for her invaluable contribution to the SACRE.

ED

ACTION

The SACRE received and noted verbal updates from various members on the following events:-

Youth Peace Walk

·  David Vane gave an update on the recent youth peace walk that had taken place. He reported that a youth interface co-ordinator had been appointed and that the group would aim to find more funding.

King James Bible – 400^th Anniversary

• Tony Blackshaw explained that this year marked the 400^th year of the King James Bible.

Church of England – 200^th Anniversary of mass education

• Tony Blackshaw also stated that in 2011, the National Society would celebrate its 200^th anniversary marking two hundred years since the effective birth of mass education in England and Wales.

Funding

• LilianWeatherley noted that the RE Council had received REsilience funding (support for subject leaders).

Muslim Awareness Week

• Anas al-Korj noted the success of the Muslim Awareness Week which had happened earlier in the year.

The Chair thanked members for their comments and asked that, in future, they bring any items under this heading to the SACRE clerk or himself before the meeting.

ALL

ACTION

The Chair outlined the background, purpose and structure of the Development Plan. He explained that the Plan was split into five sections and reported the following:-

Dimension 1: Standards And Quality Of Provision Of RE

1a) Compliance and Time allocation for RE – reported as 

  DEVELOPING.

1b) Public examination entries in RE – reported as ESTABLISHED.

1c) Standards and achievement: including standards at the end of

  Key Stages 1, 2 and 3, GCSE, AS and A2 level – reported as

  DEVELOPING.

1d) Quality of teaching – reported as ESTABLISHED

1e) Quality of Leadership and Management – reported as

  DEVELOPING.

1f) Recruitment and retention issues. Level of specialist provision –

  reported as DEVELOPING.

1g) Resources – reported as DEVELOPING.

Dimension 2: Management of SACRE and partnership with the LA and other key stakeholders

2a) SACRE meetings – reported as DEVELOPING.

2b) Membership and training – reported as DEVELOPING.

2c) Improvement/developing planning – reported as DEVELOPING.

2d) Professional and Financial Support – reported as ESTABLISHED.

2e) Information and advice – reported as DEVELOPING.

2f) Partnerships with other key stakeholders (for example pupils, parents,

   ASTs, specialist schools, ITT providers, local religious organisations

  and groups, Commission for Radical Equality) – DEVELOPING.

Dimension 3: The effectiveness of the local Agreed Syllabus

• The Chair noted that the assessment of Dimension 3 would be postponed until a later date.
• Lilian Weatherley noted that in relation to dimension 3b (Using the National Framework for Religious Education), Hampshire, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight did not follow the National Framework and that Southampton used the agreed syllabus. Therefore, she questioned whether dimension 3b was needed.
• Jackie Meering noted that dimension 3d (Consultation/Launch /Implementation of the Agreed Syllabus) was needed, i.e. that a launch of the Agreed Syllabus would assist promotion and understanding.

Dimension 4: Collective Worship

4a) Practise and Provision for collective worship – reported as DEVELOPING.

4b) Monitoring the provision of collective worship and tackling issues of non-compliance – reported as DEVELOPING.

• The Chair noted that he would speak to the Executive Director of Children's Services and Learning and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Learning regarding collective worship and what was going on in schools, with the possibility of either/or addressing a future SACRE meeting.
• There was a brief discussion about engaging with schools and faith groups and the role SACRE played in this. Whilst the structure was considered to be functional, SACRE was seen to be out of kilter with the change of pace of the constantly changing environment.
• The Secondary Phase Inspector noted that, since there was currently lots of uncertainty with regard to the recent changes in Government and the potential impact these may have, the priority would be to support teachers in what they could achieve now. 

ED

Dimension 5: Contribution of SACRE to community cohesion

5a) Representative nurture of the SACRE – reported as ADVANCED.

5b) Knowledge and understanding of the local religious, cultural and ethnic community – reported as ESTABLISHED.

5c) Understanding the intrinsic contribution which RE  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

ACTION

Jackie Meering asked that there could be an organised launch of the new Agreed Syllabus when agreed.

RESOLVED that:-

·  the proposed dates for future SACRE meetings be agreed.

·  the Chair and Vice-Chair would agree who was to attend the next Local Network Meeting (joint meeting with Winchester).

·  the next SACRE meeting would be held at Upper Shirley High School, if agreed by the Head teacher and that the venue of future meetings would be considered at a later date.

ALL

ED and DV

SR and KS

ACTION

Gail Ratcliffe reported back from her visit to Fairisle Junior school. She asked if other SACRE members had had the chance to go and observe in a school as she had found it very useful.  

The Chair noted that the SACRE needed to be proactive in its formation of relationships with schools through the correct channels.  

The possibility of school visits coinciding with Interfaith Week was discussed so that related activities could be observed by SACRE members. 

The promotion of SACRE at schools and across the City was discussed with the possibility of having an article in City View to help raise the SACRE’s profile. 

RESOLVED that:-

• the Chair would approach the issue of SACRE visits to schools with the Executive Director of Children's Services and Learning and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Learning.

ED