Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Sophie Fegan, Rev Damien Mason, Felicity Djerehe, and Lynndy Levin.

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair to announce the following: ‘In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for twelve months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to having your contributions recorded and broadcast, including video when switched on, and to the use of those sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes.’

Any other announcements

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair announced: ‘In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for twelve months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to having your contributions recorded and broadcast, including video when switched on, and to the use of those sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes.’

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no notifications of urgent business.

To approve the minutes of the SACRE meeting held on 15^th November 2022.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 15^th November 2022.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 15^th November 2022 be approved and signed as a correct record.

To note the membership of Camden SACRE.

Consideration was given to the list of members of Camden SACRE.

RESOLVED –

THAT the membership list be noted.

To note the list of schools with Determinations and to consider an application from Brookfield Primary School.

Consideration was given to the list of schools with Determinations and an application for a Determination from Brookfield Primary School.

The Headteacher sent her apologies for not being able to attend the meeting, as interviews she was conducting had overrun. Becca Evenhuis, the RE lead from the school, presented the school’s application. She said that the majority of the pupils (56%) at the school came from families that had indicated “no religion” on the relevant form. Only 75 children (about 19%) came from families that had indicated they identified as Christian. The remainder of the children were from other faith backgrounds or the school did not have data on them.

In light of the demographics of the school, staff and governors were of the view that school assemblies and collective worship should be ‘secular’ and thus had decided to apply for this Determination to exempt the school from the requirement that collective worship be of a “broadly Christian” character.

Ms Evenhuis was a reception class teacher as well as the RE lead. She said reception classes sometimes held their own collective worship and sometimes joined the older children for assemblies depending on the day.

Collective worship could include a story, poetry, meditation or class discussion. The themes of the assemblies and collective worship were achievement, kindness and taking responsibility.

Ms Evenhuis said that the meditation and mindfulness aspect of some sessions did help children calm down and prepare for the day ahead, and she had found this positive. 

Members considered the application. They thought it would have been helpful to see examples of the material used and an assembly plan for what the themes would be on different days. They also noted that it had not been possible, given the timescale, to visit the school and see an assembly. Some members felt that combining the role of Reception class teacher and RE lead was a difficult role for one individual to fulfil. Members also said they would have liked to see information on what governors and parents thought of the Determination application.

Members agreed to grant the Determination, but in the decision letter to the school to outline their views and to ask to arrange a visit later in the term.

RESOLVED –

(i)              THAT the list of schools with Determinations be noted;

(ii)             THAT a Determination be granted to Brookfield School.

ACTION: Clerk to SACRE

To consider guidance on collective worship policy in schools.

Consideration was given to the draft collective worship policy guidance.

The Chair said she had re-drafted the guidance in light of the comments made at the last meeting. As schools often said that they needed teaching and learning resources, she had added links to useful websites and books on page 32.

Ann Boater commented that it was important to avoid negativity around the use of the word “worship” and suggested that Section 1 could be re-worded to address this. She said it was important to have a sense of awe and wonder, and worship was a way of manifesting this.

Ms Boater said that, in her experience as a teacher, assemblies were used as “non-contact time” for staff and so teachers who were not leading assemblies missed out on them. She had been disappointed by this, as she was of the view that collective worship could be a beneficial experience for adults in the school as well as the children.

Councillor Jenny Mulholland suggested that the wording at the top of page 32 be amended to remove “dismay”.

Members felt that a key point in the document should be that collective worship should be about pupils making connections to each other and the world we live in – including climate and environmental concerns.

Councillor Fulbrook said that any guidance should avoid being too prescriptive and should encourage a variety of practice in different community schools.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be finalised by the Chair, with regard to the comments made above.

                                                                        ACTION: Chair of SACRE

It was noted that there was to be an Agreed Syllabus Conference meeting on the same day as the next SACRE meeting, since it was time to review it as five years had passed since the last review.

The next meeting will be on 25^th April 2023.

The next meeting would be on 25^th April 2023.

Dates for the academic year 2023-24 would be agreed at that meeting.