Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Ann Boater, Sally Hay, Dr Lynndy Levin and Helen Young.

There were no declarations.

Webcasting 

The Chair announced that the meeting as being broadcast live to the internet and would be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available on request.  Those participating in the meeting were deemed to be consenting to being filmed.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 7 November 2024.

It was noted that Nandarane Naina Parmar’s apologies had not been recorded in the minutes.

As a matter arising, it was noted that the Faith Forum representative could respond to the question on how schools could support interfaith work at the next meeting.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 7 November 2024, subject to the correction, be approved and signed as a correct record.

There was no notification of urgent business.

To note the Camden SACRE membership.

The Professional Advisor said they were working to fill a sixth position in Panel B (Church of England). They also said that they were awaiting final confirmation from UCL Academy regarding Craig Baxter’s appointment to Group C (Teachers).

RESOLVED –

THAT the membership be noted.

This report presents a newly drafted Camden SACRE protocol (Appendix 1) and updated terms of reference (Appendix 2), following a discussion at the previous meeting on 7 November 2024 regarding the need to review and update the terms of reference.

The newly drafted protocol has been created to supplement the SACRE terms of reference in Camden’s Constitution and align with the guidance and legal framework set out in Religious Education in English Schools: Non-statutory Guidance 2010. It outlines Camden SACRE’s areas of focus and expands on the expectations and responsibilities of SACRE and its members. Members are invited to review the document, provide feedback on any suggested changes, and, subject to agreement and adoption, the protocol will be owned by Camden SACRE and can be reviewed or amended as required.

The updates to the terms of reference involve minor administrative changes, including the removal of the reference to Circular 1/94 and the revision of the Executive Director’s title from ‘Supporting People’ to ‘Children and Learning.’ These changes have already been incorporated into Camden’s Constitution and are presented here for members’ information and noting.

Consideration was given to the draft Camden SACRE Protocol and revisions to the Terms of Reference papers.

The Professional Advisor summarised the report and stated that the new protocol document aimed to define SACRE’s ambitions regarding attitudes and approach

.

In response to questions, the following was confirmed:

• In relation to section 2 of the protocol, it was clarified that although the Diocese Director of Education was referenced to reflect seniority, this did not mean SACRE would routinely consult at that level. However, escalation from a local level could occur if and when appropriate.
• SACRE was formed of four groups. However, when members sat as an Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC), these groups were renamed as ‘committees’, with the only change being in terminology.

RESOLVED –

THAT SACRE:

1.    Agree the Camden SACRE protocol (Appendix 1)

2.    Note the terms of reference (Appendix 2)

A representative from the Camden Faith Forum will provide a verbal update on their work since the last meeting, covering:

·       Interfaith work across Camden

·       Plans for 2025 network briefings and events

Feedback is welcomed from members on how Camden SACRE can support the Faith Forum's work.

Consideration was given to the Faith Forum Update.

The Camden Faith Forum representative had sent their apologies for the meeting. A written update would be circulated to members.

Action By - Faith Forum representative

RESOLVED –

THAT SACRE note the update.

This report highlights opportunities for Camden SACRE members to engage with national training and information on Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship, as provided in a verbal report:

• NASACRE online webinars for 2025
• NASACRE conference details for 2025

Feedback is welcomed from members on how Camden SACRE can continue to develop its individual and collective knowledge of national issues and developments.

Consideration was given to the NASACRE updates.

The Professional Advisor provided the following updates:

·       A SACRE Clerk’s Network webinar meeting was scheduled for 25 February 2025, covering top tips and ideas.

·       A NASACRE in conversation event was scheduled for 13 March 2025, bringing together Religious Education (RE) advisors, SACRE Chairs and Vice-Chairs, and local authority (LA) education representatives.

·       A webinar had been scheduled on conducting an Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) in March 2025, but the professional advisor did not think anyone from Camden needed to attend this.

·       The NASACRE Conference was scheduled to take place at Stratford Town Hall on 19 May 2025, focusing on handling sensitive and controversial issues, with further details to be emailed to members. The LA was able to fund attendance. Members were asked to hold the date in their diaries.

·       In June 2025, various briefing workshops had been planned, led by charities and experts, covering multiple topics, with a briefing to be released in mid-February. Members were encouraged to attend, and more information about the sessions was to be shared in due course.

Action By – Professional Advisor

RESOLVED –

THAT SACRE note the update.

This report provides an overview of the summer 2024 exam results and analysis, Ofsted reports from 2023–24 on Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship (CW), as well as Camden SACRE’s work and achievements.

Members are invited to reflect on the practices highlighted in Camden SACRE’s annual report to the Department for Education. Feedback is welcomed on how Camden SACRE can further develop its individual and collective practices to support schools in delivering high-quality RE and CW across Camden.

Consideration was given to the Camden SACRE Annual Report 2023-24.

The Professional Advisor summarised the report, which provided an overview and analysis of the summer 2024 exam results, Ofsted reports from 2023-24 on RE and Collective Worship (CW), and a summary of Camden SACRE’s work and achievements for the period. The Professional Advisor stated that the largest piece of work had been on agreeing the new syllabus, and positive feedback had been received.

In response to questions, the following was confirmed:

• 2024 GCSE results were provisional and pending verification in January or February 2025. In most cases, the unverified results were largely the same as the final figures. However, this year was more complicated, as the unverified results, usually received in November, were only available in the second week of December. Additionally, the DfE had not yet released the A-Level data.
• In relation to the network meetings, it was confirmed that the secondary schools network meeting was scheduled for the following Wednesday, and the primary schools network meeting was to take place at the start of March. The autumn meetings had been well attended.
• Next year, the annual report was to be circulated to SACRE members before the report was to be submitted to the Department for Education (DfE). This year, it had been submitted to the Chair and the Head of Governor Services prior to submission only due to the time constraints.

RESOLVED –

THAT SACRE note the report.

Camden SACRE priorities for 2024–25 have been outlined on Appendix 1. Feedback from members is welcomed on ways to support the proposed actions. This document will remain a working draft and can be updated during future meetings.

Consideration was given to the Camden SACRE Priorities 2024-25 paper.

The Professional Advisor summarised the report, which outlined the Camden SACRE priorities for 2024-25.

In response to questions, the following was confirmed:

·       It was confirmed that RE school leads contacted the Professional Advisor between meetings and often asked questions. Requests included support for starting units and locating materials. RE leads also sought advice on suitable speakers to invite. These interactions helped the Professional Advisor stay informed about their work.

·       The Camden Places of Worship database was held by the Professional Advisor and shared with RE leaders in both primary and secondary schools in Camden. The database aimed to help schools connect more easily with places of worship and education centres, improving opportunities for school visits and for individuals to visit schools to share their lived experiences as religious or non-religious people. Individuals had been contacted to confirm whether they were happy for their details to be shared with schools or included in the database. The database was to be shared with members so they inform the Professional Advisor if there were any missing places of worship or contacts.

·        

Action By – Professional Advisor & SACRE Members

RESOLVED –

THAT SACRE note the report.

Camden SACRE will continue using the self-evaluation toolkit to assess and rate its own practice, identify areas for improvement, and determine the necessary actions for development.

Feedback is requested from members regarding the questions outlined in Sections 2 and 3 of the self-evaluation toolkit, which is included in the appendix.

Consideration was given to SACRE Annual Self-Evaluation Toolkit.

The Professional Advisor asked members to review each key area within Sections 2 (Standards and quality of provision of Religious Education) and 3 (effectiveness of the locally agreed syllabus) and provide their feedback on how Camden SACRE was performing against the criteria. Additionally, the Professional Advisor suggested that in subsequent years SACRE meetings on occasion could be held fully remotely or fully in-person because it either format it could allow for splitting into breakout rooms or smaller groups for the benefit of discussion items.

The following was discussed for each section:

Section 2 - Standards and quality of provision of Religious Education

2a. RE provision across the LA

·       The Professional Advisor shared that they now had a better understanding of schools through the network meetings. This was also reflected in the annual report, which included feedback from schools about their curriculum. There was a draft questionnaire for schools (page 107 in the agenda). This monitoring form would provide data on how many pupils had withdrawn from RE, a figure not yet available to the DfE. It would also capture how schools rated their RE provision and the support they would like. The Professional Advisor noted that progress had been made in this area.

·       A member said they would like more visibility and discussion on RE provision at SACRE meetings.

·       The Chair requested that schools present their good practices to SACRE for members to consider their impact. As part of this, schools could present pupils’ workbooks. The Chair also suggested that SACRE could visit schools for this activity. The Professional Advisor said schools would be keen to participate, suggesting this could be organised for a day SACRE met fully in-person, and said they would consult the networks on how to approach this request.

Action By – Professional Advisor

2b. Standards of achievement and public examination entries

·       The Professional Advisor stated that there were robust processes within the LA to gather information. Secondary schools had submitted their timetables to the DfE, which provided valuable data. However, the data still needed to be investigated and acted upon. While there were not many pupils sitting GCSEs, it would be useful to see that number increase and further understand the students who were not sitting GCSEs and what they were doing. SACRE needed more information to move to the next level.

·       A member said it would be helpful to be presented with term-by-term data.

·       The FSM data looked at whether children receiving FSM performed differently in different areas, and then thought needed to be put into how to target support. Schools with higher results tended to perform well across the board, even though some of those schools might not be considered high performing on a national level. However, triangulating data from various sources helped to get a more complete picture. The Professional Advisor suggested they could meet online with RE teachers to explain and understand more about the data, as teachers may have already discussed it with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

This update asks Camden SACRE to consider the following proposed intervention plans:

• GCSE intervention (verbal update from RE Advisor)
• Westhill/NASACRE grant application (Appendix 1)
• Monitoring RE survey for schools (Appendix 2a and 2b)

Feedback is welcomed from members on how the intervention plans can be implemented if they are agreed.

Consideration was given to the possible interventions and developments for Religious Education in Camden.

The Professional Advisor summarised the item which set out proposed RE intervention plans.

GCSE Intervention Plan

·       The Chair expressed concerns about needing to improve GCSE results to meet or exceed the national average and considered what measures could be put in place to support this.

·       The discussion highlighted a mismatch between GCSE demands and fostering learning curiosity. The Professional Advisor noted that conversations were ongoing between exam boards regarding the outdated syllabus, which had been set nine years ago and required a refresh. However, this depended on government approval, with the DfE currently focusing on a broader curriculum review. The Secretary of State had recently stated that the government was considering whether RE should be included in the national curriculum. Exam boards were keen for the government to revise the criteria to better align Key Stage 3 (KS3) and Key Stage 4 (KS4). The Chair noted that while KS3 had a broad curriculum, KS4 was much narrower in focus. The Professional Advisor added that KS4 was heavily centred on factual content and sacred texts, which was easier to mark, with less emphasis on lived experiences or the practical implications of religious beliefs and practices. The Professional Advisor explained that prior to the changes nine years ago, students had more flexibility in their studies, whereas now exam boards were constrained by a more rigid syllabus. They stated that exam boards would prefer greater freedom in designing the course content, but this was ultimately a matter for national policy.

·       The Professional Advisor stated that a half-day event and two webinars were planned, with an additional session scheduled for later in the year. The Head of Governor Services confirmed that extra funding had been agreed by Camden Learning to support this work. The Chair noted that Camden Learning was prioritising the subject, and the Head of Governor Services added that this aligned with Camden Learning’s wider strategy. While Religious Education was part of the ‘open bucket’ subjects at the secondary level, it was not as strong as they would like. The planned project would contribute to the broader secondary and GCSE strategy.

Westhill & NASACRE Grant

·       The Professional Advisor informed members about a funding opportunity through NASACRE in partnership with the Westhill Trust. The initiative aimed to support interfaith projects that help young people engage with different religions and worldviews. Historically, local authorities could bid for up to £4,000, with funding awarded to a maximum of five LAs per year. However, recent changes meant the funding had increased to £12,000 over two years. A Camden draft bid had already been prepared, but with the increased funding, the Professional Advisor suggested reconsidering the scope of the project. Discussions with the Chair raised the idea of using the grant to additionally fund a training project with the Faith Forum, which would support building a database of speakers and places of worship. Previous attempts to organise training for speakers and leaders had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

SACRE members are invited to note newly released data from the DfE, which compiles information provided by Camden schools about Religious Education on their timetables, alongside the DfE's records of exam results. Members are encouraged to provide feedback on what this data reveals about Religious Education in Camden’s secondary schools.

Consideration was given to DfE workforce data for Camden secondary schools.

The Professional Advisor summarised the report, which set out information provided by Camden schools about RE on their timetables alongside the DfE's records of exam results.

The Professional Advisor stated that they would speak with Heads of RE in different schools about the data, as there were some inaccuracies. For example, they knew that RE was being taught at KS3 in some schools listed, but administrative staff had recorded zero because it was listed under ‘Humanities’ on the timetable. Additionally, some secondary schools were missing from the DfE data. The Professional Advisor suggested that by having these conversations, they could present the data to schools, ask about RE provision, gather more accurate details, and report back to SACRE.

 Action By – Professional Advisor

RESOLVED –

THAT SACRE note the report.

SACRE members requested that the RE advisor share the content of the termly meetings with Camden Schools. Details of the last two meetings are provided in the appendices.

RESOLVED –

THAT SACRE note the update.

There was no urgent business.