Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed people to the meeting. Members were informed that late papers had been received from Rhyl Primary School and would be tabled for consideration at Item 5 (Determinations).

Apologies for absence were received from Anna Lockley-Scott, Liz Wolverson, Michelle Chalibamba, Councillor Don Williams and Krishna Pujara.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Leila Roy and Shahanaz Begum.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 14^th October 2015.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the SACRE meeting held on 14^th October 2015.

There was a discussion about the paragraph referring to the approach SACRE should take to schools which did not have a Determination. Subject to time constraints, members wanted to visit schools that did not have Determinations. However, they did not feel that they should write to schools without Determinations inviting them to apply for one.

Members asked that the Camden SACRE annual report be circulated to the Chairs of the Children, Schools and Families and Culture & Environment Scrutiny Committees.

                                                                        ACTION: Committee Services (VS)

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 14^th October 2015 be approved and signed as a correct record.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider requests for Determinations from Beckford (p.11-14) and Brecknock Schools (p.15-36).

Members considered the information submitted by Brecknock School. The Professional Advisor reported that she had attended an assembly last year. The assembly had been prior to the general election and had been focused on democracy.

Members welcomed the work that had been done by the school on preparing for assemblies, but expressed disappointment that there was not more of a focus on religious content in the documentation they have received. They also said that they would like to see a term plan which listed the main subject of each assembly over the course of the term.

Members agreed that the Determination be granted.

Members considered the application form from the school. They considered the application form sparse and did not feel it contained enough information for them to make a decision. They were also of the view that a visit should be arranged so that those SACRE members who could make it could see an assembly.

                                                            ACTION: Professional Advisor (LP)

Members considered the submission from Rhyl. They noted that the governing body meeting to consider renewing the Determination had not taken place yet. They noted that it needed to be documented that governors had agreed to an application before it could be properly considered.

Members wanted to see a copy of the letter that had gone out to parents about the Determination application.

It was asked that a visit be arranged to the school so that members who were able to attend could see what assemblies were like at the school.

                                                            ACTION: Professional Advisor (LP)

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the application from Brecknock Primary school be granted;

(ii)          THAT the application from Beckford be re-considered at a future meeting, following a SACRE visit;

(iii)         THAT the application from Rhyl be re-considered at a future meeting, following a SACRE visit and the Full Governing Body meeting, once additional paperwork had been received.

ACTION: Committee Services (VS)

To note Harrow SACRE’s guidance on offering a space for prayer and reflection in school and to consider creating a working group to draft a policy for Camden on this topic.

Consideration was given to the guidance from Harrow SACRE which had been circulated in the agenda pack.

It was noted that Council officers had received requests for prayer rooms in schools and that schools had sought their guidance. Workneh Dechasa from the School Improvement Team was attending to hear from SACRE members on their opinions on the issue. Mr Dechasa said that most community secondary schools had a prayer room or similar facilities.

Members discussed what primary schools did. Ms Szewczyk-Radley said that her school had a quiet room, and it was used by adults at the school for prayer and reflection.

A member commented that it was important to refer to the room as a ‘reflection room’ to be inclusive of people from non-religious backgrounds who might want quiet time and time to reflect but would not be praying in the sense that someone from a religious tradition would.

It was noted that guidance would need to cover the issue of supervision of pupils who were using the room, and there would need to be an approach taken as to whether gender segregation would be permitted. There was also a view raised that guidance for prayer rooms should fit in with the Prevent agenda.

Concern was expressed that space constraints at schools would make it difficult to set aside a room as a reflection room. Members noted this and that guidance would have to clarify that many schools in Camden were in relatively small buildings and did not have flexibility to set aside space that was not directly tied to teaching and learning.

The meeting agreed to set up a working group to produce guidance on this matter. Councillor Tomlinson, Councillor Roy and Shahanaz Begum volunteered to serve on the working group and Rev Walters said he would assist them and liaise with officers as to which schools to visit.

RESOLVED –

THAT a working group be formed to work on writing guidance on this issue and that it report back to SACRE.

To update members on potential changes to Hampshire’s Agreed Syllabus and the impact it might have on Camden’s syllabus, which is based on Hampshire’s.

Lesley Prior, the Professional Advisor to SACRE, informed members that Hampshire was reviewing their syllabus. Camden’s agreed syllabus was Hampshire’s, and so Camden might wish to consider reviewing its syllabus if Hampshire changed theirs.

It was noted that the Camden agreed syllabus had to be reviewed in 2017, five years after the last review. Camden had bought the rights to the Hampshire syllabus, and members asked if officers would check the terms of that agreement to see if Camden had bought the rights in perpetuity or just for a particular syllabus for a particular period of time.

                                                            ACTION: Committee Services (VS)

In discussion, a member said that it had been reported to him that some teachers had had difficulty with the syllabus. Members agreed that it would be useful to invite teachers to give their views on the syllabus to a future meeting.

RESOLVED –

THAT the comments above be noted.

To notify members of the Camden & Islington SACRE lecture by Charles Clarke which will be being held on 23^rd February at the LSE Faith Centre.

It was noted that the lecture by Charles Clarke would take place at 6pm on 23^rd February at the LSE Faith Centre. Members were encouraged to attend.

To consider sending a delegate to the NASACRE AGM on 17^th May 2016.

It was noted that Jim Walters had agreed at the last meeting to be the Camden SACRE delegate to the NASACRE AGM.

To note reports from:

·         Goldsmith’s University on the Teaching and Learning of Religion and Belief: http://www.gold.ac.uk/faithsunit/reforreal/ (Executive Summary enclosed with these papers)

·         The Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life: http://www.corab.org.uk/

The links and executive summary were noted.

There was a discussion about the need for guidance for schools around pupils who would be fasting during Ramadan. This was a particular concern as Ramadan for the next few years would be during exam time and the summer term. Councillor Rosenberg added that it would be useful to have guidance which applied to pupils who were fasting in the Jewish religious tradition.

Jim Walters, Shahanaz Begum, Amanda Szewcyzk-Radley and Councillor Phil Rosenberg agreed to serve on a working group to draft guidance for schools on pupils who were fasting.

The next meeting of SACRE will be on Tuesday, 10^th May 2016.

It was noted that the next meeting would be on 10^th May 2016. Dates for the 2016-17 academic year would be proposed at that meeting or shortly afterwards.