Agenda and minutes

To elect the Chair of SACRE for the 2016-17 academic year.

Rev Dr Jim Walters was proposed as the Chair of the SACRE. There were no other nominations.

RESOLVED –

THAT Rev Dr Jim Walters be elected Chair of Camden SACRE for the 2016-17 academic year.

To elect the Vice-Chair of SACRE for the 2016-17 academic year.

Councillor Abdul Quadir was proposed as Vice-Chair of the SACRE. There were no other nominations.

RESOLVED –

THAT Councillor Abdul Quadir be elected Vice-Chair of Camden SACRE for the 2016-17 academic year.

Apologies for absence had been received from Liz Wolverson, Michelle Chalibamba and Abdul Quadir.

There were no announcements.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th May 2016.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th May 2016.

Members wondered whether there had been any feedback in relation to the guidance from the working groups. They asked that this be checked with the officer who had been leading on the Council’s work on helping schools meet the religious needs of students, Workneh Dechasa.

                                                ACTION: Committee Services (VS)

Members noted the comments that Councillor Rosenberg had made at the last meeting about some Jewish students having difficulty obtaining time off for religious festivals. They asked that it be checked with him whether this had been a problem more recently too.

                                                ACTION: Committee Services (VS)

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting of 10^th May 2016 be approved and signed as a correct record.

To note the terms of reference of Camden SACRE.

Consideration was given to the terms of reference of SACRE.

Lesley Prior, the Professional Advisor to SACRE, noted that Paragraph 2.3 made reference to the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, which no longer existed. She suggested that the Authority should amend that paragraph to make reference to the annual report being sent to the Secretary of State and the National Association of SACREs.

RESOLVED –

THAT the terms of reference and the comments above be noted.

It was noted that there were a number of vacancies for representatives on SACRE. Panel B (Church of England) had two vacancies and Panel C (Teachers) had three.

With regard to Panel A, the Chair noted that there was currently a vacancy for a Roman Catholic representative, and asked that the Diocese of Westminster be contacted again to see if they could nominate someone.

                                                                        ACTION: Committee Services (VS)

He urged members who sat on Catholic schools’ governing bodies to investigate if they had contacts who would be interested in serving. He also noted that there was not a Pentecostal representative, and he felt that given the religious composition of the borough’s population that this was a denomination that should be represented.

RESOLVED –

THAT the membership of the Committee and the comments above be noted.

To note a list of schools with Determinations and when those Determinations were granted.

Members noted that no new Determination applications had been received.

The Chair and the Professional Advisor undertook to arrange a visit to Beckford School, which had lodged a Determination that an earlier meeting of SACRE had found was incomplete. Members noted that the school needed to provide evidence that the governing body had been consulted before it could obtain a Determination.

                                                ACTION: Chair of SACRE (JW)

                                                              Professional Advisor to SACRE (LP)

It was noted that Swiss Cottage’s Determination had expired and that Tracey Edwards, who had been the lead staff member at the school for this, was going on maternity leave. The Clerk was to write to the school to inform them that their Determination had expired.

                                                ACTION: Committee Services (VS)

Frank Barnes’ and Kingsgate’s Determinations would expire in February 2017. A letter would be sent to them to inform them of this and to invite them to liaise with the Professional Advisor over renewal.

                                                ACTION: Committee Services (VS)

                                                Professional Advisor to SACRE (LP)

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the list of schools with and without Determinations be noted;

(ii)          THAT a visit be arranged to Beckford School;

(iii)         THAT Swiss Cottage School be informed that their Determination had expired;

(iv)         THAT Frank Barnes and Kingsgate schools be informed of the pending expiry of their Determinations.

To consider the draft annual report of Camden SACRE.

Consideration was given to the draft SACRE annual report.

The Chair undertook to write an introduction. Once the Chair, Professional Advisor and Clerk had finalised the document, it would be submitted to the Department for Education and NASACRE.

                                                            ACTION: Chair (JW)          

                                                            Committee Services (VS)

RESOLVED –

THAT the draft annual report be agreed.

To consider whether to approve the proposed new constitution for NASACRE and to consider updates from NASACRE.

Consideration was given to the constitution of the National Association of SACREs (NASACRE) and the proposed new constitution for the Association.

Ms Prior explained that the constitutional amendments were designed to clarify how the voluntary organisation worked and to ensure that there was continuity in the key roles in the Association.

Members agreed the proposed new constitution for NASACRE.

RESOLVED –

THAT Camden SACRE record its vote in favour of the proposed new constitution of NASACRE.

Members were informed that the RE Council for England & Wales had met on 2^nd November and was establishing working groups to examine the various government proposals that have been made about Religious Education. They intended to make a submission to government about what they thought the best approach to take would be.

Given the recent rise in hate crime, a number of figures in the RE community had written to the Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening, to voice their concerns. They were of the view that increased religious literacy and awareness could help people to understand where others were coming from in these polarised times.

Members noted that the role of SACREs would decrease as more schools became academies, as SACREs only had a statutory role with regard to Local Authority community schools. It was noted that there was only one academy in Camden, fewer than in most other education authority areas.

A member commented on the need to link Religious Education with Sex and Relationship Education, so that pupils were aware of the different views that religious traditions held on these topics. 

RESOLVED –

THAT the information and comments above be noted.

It was suggested that an informal working group could be formed to discuss collective worship. Jim Walters, Lesley Prior, Paul Tomlinson and Ann Boater indicated an interest in serving on it.

RESOLVED –

THAT a working group be established on collective worship.

Members noted that the agreed syllabus would require review in 2017. An Agreed Syllabus Conference would be convened to examine this and consider if an updated version of the Hampshire syllabus should be re-adopted.

Members commented that it would be useful to have teacher feedback on this issue, and what they made of the materials on offer.

The Chair also asked that the idea of having a separate SACRE page on the Council website be investigated.

RESOLVED –

THAT the comments above be noted.

SACRE members noted that it was interfaith week during the week beginning 14th November. The Chair said that he was hosting a discussion on religion and politics on 17^th November at 6pm.

Liam Whitton, the Humanist representative, said that there would be a debate between the British Humanist Association and others on Premier Christian radio on 17^th November as well.

Future meetings of SACRE would be on:

·         Wednesday, 8^th February 2017

·         Wednesday, 3^rd May 2017

It was noted that future meetings of SACRE for the academic year would be on:

·         Wednesday, 8^th February 2017;  and

·         Wednesday, 3^rd May 2017