Agenda and minutes

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 six 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 six 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.’

Apologies were received from Luke Dowding, Councillor Nasim Ali and Councillor Sabrina Francis.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2020.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 13^th October 2020.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 13^th October 2020 be approved as a correct record.

To note the membership of Camden SACRE.

Consideration was given to the list of members of SACRE.

The Chair welcomed the new members of the Committee – Damien Mason, Sally Jones and Natasha Beckles. Rev Beckles appointment had been made after the publication of the agenda. Their addition to membership meant that Panel B (Church of England) now had its full complement of six members.

The Clerk mentioned that he had been informed that Aidan Cottrell-Boyce no longer taught in the borough and so had left Panel C.

The Clerk reported that he had contacted Shahanaz Begum to ask her if she could suggest any potential Muslim reps; and had also contacted the Board of Deputies, the Free Churches Council and the NEU to seek members from those organisations.

Members were of the view that Panel C could be expanded by including educationalists working at cultural institutions in the borough, such as the British Museum. There was also a suggestion that there was scope to include community and school governor representatives as co-optees or as members of Panel D if that was acceptable to the Local Authority.

RESOLVED –

THAT the amended membership list and the comments above be noted.

To note the list of schools with Determinations.

Consideration was given to the list of schools with and without Determinations.

The Professional Advisor, Lesley Prior, explained that during the coronavirus lockdowns schools had been given a period of grace by the DfE where they could continue to rely on their Determinations beyond their expiry date.

She said that an application for Determination renewal had been received from Primrose Hill School, which would be considered at the June meeting of SACRE. She was also liaising with Regent High about their Determination application.

Schools whose Determinations had recently expired or were coming up for expiry would be re-contacted to invite them to re-apply.

                                                            ACTION: Clerk to SACRE

Members expressed concern that 13 community schools did not have Determinations. The Professional Advisor said that it was a judgment of the school as to whether to apply, and some schools felt that collective worship of a ‘broadly Christian’ character was suitable for their school – as it did not preclude mention of other faiths or their festivals.

Members asked if criteria for the making of Determination decisions could be provided to them.

ACTION: Professional Advisor to SACRE

RESOLVED –

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

(ii)          THAT the Primrose Hill application be considered at the June meeting

(iii)         THAT schools whose Determinations had expired be contacted to invite them to re-apply

(iv)         THAT criteria for the making of Determination decisions be circulated.

To consider the self-evaluation framework for SACREs.

Consideration was given to the Self-Evaluation Framework (SEF).

The Chair introduced the item and thanked Lesley Prior, the Professional Advisor, and Shahanaz Begum, the former Chair, for their work on this.

She said that to make the SEF meaningful the SACRE needed structures to do work between its termly meetings. She had suggested the establishment of working parties to do so, as outlined at Item 8.

RESOLVED –

THAT the SEF be noted.

To consider establishing working parties of Camden SACRE.

Consideration was given to the document on working parties.

The Chair proposed that SACRE consider establishing three working parties – on Membership, RE and Collective Worship.

Members agreed this proposal in principle, and the Chair agreed to send out further information on this and invite members to indicate their interest in working parties to join.

                                                                        ACTION: Chair of SACRE

RESOLVED –

THAT SACRE agree to establish working parties on Membership, RE and Collective Worship.  

There was no other business.