Agenda and minutes

Ann Boater was proposed and seconded to serve as the new Chair of the Agreed Syllabus Conference. There were no other nominations.

Abdul Quadir confirmed that he was standing down as the Vice-Chair of the Conference. Shahanaz Begum was proposed and seconded as the Vice-Chair. There were no other nominations.

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT Ann Boater be elected the Chair of the Camden Agreed Syllabus Conference;

(ii)          THAT Shahanaz Begum be elected the Vice-Chair of the Camden Agreed Syllabus Conference.

To update the meeting on the membership of the Agreed Syllabus Conference.

Mary Thorne was welcomed as a new Panel B member. It was noted that Jim Walters (Panel B) and Eric Bateson (Panel C) had resigned.

There were no announcements.

Apologies for absence were received from Lynndy Levin. Apologies for early departure were received from Councillor Fulbrook.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no notifications of any items of urgent business.

To consider the minutes of the Agreed Syllabus Conference meeting on 6^th July 2017.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th July 2017.

Shahanaz Begum said that she had been present at the meeting and her name had been omitted in error.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the 6^th July 2017 meeting be agreed, subject to the amendment above.

Matters arising:

The Professional Advisor to SACRE, Lesley Prior, brought members’ attention to a national report which had been issued on RE provision in secondary schools, which said one-quarter of schools were not teaching RE. The RE Council would be publishing its interim report on Wednesday (20^th September) as well.

To consider a verbal update from the Local Authority on the RE teacher survey.

Members noted that 8 responses had been received to this survey. This was a small sample size, and so it was difficult to draw conclusions from it.

There was a variety of responses from respondents, with 5 being satisfied and 3 being dissatisfied with the existing syllabus. There also appeared to be some confusion about the questions in the survey from some respondents.

Only three of the people who had responded to the questionnaire had been RE specialists. Members noted the shortage of subject specialists for RE. They were minded to write to the Local Authority at a future date when the new Agreed Syllabus was in place to enquire how RE teachers were recruited.

RESOLVED –

THAT the survey responses and the comments above be noted.

Members are asked to consider whether to retain the current Agreed Syllabus or to opt for a new one as their preferred option.

Members noted the four options laid out in the minutes of the previous meeting. They asked what approach Islington was taking to its agreed syllabus and were informed that they were buying it in from a private company.

Members said they believed that any syllabus needed to be “Londonised”. They asked whether other authorities other than Westminster were opting for a “London” version of the Hampshire syllabus. The Professional Advisor said that Hammersmith & Fulham had done so as well.

Members were informed that the cost of buying the rights to the Hampshire syllabus would be £1000. There would be an additional cost if advisors from Hampshire were being asked to come and given training. Members noted that course materials were produced in electronic format these days, but some felt it would be helpful to have hard copies of the syllabus circulated to schools as well.

Members agreed in principle to opt for the ‘Londonised’ version of the Hampshire syllabus which Westminster City Council were working on. However, before they formally agreed this, they wished to see the Westminster syllabus once it was completed.

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the Agreed Syllabus Conference agree in principle to adopting a ‘London’ version of the Hampshire syllabus as being produced by Westminster;

(ii)          THAT the Westminster syllabus come to a future meeting of the Agreed Syllabus Conference.

Members are asked to consider and agree a statement on the purpose of RE for inclusion in the introduction to an agreed syllabus.

The RE Council’s 2013 Review of RE statement on the purpose of RE is attached for consideration.

Members noted the RE Council’s statement on the purpose of RE. Some members felt that it was too lengthy or that it asked too much of younger children. Others felt that it was about gradually developing the knowledge and awareness of children and so should be interpreted in different ways for different age groups.

The Professional Advisor said that some local authorities had used quotes from several members of their SACRE in statements of purpose for RE, as the subject had different meaning to different members. Some committee members thought this would be an idea worth exploring in future.

Members were of the opinion that the statement, which would appear as an introduction to the agreed syllabus, would only need to be agreed once the syllabus was ready to go out to schools. They therefore agreed to defer a decision on what this statement should be to a future date.

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the comments above be noted;

(ii)          THAT the drafting of a statement of purpose of RE for the agreed syllabus be deferred to a future date.

Members are asked to agree a date for the next meeting of the Agreed Syllabus Conference.

Members agreed that the next meeting of the Agreed Syllabus Conference be on 9^th November at 5.30pm, prior to the scheduled SACRE meeting.

There was no other business.