Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 5, Ground Floor - Civic Centre. View directions

Contact: Shelley Humphries  Tel: 01902 554070 email:  shelley.humphries@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and Introductions

2.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Mark Cooper, Rebecca Wood, Yvonne Fegan and Father Craig Fullard.

3.

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 474 KB

[To approve the minutes of the meeting of 23 May 2019 and ratify the actions from the meeting of 10 October 2019.]

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:

  1. That the minutes from the meeting of 23 May 2019 be confirmed as a correct record.

2.    That the minutes from the meeting of 10 October 2019 be confirmed as a correct record.

4.

Matters Arising

[To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the meeting held on 23 May 2019 and 10 October 2019.]

Minutes:

There were no matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

5.

Report from Religious Education (RE) Today pdf icon PDF 159 KB

[To receive an update report from RE Today.]

Minutes:

Lat Blaylock, RE Today presented the Spring 2020 SACRE National Update report from RE Today and highlighted some key points for noting.

 

CBP 7167: House of Commons Library paper on RE in England – Autumn 2019:

It was agreed that the House of Commons Library Paper would be circulated to Headteachers of maintained schools and academies.

 

Timing of SATs tests in 2021: Adaptations available for Muslim pupils:

It was agreed that the potential date of 12 May 2020 for Eid-ul-Fitr be noted and advice shared with schools ahead of this time in order for them to make alternative arrangements for testing. It was noted that SAT testing dates were flexible and this could be accommodated to allow pupils to observe the festival. It was queried whether there were any other festivals of a similar nature that may affect other examinations and it was clarified that if any flagged up that would affect as many students, this would be reported. It was highlighted that there were websites available that provided information on other religious festivals.

 

Art in Heaven and Spirited Poetry:

It was outlined that there would be an art and poetry competition held by NATRE which was open to primary and secondary pupils. It was reported that it was free to enter and Wolverhampton SACRE agreed to encourage Wolverhampton schools to take part by sharing the competition details with headteachers.

 

NASACRE National Conference and AGM 2020: Monday 18 May 2020:

It was reported that the event would take place at the Crowne Plaza, London and would cost £70 to attend, which would be covered in the budget. It was highlighted that the guest speaker would be Matthew Purves, Ofsted’s Deputy Director, Schools which meant that there would likely be items of interest on the agenda.

 

Akeel Ahmed, Representative of the Muslim Community stated he was unable to attend and suggested he could try and identify someone. It was also suggested that a teacher could attend on behalf of SACRE and report back. Laura Jude, Disadvantaged Advisory Teacher agreed to identify a teacher from a Wolverhampton school to attend and report back.

 

Resolved:

  1. That the House of Commons Library Paper would be circulated to headteachers of Wolverhampton maintained schools and academies.
  2. That the potential date of 12 May 2020 for Eid-ul-Fitr be noted and advice shared with schools ahead of this time in order for them to make alternative arrangements for testing.
  3. That Wolverhampton SACRE agree to encourage Wolverhampton schools to take part by sharing the competition details with headteachers.
  4. That Laura Jude, Disadvantaged Advisory Teacher agreed that a teacher from a Wolverhampton school would be asked to attend NASACRE National Conference and provide feedback to Wolverhampton SACRE.

 

6.

Agreed Syllabus Updating

[To receive an update on the agreed syllabus.]

Minutes:

Lat Blaylock, RE Today provided a verbal update on the Agreed RE Syllabus. It had been noted that the RE Syllabus for Wolverhampton was reaching the end of its five-year period and was due to be reviewed. It was also noted that much of the terminology required an update for example, language used in respect of relationships and sexuality. It was agreed that the scheme of work should remain the same as this had proved to be a useful tool and it was only the syllabus that needed refreshing.

 

Lat Blaylock, RE Today reported that he could review the syllabus and update it accordingly. It was agreed that Lat Blaylock, RE Today would refresh the syllabus only.

 

It was noted that the refreshed syllabus needed to be approved by May to be in place for the Autumn 2020 term therefore it was agreed that following the next meeting of Wolverhampton SACRE, the SACRE Agreed Syllabus Conference would meet to make the decision, as required by law.

 

It was suggested that, once approved, the document would be made available online with paper copies supplied upon request. It was agreed that the Council’s Communications team would work up the visual element and a launch event could be arranged to raise the profile. The Molineux, Georgian Room at the Art Gallery and the City Suite were suggested as potential venues.

 

Resolved:

  1. That Lat Blaylock, RE Today provide a draft of the refreshed syllabus for consultation and approval by the Agreed Syllabus Conference as part of the next meeting of Wolverhampton SACRE.

2.    That a launch event be scheduled following final approval of the RE Syllabus.

7.

Final Plan for Collective Worship Guidance pdf icon PDF 578 KB

[To consider the final plan for Collective Worship Guidance.]

Minutes:

Lat Blaylock, RE Today presented the Final Plan for Collective Worship Guidance document which provided refreshed guidance and advice for schools on leading collective worship and developing a school policy statement for collective worship.

 

It was reported that the document would be launched at the next Primary Network Meeting and would be made available online for schools to access easily. It was agreed that the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills would be invited to the next Primary Network Meeting. It was also agreed to include details of the launch at the Primary Network Meeting on the Headteacher Bulletin.

 

Resolved:

  1. That the Final Plan for Collective Worship Guidance be noted.
  2. That the Cabinet member for Education and Skills be invited to the next Primary Network Meeting.

3.    That a launch be considered for the refreshed Collective Worship Guidance at a Primary Network Meeting and details shared on the Headteacher Bulletin.

8.

Ofsted Findings During the Last Quarter

[To receive an update on Ofsted findings during the last quarter.]

Minutes:

Laura Jude, Disadvantaged Advisory Teacher provided a verbal update on the Ofsted Findings During the Last Quarter. It was noted that 10 inspections had been carried out and that there had been no specific mentions of religious education to report however, feedback had been positive when describing the ethos or culture of the schools visited. It was also noted that and increased number of schools had been rated either good or excellent.

 

It was highlighted that, in terms of Progress 8 scores, figures were reported to be well in line with the national standard. It was agreed that given the levels of deprivation within the City, this was an achievement worth noting.

 

Resolved:

That the Ofsted Findings During the Last Quarter be noted.

9.

Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) and Inspection 48 Findings During the Last Quarter

[To receive an update on findings from SIAMS and Inspection 48 Visits.]

Minutes:

Laura Jude, Disadvantaged Advisory Teacher offered a formal apology as the SIAMS and Inspection 48 Findings During the Last Quarter were not available for this meeting. It was agreed that they would be shared with members of Wolverhampton SACRE and published with the minutes.

 

Resolved:

That the SIAMS and Inspection 48 Findings During the Last Quarter would be shared with members of Wolverhampton SACRE and published with the minutes once available.

10.

Any other business

Minutes:

It was noted that the Constitution and membership for Wolverhampton SACRE needed to be reviewed and this would be explored for approval at future meeting. A number of vacancies were noted and it was agreed that Laura Jude, Disadvantaged Advisory Teacher would approach the Diocese for a suitable representative. Councillor Dr. Michael Hardacre offered to seek a union representative.

 

Resolved:

  1. That the Wolverhampton SACRE Constitution and membership be reviewed for approval at a future meeting.

2.    Laura Jude, Disadvantaged Advisory Teacher would approach the Church of England Diocese for a suitable representative.

11.

Dates of further meetings

[To consider proposed dates for future meetings:

 

·         21 May 2020

·         08 October 2020

·         11 March 2021

·         20 May 2021]

Minutes:

It was noted that provisional dates were:

·         21 May 2020

·         08 October 2020

·         11 March 2021

·         20 May 2021