Agenda item

[To receive an update from RE Today – to be tabled.]

Angela Hill, representing RE Today, delivered a verbal update on the activities of National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) and National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (NASACRE).

The update provided Wolverhampton Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) members with a news update on the following:

NATRE Meetings with the Department for Education (DfE)

It was reported that representatives continually met with the DfE to ensure adequate provision of religious education in schools and discuss non-compliance issues. It was reported that the organisation was working closely with the DfE to provide subject knowledge enhancement training courses for secondary trainee teachers.

NASACRE hears from the DfE about school compliance on RE

It was reported that Neil Lawson from the Curriculum Unit of the Department for Education had written to NASACRE Chair, Paul Smalley, setting out the expectations of the government with regards to school compliance in RE. It was noted that a copy of this letter could be viewed online and a link was provided. http://nasacre.org.uk/file/nasacre/1-97-item-2.pdf

National and Regional Ambassadors

A link was provided with the paperwork to give more information on the ambassadors. It was noted that Chris Giles, Regional Ambassador was not a member of SACRE however he had expressed an interest in working with Wolverhampton SACRE and had offered his support. It was agreed that Chris Giles, Regional Ambassador would be invited to the next SACRE meeting to present an item on the National and Regional Ambassadors. It was noted that two years’ worth of funding had been secured for the scheme and further funding was being sought.

BBC Bitesize

It was reported that the RE teaching support and GCSE revision material developed by Lat Blaylock, RE Today had been launched on the BBC Bitesize website. It was noted that the material included quizzes, videos and other content, with further material specifically targeted to Key Stages 3 and 4. It was reported that the launch had been well received by teachers and students and feedback had stated that the content had been useful during lessons. It was noted that all content was free to access and also incorporated material provided by exam awarding bodies OCR and EDUCAS.

The RE All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)

It was reported that, at the January meeting of APPG for RE, NATRE Primary Vice-Chair Katie Freeman provided a verbal account on the positive impact of RE for pupils and how it is delivered in the classroom. This information reached an audience of parliamentarians and guests from various branches of the RE community. Wolverhampton SACRE members were invited to provide any thoughts on this and it was suggested that local MPs be encouraged to engage with schools.

NATRE and Culham St. Gabriel’s

It was reported that NATRE and Culham St Gabriel’s were jointly offering a new 200-hour DfE funded subject knowledge enhancement course. This was designed for new teachers who wanted to teach the subject but didn’t have a degree in theology or other RE related subjects. A link was provided with detailed information about the course at www.teachre.co.uk as well as information about other already established courses for those already teaching, such as Teach: RE Tailor Made.

It was clarified at this point that the statutory requirements were to make RE provision available to all pupils, unless partially or fully withdrawn from the subject by parents or guardians. There had also been reported a high degree of non-compliance in meeting statutory requirements of RE provision in secondary schools. Discussions had taken place in previous Wolverhampton SACRE meetings on how to address the issue as many secondary schools had shown to be underperforming in terms of hours dedicated to RE during the school week.

It had previously been agreed at the last meeting of Wolverhampton SACRE that a letter to Headteachers and School Governors would be drafted to outline the benefits of RE and to remind schools of the statutory obligations to provide RE tuition. It was reported that the letter was in the final draft stages and was to be sent on behalf of Meredith Teasdale, Director of Education. It was noted that the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills would also be consulted. It was agreed that once this letter had been distributed, feedback from schools would be provided at a future Wolverhampton SACRE meeting. A suggestion was made to include the content in the letter in a future Headteacher Bulletin to help further disseminate the information.

It was also suggested that a course could be introduced to influence headteachers of schools that were not currently meeting standards and to inform them of the positive impact that RE provision could have.

Better RE in 1000 Primary Schools

It was reported that NATRE had received funding for a project known as Primary RE 1000, which was to offer 1000 schools across the nation a support package for RE. Wolverhampton SACRE members were invited to nominate schools that were thought to require further encouragement to engage with RE. The package had been designed to support and enhance schools’ provision of RE by using digital content and free-to-use classroom resources as well as offer the opportunity to share best practice with local RE teachers. Discounts on membership of NATRE and discounted training courses were also included. It was suggested that contact details for schools could be provided to NATRE who would approach schools with the offer.

It was clarified that information provided previously on the number of hours dedicated to RE in schools had only been based on secondary school figures therefore it may be a challenge to identify primary schools in need of encouragement. It was suggested that a measure could be taken by analysing how many primary schools had been recorded as participating in previous RE training courses.

In respect of data gathering, it was also suggested that the emerging issue of right-wing extremism could be discouraged by providing workshops to schools in areas of potential risk. It was suggested that the West Midlands Police crime map could be utilised to identify these areas by number of crimes committed.

It was agreed that both these measures would be explored and details of schools that may benefit from the support would be passed to NATRE.

Cohesive Communities and Effective Partnerships

It was reported that the 2019 Annual NASACRE Conference and Annual General Meeting had been held in Manchester on Wednesday 22 May 2019 and had been well-attended with a wide and varied audience. It was reported that there had been various guest speakers and a programme of workshops had taken place. It was requested that thought be given to a Wolverhampton SACRE delegate attending the 2020 Conference event.

Jewish Museum: Teachers' Seminar Days

It was reported that the Jewish Museum were offering teachers’ seminar events designed to support teachers in line with the curriculum and provide them with an opportunity to share good practice. Booking details were provided to SACRE members for two Teachers’ Seminars to be held this Year; one specifically tailored to GCSE and A level students on 4 July 2019 and the other aimed at primary teachers which was scheduled for 5 July 2019. It was requested that information on these events be cascaded to Wolverhampton schools.

Resolved:

1.    That the Report from RE Today be received.

2.    That, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, a letter from Meredith Teasdale, Director of Education be sent to schools to outline the benefits of RE and the statutory obligations to provide RE tuition.

3.    That feedback from schools be provided on responses to the letter at a future SACRE meeting.

4.    That details of primary schools in need of extra support with the RE syllabus be passed to NATRE for consideration for the Better RE in 1000 Primary Schools project.

5.    That a representative from Wolverhampton SACRE be nominated to attend the next annual NASACRE Conference and Annual General Meeting.

6.    That information on the Teachers’ Seminar Days at the Jewish Museum be cascaded to Wolverhampton schools.