Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned; and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 17 May 2017 as a true and correct record.

The Committee considered the minutes of the previous meeting.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 May 2017 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To receive verbal updates from Members of the SACRE as to any projects or issues within their area.

1.      Tim Cox invited Sheila Gewolb, Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews to attend a future SACRE meeting following her expression of interest in the work of the Committee.

2.      Imam Patel reported that Islamophobia Awareness Week would begin on Monday 13 November 2017 and offered to circulate teaching materials for members of the Committee to share. In addition, religious teaching on Islam had been offered to SACRE and schools throughout the diocese from respected teacher, Imran Kotwal of the Muslim Learner Services organisation.

3.      Helen Sage reported on changes to the GCSE syllabus specification for Religious Education. Also, it was reported that a new curriculum for Church of England voluntary aided schools would be launched by Blackburn Diocese in the coming months.

Further to previous meeting to receive a verbal update on the proposal presented at the last meeting regarding a project to develop a Kidsmeet.

The Committee had no new information to discuss in relation to the proposal to form a Kidsmeet first put forward at the previous meeting.

Resolved:

In the absence of any significant developments, it was agreed that a more detailed report would be brought to the 7 March 2018 meeting.

Further to the previous meeting, to update members on ongoing work of the Commission on Religious Education.

Members noted the contents of the report and the subsequent consultation exercise that had been undertaken.

In terms of relevant actions for the Committee emerging from the interim report, the Chairman highlighted elements of the Executive Summary and the need to ensure that, based on the changing global political landscape and changing

social demographics, there continued to be a need for Religious Education and added that it should remain current and relevant.  Members discussed in particular the four key areas of recommendations, namely: a national entitlement for RE, holding schools to account for their provision and quality of RE, a National Plan to improve teaching and learning in RE and a renewed and expanded role for SACRE’s.

Resolved:

The Committee noted the report.

To consider the arrangements for Joint NASACRE/AREIAC event on the Commission on Religious Education Interim report.

The Committee considered arrangements for the Joint NACARE/AREIAC event on the Commission on RE’s interim report to be held on Friday 24 November 2017 in Birmingham.

Resolved:

Members wishing to volunteer to attend the Joint NASACRE/AREIAC event as a delegate to notify the Clerk or Chairman at their earliest convenience.

To consider the attached report of the Religious Education Syllabuses currently used by schools in Blackpool.

Following a review of the current RE syllabuses used by Primary schools across Blackpool, Sharon Barnett reported that all catholic primaries used the Lancaster Diocese Syllabus with slight variations between some that had chosen to adapt the materials.

It was noted that Academy schools were free to choose which syllabus they employed to teach RE in their individual settings. The Chairman reminded members that schools seeking to purchase new syllabus materials would be entitled to a discounted price when purchased through SACRE.

Resolved:

1.      To list all catholic primaries in the Local Authority area as using the Lancaster Diocesan RE syllabus.

2.      To write to all Secondary Schools in the Local Authority area to establish which RE syllabuses they currently used.

3.      To write to all schools using the Lancashire syllabus to ensure they were accessing the most recent 2016 materials and not the previous 2011 scheme.

To receive an update on Interfaith week.

The Chairman reminded members of the importance of Interfaith Week due to take place between Sunday 12 and Sunday 19 November 2017. He added that it represented an opportunity to promote greater awareness and interaction between people from different communities and with different religious and non-religious beliefs and would also be a celebration of diversity.

Imam Patel described a series of planned visits he would be undertaking to Primary Schools during interfaith week in addition to visits to the Mosque by other schools.

The work of the Faith Forum was discussed and members expressed a desire to learn of any planned interfaith week events that the group was aware of.

Resolved:

Members not present at the meeting to inform the Chairman or the Clerk of any undertakings from the perspective of their organisations in support of Interfaith Week.

To consider the development of the SACRE Annual Report.

The draft annual report was considered and a number of amendments were suggested to the final document before publication.

Resolved:

1.      To amend the membership section of Appendix 3 on page 17 of the draft report for greater accuracy.

2.      To amend the graph on page 10 of the draft report to include a separate column for ‘Blackpool (church-schools)’.

3.      To amend the graph on page 10 of the draft report to include data from the previous year and from three years previously to aid comparison.

4.      Once action points 1, 2 and 3 complete, the final draft report to be brought to the 7 March 2018 meeting for endorsement prior to publication.

Members to discuss future agenda items and training needs to enable a forward plan of both to be drawn up for future meetings.

Resolved:

To add the following to the Forward Plan of Items /training requirements for the next meeting:

1.      Final Annual Report 2015/2016

2.      Draft Final Report 2016/2017

3.      Update on RE Syllabuses

4.      Refresher training session for SACRE members.

To note the previously agreed the dates of future meetings as follows:

7 March 2018 (provisional venue Blackpool Mosque)

20 June 2018 (provisional venue St Stephens on the Cliffs

It was noted that the next meeting would be held at 6pm on Wednesday 7 March 2018 at Blackpool Mosque, 2 Revoe St, Blackpool FY1 5HN.