Vale of Glamorgan Council

Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education

(SACRE)

Annual Report

2015 - 2016

2

Annual Report of the Vale of Glamorgan Council

Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE)

2015 - 2016

Contents

Page

Section 1 Information about SACRE 3

1.1 Duty to establish SACRE

1.2 Composition of SACRE

1.3 Membership of SACRE

1.4 Functions of SACRE

1.5 Meetings

1.6 Circulation of report

Section 2 Executive summary of advice given by SACRE 5

Section 3 Advice on religious education 9

3.1 The locally agreed syllabus

3.2 Standards in religious education

3.3 Methods of teaching, teaching materials and teacher training

Section 4 Advice on collective worship 14

4.1  School inspection reports

4.2 School self-evaluation

4.3 Applications for determinations

4.4 Observation of collective worship

Section 5 Other Issues 16

5.1 WASACRE

5.2 NAPfRE

5.3 Curriculum Review

5.4 Revision to A level and GCSE Examination Specifications

5.5 The new Welsh Baccalaureate and RE

5.6 Use of Incerts

5.7 Humanist representation on SACRE

Appendices

Appendix 1 Membership of SACRE 18

Appendix 2 Schedule of meetings and agenda items 19

Appendix 3 Examination results 2015 20

Appendix 4 End of key stage 3 levels in religious education 22

Appendix 5 Circulation of SACRE annual report 23


THE ANNUAL REPORT OF VALE OF GLAMORGAN STANDING

ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

2015 - 2016

Section 1: Information about SACRE

1.1  Duty to establish SACRE

All Local Authorities are required to constitute a Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) within their local area.

1.2  Composition of SACRE

Representation on SACRE is required as follows:

·  such Christian and other religious groups and denominations as, in the opinion of the local authority (LA), will appropriately reflect the principal religious traditions in the area;

·  associations representing teachers; and

·  the LA.

The Council may also include co-opted members.

The Vale of Glamorgan SACRE has agreed the following membership:

Representatives from religious traditions and denominations.

To optimise the efficiency of the SACRE, membership is sought from a wider range of religious traditions than that which may at any time, be directly present within the Vale of Glamorgan.

12 places from a range of religions and denominations

Teacher representatives

8 places from a range of teacher associations

The LA

6 members representing the local authority.

Co-opt members (with no voting rights)

Up to 4 members who have an interest in religious education and collective worship and can assist the committee in its functions.

Following SACRE’s recommendation to the LA to review its membership, the committee has been pleased to welcome new members creating a wider breadth of representation. SACRE is continuing to seek members to fill the remaining places.

1.3 Membership of SACRE

The list of members of the Vale of Glamorgan SACRE is set out in Appendix 1.

1.4  Functions of SACRE

The main function of a SACRE is to:

·  advise the LA on collective worship in county schools and the religious education to be given in accordance with the agreed syllabus including methods of teaching, advice on materials and the provision of training for teachers;

·  consider whether to recommend to the LA that its current agreed syllabus should be reviewed by convening an Agreed Syllabus Conference;

·  consider whether the requirement that religious worship in a county school should be ‘broadly Christian in nature’ should be varied (determinations); and

·  report to the LA and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) on its activities on an annual basis.

1.5 Meetings

SACRE met on three occasions during the academic year 2015 - 2016. The dates were:

·  9th November 2015

·  15th March 2016

·  14th June 2016

1.6 Circulation of report

A list of the organisations receiving the report can be found in Appendix 5

SECTION 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A brief summary of the advice that SACRE has given to the local authority follows:

Monitoring Religious education

Aim: To monitor provision and raise standards in religious education

Action

1.  SACRE considers and analyses school inspection reports. If there are any issues regarding religious education, such as non fulfilment of statutory requirements, then the LA takes a pro-active approach working with schools in producing the action plan to address any shortcomings. Support is provided where necessary. During the academic year 2015 - 2016 no follow up action was necessary.

2.  SACRE, in consultation with the LA and its schools, resolved to use school self-evaluation as a means of fulfilling its statutory responsibility to monitor provision and standards in religious education. It was agreed to contact schools in the year prior to their inspection. During the academic year 2013 – 2014 information was received from one primary school only although information had been requested from nine schools. In light of this and the revised system of short notification of inspection, it was agreed to review the procedure of requesting self-evaluation reports. Headteachers have been asked for their views on various systems of requesting the information. At the spring 2016 meeting, it was agreed that a letter would be written to every school whose inspection report had been received this academic year, congratulating them on good aspects noted by Estyn and asking for information via the self-evaluation proforma. SACRE is awaiting responses.

3.  SACRE analyses examination results over a three year period and identifies trends in performance benchmarked against All Wales data. Schools are informed of the outcomes of this analysis and any issues raised by SACRE.

4.  SACRE analyses end of key stage 3 teacher assessment data and this is shared with all secondary schools in the local authority.

The Agreed Syllabus for religious education

Aim: To fulfil the legal requirement to review the agreed syllabus for religious education on a five yearly basis and monitor its implementation.

Action

1.  In 2008 The Agreed Syllabus Conference endorsed and adopted a new agreed syllabus for the Authority’s schools to be implemented from September 2008. All primary schools received a programme of INSET on the revised agreed syllabus in summer 2008.

2.  In June 2013 The Agreed Syllabus Conference endorsed the re-adoption of the Vale of Glamorgan agreed syllabus for religious education, with an understanding that the syllabus would be reviewed once further information is received in relation to the assessment and National Curriculum review.

3.  During 2013 – 2014, 2014 – 2015 and 2015 – 2016 SACRE members received updates on the consultations undertaken in relation to the national curriculum and assessment review.

Teaching materials

Aim: To ensure that schools are informed of suitable resources

Action

Holocaust Memorial Service

All schools were provided with details of the 2016 Holocaust Memorial Service.

Withdrawal Clause

A guidance document for schools on managing the parental right of pupil withdrawal from RE is being prepared by the RE Consultant.

RE News

Schools were advised that the formerly published RE News is now available to view on line at the following address: www.religious-education-wales.org

SACRE RE News Bulletin

SACRE produces a termly RE News Bulletin and distributes this to all schools and interested parties.

Farmington Scholarships

Details of the Farmington Fellowship opportunities were sent to all schools.

Visits to Places of Worship and Visitors to Schools

The contact list for places of worship and visitors to schools is currently being updated.

Training for teachers

Aim: To ensure that teachers are able to access appropriate continuing professional development.

Action

Due to the lack of take up of advertised courses in 2013 – 2014 and the subsequent need for cancellation, no RE courses were offered by the local authority via Central South Consortium this year.

Collective worship

Aim: To ensure that schools fulfil statutory requirements for collective worship and provide a worthwhile experience for pupils.

Action

SACRE monitors the sections of inspection reports that are concerned with collective worship and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The LA follows up on any non-fulfilment of statutory requirements by requesting their action plan. During the academic year of 2015 – 2016 SACRE members received details of school inspections undertaken in 2015 which included six primary schools and one secondary school.

SACRE, in consultation with the LA and its schools, resolved to use school self-evaluation as a means of fulfilling its statutory responsibility to monitor provision and standards in religious education. It was agreed to contact schools in the year prior to their inspection. During the academic year 2013 – 2014 information was received from one primary school only although information had been requested from nine schools. In light of this and the revised system of short notification of inspection, it was agreed to review the procedure of requesting self-evaluation reports. Headteachers have been asked for their views on various systems of requesting the information. At the spring 2016 meeting, it was agreed that a letter would be written to every school whose inspection report had been received this academic year for consideration, congratulating them on good aspects noted by Estyn and asking for information via the self-evaluation proforma. SACRE is awaiting responses.

Guidance documents

Guidance documents to support schools with the provision of collective worship have been available via the LA / SACRE website.

Other issues

Aim: To ensure a more informed SACRE through providing regular updates on local and national issues.

WASACRE

SACRE has maintained its membership of WASACRE and receives termly feedback from meetings of the association by its representatives.

National Advisory Panel for Religious Education (NAPfRE)

The RE Consultant to the Vale of Glamorgan SACRE is a member of NAPfRE and regularly attends meetings on SACRE’s behalf

Curriculum Review

SACRE has received regular updates on the development of the new curriculum and the implications for religious education.

RE and the Welsh Baccalaureate

SACRE recommended that the LA consults with schools on how the provision of RE will be managed alongside the introduction of the new Welsh Baccalaureate from September 2015.

Revision to A level and GCSE Examination Specifications

SACRE considered the issues surrounding the new A Level and GCSE Specifications for RS and updated schools accordingly.

Use of Incerts

Schools using the Incerts software were advised to ensure that they are using the correct set of Levels for Religious Education.


SECTION 3 ADVICE ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

3.1 The locally agreed syllabus

During the spring term 2008 an Agreed Syllabus Conference endorsed and adopted a new agreed syllabus for the authority’s schools which was implemented from September 2008. The agreed syllabus closely relates to the National Exemplar Framework for religious education. A yearly programme of INSET has continued and specific training on the agreed syllabus has been offered. Support materials, including electronic Progress in Learning files for secondary schools, have already been issued to schools.

During the 2012 – 2013 academic year SACRE was made aware of the announcement by the Minister of Education and Skills of a pending review of the National Curriculum and assessment in Wales. This review would involve the introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework and the identification of revisions to the current assessment and curriculum arrangements. In June 2013 the Agreed Syllabus Conference endorsed the re-adoption of the Vale of Glamorgan agreed syllabus with an understanding that the syllabus would be reviewed once further information is received in relation to the assessment and National Curriculum review.

In 2014 – 2015 SACRE received and discussed a presentation regarding the Curriculum Review: Successful Futures: Independent Review of Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements in Wales. A response to ‘The Great Debate’ was submitted on behalf of SACRE.

SACRE has received regular updates throughout 2015 – 2016 and will continue to monitor and respond to developments in this area.

3.2 Standards in religious education

SACRE has adopted a number of strategies for monitoring standards achieved in religious education in the authority’s schools that include analysing school inspection reports, reviewing examination results and analysing end of key stage 3 data.

School inspection reports

SACRE scrutinises the relevant sections of local authority school inspection reports on a yearly basis and if there are any issues regarding religious education, such as non fulfilment of statutory requirements, the local authority follows this up. During the academic year of 2015 – 2016 SACRE members received details of school inspections undertaken in 2015 which included six primary schools and one secondary school. In the absence of a requirement to report on Religious Education, SACRE notes any comments relating to community links, and diversity and cultural awareness. Positive comments were evident in all inspection reports relating to either links with the local church or an awareness of cultural diversity.

One report specifically mentioned that the curriculum meets statutory requirements for the Foundation Phase, the National Curriculum and religious education.

School self-evaluation

In 2013 – 2014 SACRE resolved to use school self-evaluation as a means of fulfilling its statutory responsibility to monitor provision and standards in religious education. It was agreed to contact schools in the year prior to their inspection. Nine schools were invited to submit a self-evaluation report however information was received from only one primary school. In light of this and the revised system of short notification of inspection, it was agreed to review the procedure of requesting self-evaluation reports. Headteachers have been asked for their views on various systems of requesting the information.

At the spring 2016 meeting, it was agreed that a letter would be written to every school whose inspection report had been received this academic year for consideration, congratulating them on good aspects noted by Estyn and asking for information via the self-evaluation proforma. SACRE is awaiting response from schools.

Key stage 3 data

SACRE analysed end of key stage 3 teacher assessment data from the Vale of Glamorgan schools and made a comparison with data for the rest of the Central South Consortium. The information was shared with all secondary schools in the local authority as members agreed that it would be beneficial to support self-evaluation judgements.