Westminster SACRE Annual Report for the academic year September 2007 to August 2008

Introduction to the Report

SACRE received and considered QCA’s document “SACRE annual reports to QCA and other stakeholders - Revised pilot reporting format” of January 2008. It noted that the previous reporting format guidance has been withdrawn, as has the request that reports are produced for January 31st following the end of the reporting year. SACRE considered the suggested new report format and whilst understanding its advantages in requiring a systematic self-evaluation exercise to be carried out by SACRE on a regular basis had some practical concerns about implementing the new format without further discussions, both internally within SACRE but also with the local authority. Therefore for the present SACRE presents this brief account of its activities during the past year.

Religious Education

Westminster’s Agreed Syllabus

Westminster adopted the 2004 Agreed Syllabus of Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, subject to some minor amendments relating to content, for teaching in Westminster community schools with effect from September 2007.

Standards

With the disappearance of subject reports from Ofsted school inspection reports, SACRE had no formal means of monitoring standards of RE in Westminster schools during the reporting year. Visits to community primary schools by the consultant to SACRE, reported on at SACRE meetings found a mixed picture with some excellent practice mixed with situations that were less good. Where RE was less good this was often the result of a new RE coordinator having taken on the role without previous experience or training and in most of these cases support was mobilised for the schools either through the SACRE consultant or through two advanced skills teachers who do outreach work in Westminster schools.

Complaints

No complaints concerning RE were received during the year

Collective Worship

No new advice on collective worship was given by SACRE to either the LA or the schools during the year.

No monitoring of collective worship, either of adherence to statutory requirements or of quality of collective worship, took place during the year.

Three requests for the renewal of determinations were received and granted

No complaints regarding collective worship in the community schools of Westminster were referred to SACRE during the year.

Other Matters

SACRE links with other bodies

Westminster SACRE is affiliated to the National Association of SACREs (NASACRE)

Professional and Administrative Support for SACRE

SACRE meetings are clerked by a ‘Programme Support Officer’ of the LA. The LA’s Senior School Development Officer attends and participates in meetings. Professional support for SACRE is provided by an external consultant

Finance

The annual budget for SACRE in 2007-2008 was £5,000. This funded external consultancy, meeting costs, NASACRE membership and incidental expenses.

Appendix 1 Examination results

Religious Studies / Religious Education

GCSE full course

School / Gender / total entry / A* / A / B / C / D / E / F / G / A*-C / A*-G
Quinton Kynaston / Boys / 2 / 2
Girls / 4 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 3 / 4
All / 6 / 4 / 1 / 1 / 5 / 6

GCSE short course

School / Gender / total entry / A* / A / B / C / D / E / F / G / A*-C / A*-G
Quinton Kynaston / Boys / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1
Girls / 0
All / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1

A level

There were no entries from Westminster’s single secondary school the results of which should be reported in an annual SACRE report

Appendix 2 – Information regarding the composition of Westminster SACRE and the names and contact addresses of the officers who service it.

Westminster Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education

Membership, September 2007

Committee A – Faiths and Denominations

Mr Barney Leith / Baha’i Faith
Mr Andrew Copson / British Humanist Association
Mr Ron Maddox / Buddhist
Ms Krishna Pranadhika / Hindu Faith
Dr Fatma Amer / Islamic Faith
Rev Martin Tullett / Methodist Church
Father A Fostiropoulos / Orthodox Churches
Mr R. Singh / Mr B Singh / Sikh Faith
Mr Peter Ward / Catholic Church
VACANCIES: / Jewish Faith
Society of Friends (Quakers)
United Reformed Church
Pentecostal
Baptist Church
Islamic Faith

Committee B – Church of England

Miss Elizabeth Wolverson
Ms Frances O’ Neill
Rev. John Hicks
Rev Mark Kenny
Rev Matthew Woodward

Committee C – Teachers

Ms Angela Piddock / NAHT
Mr Michael Matthews / NAHT
Ms Umral Osman / NASUWT
Ms Helene Murphy / NUT
John James
Vacancies / ATL
SHA

Committee D – The Local Education Authority

Cllr Carolyn Keen
Cllr Mushtaq Qureshi

Servicing Officers

Mr Richard Capel / Senior School Development Officer
Mr Roger Butler / Professional Advisor to SACRE
Ms Vica Omuaru / Clerk to SACRE (from School Effectiveness Team)

All the servicing officers may be contacted via the present Clerk to SACRE whose contact details are: Amanda Price, School Effectiveness Group, 1stFloor, 215 Lisson Grove, London NW8 8LF; email: , telephone: 020 7641 2740.

Appendix 3 – the number of times that SACRE met during the reporting year, a record of attendance of members, and a brief account of the main issues that were discussed at each meeting.

SACRE met three times during the year, once in each term

The meeting during the autumn term took place at Barrow Hill Junior School on Thursday 22nd November 2007. There were seven members present. Discussion items included: the implementation of the new agreed syllabus in primary schools and likely effects on RE of the new secondary national curriculum.

The meeting during the spring term took place at the Council House on Thursday 3rdApril, 2008. There were six members present. A report back from a NASACRE conference was received and discussed. The major discussion item was of how advice could be given to schools in relation to sensitivity to parental religious beliefs in the context of a statutory duty to deliver the school curriculum. This discussion widened to consider the provision of prayer facilities for students and the difficulties that can be caused when young children wish to fast. It was agreed that a paper would be produced by officers after wider consultation and brought to a subsequent SACRE meeting. The applications for renewal of determinations were considered and granted.

The meeting during the summer term took place at the Council House on Thursday 3rd July 2006. There were seven members present. It was resolved that in future elections of SACRE officers would take place on an annual basis. It was further resolved to change the way in which determinations would be considered in future, with a written formulation of proposed changes to be considered at the next meeting of SACRE.

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