What
is SACRE?
The full title is Standing
Advisory Council on Religious Education and it’s made up of
four groups, each with a single vote to use when voting is
necessary:
|
Group A
Representatives of Christian denominations other
than the Church of England and of other religions
|
Group B
Church of England representatives
|
|
Group C
Representatives of teacher associations
|
Group D
Representatives of the local authority
|
The local authority (LA)
appoints the members of each of these four groups. For this purpose
it would normally ask for nominations from those religions,
Christian denominations and teacher associations it has decided
should be represented on the SACRE.
What
does the SACRE do?
The main duty of a SACRE is to
advise the local education authority on:
·
matters of
collective worship in community schools
·
the
religious education (RE) given in accordance with the locally
agreed syllabus for the subject. (Although part of the basic
curriculum, religious education is not part of the national
curriculum. Each LA is required to provide a syllabus for religious
education for use in its schools).
This means that a
SACRE:
·
must
consider applications from head teachers who request that their
school be released from the legal requirement for collective
worship to be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian
character. Such a dispensation is known as a
determination
·
must publish
an annual report of its work
·
can require
the LA to organise a review of its agreed syllabus for
RE
·
can give
advice on methods of teaching agreed syllabus for RE
·
can advise
the LA on the provision of training for its teachers in relation to
RE and collective worship
·
should
consider any complaints about RE and collective worship referred to
it by the LA.
What
does West Berkshire’s SACRE do?
·
Produce a
locally agreed
joint RE syllabus for West Berkshire, Bracknell, Wokingham,
Reading, Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
·
Encourage
the development of material to support the implementation of the RE
syllabus
·
Support the
provision of meetings for RE coordinators in primary schools and
occasional RE conferences
·
Provide a
copy of the Non-statutory guidance on RE published by the
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the DfE to each school
in West Berkshire
·
Receive
presentations from teachers and members of faith communities on
issues related to RE and collective worship
·
Support and
send representatives to the Pan Berkshire Hub
·
Through the
Pan Berkshire Hub, the West Berkshire SACRE is part of the Crossing
the Bridges project
·
Publish an
annual report of its work
View
the latest places of worship directory.
No applications
for determinations have been received from schools in the
authority.
