Committee details

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:

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.