Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies and changes to membership.

It was noted that Anas Al- Korj and Dr Gil Dekel had resigned. New members Imam Sayfullah (Group A, Muslim faith) and Clare Wikeley (Group A, Jewish faith) were welcomed to SACRE’s membership.

The apologies of Councillors A Bunday and Magee, Liz Allen, Matthew Bunday, and Elizabeth Jenkerson and were noted.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2022, attached.

RESOLVED: that the minutes of the SACRE meeting on 6 June 2022 be approved and signed as a correct record.

To review and recommend any changes in Constitution and Membership, subject to Cabinet decision on 15 November 2022.

SACRE members noted that following the review of available data regarding the representation of religious and belief demographics within the City, the Local Authority had proposed that adding a Humanist representative to Group A, would reflect the group’s longstanding local support of Southampton SACRE and would move towards the SACRE having representatives of a wider range of beliefs held by people living in Southampton.

SACRE agreed that in recognising secular representation as a ‘belief’ within the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998, and accurately reflecting the changing nature of religious and non-religious beliefs in current society and the Southampton area, it would retain an annually reviewed membership representative for a member with no specific religious affiliation.

Data from the 2021 Census would be reviewed, once available in 2023, alongside SACRE membership, to accurately reflect wider belief systems in the City.

SACRE agreed that Matthew Bunday (Love Southampton) would continue as a co-opted member.

David Vane (Southampton Council of Faiths) was welcomed to the SACRE as a co-opted member. 

RESOLVED that:

  i.  SACRE agreed that membership would include a South Hampshire Humanists representative in Group A.

  ii.  SACRE membership would continue to include a non-affiliate member, following the previously agreed appointment process.

  iii.  Matthew Bunday would continue as a co-opted member representing Love Southampton.

  iv.  David Vane was co-opted representing the Council of the Faiths.

  v.  SACRE would take any recommendations on Membership changes to the next annual review of the SACRE Constitution in November 2023, following the publication of the 2021 Census data in 2023.

An overview of the structure, role and functions of SACRE was explained for the benefit of new members and as a reminder to all SACRE members.

Members to read the following prior to the meeting to enable an informed discussion.

1.  Core report FINAL REPORT. Religion and Worldviews: the way forward. FINAL REPORT. Religion and Worldviews: the way forward. A national plan for RE | Commission on Religious Education

2.  A national plan for RE | Commission on Religious Education Ofsted subject report discussion and white paper Ofsted publishes research review on religious education - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

3.  RE report card RE Report Card - Rethinkers  RE Report Card - ReThinkRE

Comments were invited from SACRE on the documents for discussion including Final Report of the Commission on Religious Education, which was established in 2016 to review the legal, educational and policy frameworks for Religious Education (RE), and the report of Rethink RE, a comprehensive review of five years of data concerning RE teaching in the UK. AP felt it was helpful to signpost changes from the Department of Education to the Education Act and other issues SACREs are grappling with nationally.

SACRE discussed how best to prioritise monitoring visits in 2022-23.

RESOLVED that:

  I.  Schools that had not yet been monitored would be prioritised.

  II.  An explanation of the benefits of monitoring visits would be offered to schools with new Head Teachers and/or RE Leads.

  III.  AP would contact schools to set up visits.

To receive feedback and updates from members of the SACRE on any events or training upcoming or attended.

SACRE members received feedback and updates on upcoming events or training.

It was noted that the One City: No Barriers multi-faith event was being supported for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools across the city had selected Year 8 students to work across schools with a focus on learning about and respecting other faiths. SACRE members were asked to attend once dates had been confirmed by SU and circulated by AP.

AP reported that SACRE members could access upcoming NASACRE training. Timing of the session was estimated at around one and a half hours and speaker contributions were thought to be useful.

RESOLVED that: SACRE members would support One City: No Barriers by attending the event once dates were confirmed.

1.  Completing the self -evaluation (new template from NASACRE)

2.  Monitoring visits undertaken as per priorities agreed

3.  Review of both Advice documents - action held over from June meeting

4.  Further review of membership once relevant Census data is published

5.  Membership 

6.  Completion of the mapping and contacts activity

7.  Resources for schools

The SACRE discussed items to be added to the Action Plan for 2022-23.

  I.  SACRE Self Evaluation: A small working group to meet no more than 2 or 3 times to complete the Self-evaluation (which SACRE was encouraged to do once every 1 to 2 years). Anyone interested in joining was welcomed to contact AP.

  II.  Monitoring visits: To be relaunched.

  III.  Review Advice documents: A small group was needed to consider amendments to the Advice documents. RG, SC, EJ, LH, LA, SU, RW agreed to take this forward. AP would circulate a date around February/March 2023 to review.

  IV.  Census Data Review: Date to be determined by AP.

  V.  Membership: It was noted that SACRE still had number of vacancies, despite requests, no one was coming forward. The Chair noted that several people had not been attending.  AP was to review non-attendance and promote the work of SACRE.

  VI.  Completion of Mapping project: Ongoing work by EC, SU and LA to continue to summer 2023. EC was unable to contribute the same technical skills offered by MG, who had left City Mission. It was agreed that the next step was to promote the online system, previously set up by MG, to different communities. AP noted that schools were still asking for information about local places of worship, therefore establishing the information as a map would be useful. EC and EB would meet and re-establish with LA and SU. The group would report back to the February meeting where they were up to.

VII.  Resources for schools across Hampshire IOW, Portsmouth: SACRE discussed the potential for recorded lessons to assist teachers about concepts they were not confident about. A tutorial on how to teach the syllabus and how to navigate resources was considered helpful. It was agreed this would be developed across the next few years.

VIII.  Golden Threads: Discussion took place about achieving commonality from Infant to Junior to Secondary over the next five years. AP explained that Golden Threads provided a tighter structure to RE teaching and that the focus for RE Lead training this year would be the context and concept of Golden Threads. It was agreed that SACRE would like to have a presentation from colleagues to show how Golden Threads was working from those with experience. AP and LH would set this up.

SACRE Annual Report (September 2021 to July 2022): AP to send the SACRE report to NASACRE, DfE and relevant stakeholders. Any comments on the draft to be sent to AP. The report must be completed on the NASACRE template.

Nominated and Substituted Rep Forms: AP to forward the forms to MW as requested and to members of SACRE.

Date of next meeting: 6 February 2023, 4.30PM.