To note the budget for SACRE 2022/23

SACRE received a report from the lead officer for SACRE to note the budget for 2022/23 as being £6,120. The strategic finance manager, corporate services, introduced the report and explained that the funding for SACRE came from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and a bid for extra funding of £1,120 was agreed through the Schools Forum. £1,000 was to ensure sufficient funding for the 5 year syllabus review. The £120 was requested by the chair to pay for annual membership of the NASACRE and that was readily agreed by Schools Forum. The chair made a detailed proposal for consideration by schools for the funding of SACRE and included in that was a proposal for funding for an annual conference of schools. The budget working groups had been informed that two secondary heads teachers had volunteered to arrange events at their own schools which would be used as examples for other schools to follow, and preferred that approach rather than granting additional funds for this in the budget. Hopefully, this would provide a starting a point to develop an annual schools conference. The budget as it was agreed was sufficient to cover SACRE’s needs for 2022/23 and would be reviewed as required.

The Chair sought clarification that the £1,000 pound increase would also be used for training requirements and the reinstatement of a third meeting in the summer, the strategic finance manager confirmed this.

SACRE welcomed the increase in funding during these difficult financial times and also extended its gratitude to the two school heads who had volunteered their schools as venues for conferences and meetings. 

The Chair noted that RE Today would charge the current rate for the July 2022 meeting, but would need to review this for 2023. It was also pointed out that he Schools Forum didn’t accept any of the vision funding at all and that there was a need to contact the head teachers to see what could be worked out.

The Chair also pointed that SACRE had not be granted funding for the Bluecoat’s School Saturday event, but that the Mayor of Hereford had suggested that SACRE could apply for specific funding that available for people in Hereford City, which might be able to provide funding for a faith/culture event in the future. SACRE would not apply for this until September 2022 as the money would need to be used within a limited time.

SACRE felt it was good to have the third meeting reinstated as it allowed for greater continuity throughout the year and for initiatives to be followed through.