To receive a report on the 2007 Multi-faith event held on 25th & 26th September 2007 and to consider the possibility of a future event.

SACRE received a report on the 2007 Multi-faith event held on 25th and 26th September 2007 and considered the possibility of holding a future event.

The Consultant for RE reported that the 160 ten and eleven year old pupils from 16 primary schools across the county had taken part in a multi-faith conference to learn about Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism. The 2 day event held on the 25th and 26th September took place at Holmer CE Primary School, Hereford and was five times over-subscribed.   

She reported that the children met people from different non-Christian faith communities and learnt about their religions by getting involved in creative workshops including music, art, dance, story telling and role-play of the way other people celebrate their faith.

The conference had been organised by a partnership between the Herefordshire Multi faith Development Group members and Holmer primary school, with grant funding from the Herefordshire Local Network Fund.  Excellent and inspiring                                     workshop leaders came from across the country.   Judy Cecil, head teacher at Holmer primary school and event organiser, wanted as many children as possible to share in the day and used ICT to do this.  Video conferencing was used to enable two other primary schools to share in aspects of the event.  A film crew made up of Year 6 children from Holmer school, together with their teacher captured the event and worked hard to put together ‘Photostories’.  These were shown during the ‘Celebrate and Share’ assembly at the end of the day. Excerpts were shown to SACRE at the meeting and are available on the web at www.hereford-edu.org.uk.

The Consultant for RE commented that the Children had really enjoyed the workshops that combined activities with spirituality.  They had been intrigued by the way calligraphy and Rangoli patterns were not just shapes and patterns, but how these expressed deeper beliefs.  They were fascinated by the meaning of the traditional dress of a Sikh and enjoyed the reflective experience of Sikh music. They noticed how belief in one God (the same God!) was central to the lives of all four faiths despite each person seeming very different on the surface.  She further commented that in future events it would be good to have more time to understand the things which matter most (the spirituality, values and beliefs) to the person representing each faith and to use strategies and activities (such as the RE Today Commitment Game) to support reflection and to enable children to ask questions and think about their own response.

SACRE noted that the 2007 event had cost £4,500 and had benefited from a lot of voluntary help. 

Since the event St James’ CE Primary School, Kimbolton, had organised their own multi-faith day in which Zac Pandor, Maurice Rollnick and Daxa Mehta had lead teaching sessions. 

In relation to a further event the Consultant for RE was pleased to announce that funding from the Local Community Fund was enabling a similar multi-faith event, run by the Herefordshire Multi Faith Development Group, to be held on 22nd and 23rd January 2008, at Holmer Primary School, Hereford.

SACRE congratulated all those concerned in organising and running the very successful event and hoped that those schools that hadn’t attended would do so in the future. 

Members noted that SACRE had a very limited budget and was unable to offer financial support, however, in view of the many areas of curricular education and personal development covered by such an event, SACRE strongly suggested that the Local Authority consider funding a similar event for the Secondary school sector. SACRE noted that Whitecross High School may be interested in holding such an event.

RESOLVED that

a)      The report be noted and the congratulations of SACRE be extended to all those who had organised and run the event; and

b)     SACRE strongly suggests that the Local Education Authority consider funding a similar event for the Secondary School sector.