To report the findings from school RE monitoring visits undertaken between Autumn 2007 and Spring 2008 and to discuss issues or themes arising from the visits.

SACRE considered the findings from school Religious Education monitoring visits undertaken between Autumn 2007 and Spring 2008, and considered any themes arising from the monitoring visits.

The Consultant for RE reported that a sample of primary schools (16) were offered the opportunity of a visit to help them with monitoring and evaluating their provision for the statutory teaching and learning of RE.   These schools were selected as they were due an Ofsted inspection.  The sample included both Diocesan and Community schools.  Two had only recently been visited in the previous sample, so were not included again.    5 others responded positively to the invitation.   In addition, a new RE coordinator requested a visit.  One high school also requested a visit.

There was a delay in organising the primary school visits due to her commitments to the Multifaith event’s for children held in September 2007 and January 2008.  This resulted in two of the schools requesting that, due to time factors and other pressures, their visits be put ‘on hold’.

Two community primary schools have been visited. One other monitoring visit arranged for March has been postponed until April at the request of the Head.  One visit has been reorganised (in consultation with the school and diocese) to become an inset staff meeting on assessment.

She further reported that in addition to formal visits other sources of information had been used namely through activities such as the multi-faith event, the SACRE Conference and the ‘Finding Treasure’ collective worship training.  She acknowledged that while this was qualitative rather than quantitative research, and not necessarily representative, it did provide an indication of some of the ‘successes’ and also the areas requiring further support and development.  SIAS Inspection reports from the Anglican Diocese also provided information about RE in church schools.

She further commented on the following themes which were debated by the meeting:

Multi-faith events – these events had: actively involved pupils and teachers in meeting people from at last five faith communities; encouraged children and teachers to articulate questions for faith visitors and reflect on their own beliefs and values; shared their experiences through speaking, listening and presentation activities back in the school; raised the profile of RE in the 32 schools who had participated in the Holmer based event so far; directly led to similar events being run in 2 other schools; helped to share good practice and develop understanding of RE standards and expectations for teachers – through the training activities associated with the two Holmer schools events.   The events had also contributed strongly to the community cohesion agenda of enabling pupils to met and interact with people from other communities – and explore shared values.

SACRE considered the means of continuing to support and encourage such Multi-faith events and to ensure that multi faith and community cohesion issues were required elements of teacher training in Herefordshire.

The effectiveness of RE Co-ordinators - Enthusiastic and informed RE co-ordinator’s raise expectations, encourage the subject to be valued and support effective teaching and learning.  In one of the schools visited the RE co-ordinator had made a significant impact on standards and attitudes towards the subject, in the other, a newly appointed co-ordinator was already beginning to transform the ‘very low profile’ the subject seemed to have had previously.

SACRE considered that a central point of support for co-ordinators through network meetings and informal links should be developed.  SACRE wished to encourage the setting up of localised RE network meetings.  The setting up of a data base of RE co-ordinators would be beneficial to facilitate setting up meetings and the dissemination, if possible by e-mail, of information.

Standards of achievement and assessment for learning – She reported that feedback through informal conversation, together with findings from SIAS reports indicated that carefully thought out measures for recognising pupils achievement (assessment) were not yet in place in many schools.

SACRE considered the means of providing further support to schools to improve assessment for learning in RE.  It was noted that SACRE had no power to inspect RE in schools and therefore had to rely on being invited to visit.  They debated how to encourage schools that were reluctant to engage in the visits and suggested that the style of the offer be reconsidered so that there was no misinterpretation of the intentions.

Time for RE – She reported that there was a perceived concern about the dangers of RE slipping off the curriculum. There was a need for guidance to co-ordinators about how to manage the pressures and opportunities of the changing curriculum. She gave an example that a school had talked about an event replacing existing provision for RE. The introduction of the New Secondary curriculum was also raising questions about how to ensure that statutory RE was delivered within the more flexible and interdisciplinary possibilities of the revised key stage 3 curriculum.

SACRE debated the provision of support to schools and the delivery of RE in a changing school curriculum. SACRE acknowledged that trips and events can take longer than a lesson. It was emphasised that flexibility in subject teaching time was needed and that elements of RE could be included in other subject teaching and therefore a degree of quid pro quo was needed. 

RESOLVED: That

a)      SACRE recommend to the Local Authority that:

1.      The Local Authority and its partners support, resource and encourage such Multi Faith events;

2.      It ensures that Multi Faith and Community Cohesion be required elements of the training of teachers in Herefordshire;

3.      A central point of support for RE Co-ordinators be established, possibly through network meetings, and that termly informal links between schools and teachers be encouraged to develop;

4.      The Local Authority be encouraged to set up and resource localised RE meetings for teaching staff;

5.      To support the effective provision of RE the Local Authority provide additional guidance to schools on the improvement of assessment for learning in RE;

6.      SACRE be provided with information about how schools are making provision for RE within the more flexible curriculum structures; and

         b)   the SACRE Conference explores ways in which RE can be delivered effectively at the heart of a changing curriculum.