To receive feed back from the Local Authority on a number of recommendations recorded at Minute No. 34 at the March 2008 meeting namely:

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 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.

SACRE received feedback from the Local Authority on a number of recommendations recorded at Minute No 34 at the March 2008 meeting.

The recommendation together with a summary of the Local Authority response is as follows:

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 training of teachers in Herefordshire;

Response: The Local Authority will be contributing £5,000 towards the next MultiFaith event to be held at Holmer C of E Primary School, Hereford.  In addition to supporting the above event the Authority will provide ongoing CPD to teachers and intends setting up a teacher network.  Elements of community cohesion were already contained in the authority’s Gypsy Roma Traveller Project Programme.  For Herefordshire and the theme could also be incorporated into the Headteacher Conference in the autumn.

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;

Response: building on the good work already undertaken and that planned (see previous response) the RE Consultant tabled a paper “Herefordshire RE network group proposal” which set out a proposal for the development of an RE network group for Herefordshire Schools.  She commented that both primary and secondary schools should be involved thereby enhancing the opportunity to learn from each other.  Ideally the management of the group should be lead by teachers from both primary and secondary sectors with Executive Officer support from herself.  Initial administrative support would be funded from SACRE.  Other funding streams/grants would be explored as necessary.

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;

Response: It was intended that support for the development of improved assessment practice would be provided through the RE network group.

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

Response: Currently the Authority had no method of collecting and collating information on how schools were making such provision.   The Authority will be approaching the School Improvement Partners (SIP) about getting them to include in one of their five school visits a question or two about how provision is made.  It was noted that how the question was phased would need carful thought.  In addition to this the RE Consultant would continue her school monitoring visits.  The results would be collated and reported to SACRE at appropriate intervals.

SACRE were concerned that monitoring RE in schools was central to their roll and this was extremely difficult to achieve without meaningful data.  A number of questions or areas of data were suggested e.g. school budget for RE; date last attended INSET training.  It was suggested that the SIPs would need training to ensure they were aware of the intentions behind the questions.

RESOLVED: That

a)      the response be noted and through the  Lead Officer for the SIPs team be requested to question schools on their RE provision as part of their visits to schools;

b)     on the assumption that the SIPs team agree to question schools then training be given to the SIPs team on the background to the questions;

c)       the RE Consultant continue her monitoring visits to selected schools; and

d)     The results of all RE monitoring be reported to a future meeting.