North Yorkshire Council
North Yorkshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE)
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 1 April 2025 commencing at 4.00 pm.
Group A: Christian Denominations and such other religious denominations as, in the Authority’s opinion, will appropriately reflect the principal religious traditions in the area: Professor John Adams (Humanism)*, Sarah Beveridge (Society of Friends), Hayden Cohen (Judaism), Abhijeet Kulkarni (Hinduism), Mohinder Singh Chana (Sikhism).
Group B: Church of England: Revd Claire Soderman.
Group C: Teachers’ Associations: Jo Colledge, Sarah Hodgson.
Group D: North Yorkshire Council: Councillors Alyson Baker (Chair)*, Janet Jefferson, Simon Myers, and Annabel Wilkinson.
Apologies: Tara Askew, Sarah Hodgson.
*denotes in person attendance
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Copies of all documents considered are in the Minute Book
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83 |
Welcome and Announcements
The Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting, remarking that it was Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday 30 March, marking the end of Ramadan, and wished Eid Mubarak to those who had been celebrating. Also, April would mark Vaisakhi, Easter, and Passover, and the Chair wished those who would be marking these festivals well.
The Chair also congratulated the School Improvement Team, who won the Ambitious Award at the North Yorkshire Council Staff Awards in January. Between 2023 and 2024, the proportion of North Yorkshire Schools achieving Good or better at Ofsted inspections increased from 83% to 89%.
Jo Colledge was also thanked for her contributions to North Yorkshire SACRE, as she would be retiring at Easter, and wished her a happy retirement.
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84 |
Apologies for Absence
Apologies were received Tara Askew and Sarah Hodgson (Group C).
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85 |
Minutes of the Meeting held on 10 December 2024
The minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2024, subject to the amendment of “and officers and followed up” to “and officers followed up” in Minute 80, were agreed as an accurate record.
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86 |
Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.
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87 |
Public Participation
There were no public questions or statements.
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88 |
Schools Presentation
Mary-Lou Byrne (Nidderdale High School) delivered a presentation on the implementation of the Locally Agreed Syllabus (LAS) since it had been introduced in June 2024, and how the curriculum had been adapted in response.
The presentation outlined how the school’s offer had been amended in response to the LAS, showcasing a wide range of students’ work. The curriculum looked to focus on lived experience, and had been refined in response to changing world views. The programme was ambitious and challenging, but was also designed to be structured and accessible. Students had been asked to consider significant questions and reflect on their own beliefs and experiences, as well as learning about those of others. The use of stories and case studies provided accessible context, allowing students to engage with challenging subjects. In addition, the school had arranged a series of visits to places of worship in the local area, as well as working closely with Ripon Cathedral and engaging outside speakers.
In response to a range of questions, SACRE discussed how challenging issues and current affairs were handled. It was explained that as well as teaching about such issues, students were well-informed about current events from the news and often raised such topics themselves. RE remained an important way to engage with such topics and there were no clear answers, but students were encouraged to reflect on them in a respectful manner. The SACRE also asked how progress was monitored and heard that a range of assessments used to check substantive and disciplinary knowledge, but that personal knowledge was not assessed. A range of pedagogical techniques were used to check understanding and correct gaps. Members asked whether it was possible to say whether the LAS was having a positive impact on students’ attitudes to RE. In the case of Nidderdale High School, trips were always fully booked, and the students were excited and enthusiastic about the subject. It was also suggested that, with permission, the examples of students’ work could be used in the next SACRE Annual Report.
The SACRE thanked Mary-Lou Byrne for the presentation, in particular the focus on students’ work which gave a valuable insight into how the LAS was having an impact on learning in schools.
Agreed: That the presentation be noted.
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89 |
Update by the Professional Religious Education Adviser
The Professional RE Advisor presented a report updating the SACRE on local and national RE matters and informing on work undertaken since the last meeting. The Primary RE Networks continued to see improved attendance as new RE leads came into post across North Yorkshire, and an RE Leadership Course had taken place this year. Feedback was included in the report.
The ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review was also highlighted. The interim report was issued in March and had been communicated to the SACRE. While the interim report contained no recommendations, it did indicate some general themes in the national conversation around RE, which were discussed. There was a general feeling that change was needed, although there was not yet consensus on what that would be. Members noted that the current review seemed to be open to fundamental change, with no potential response ruled out of scope. While it was not yet necessary for the SACRE to corporately come to a decision on these questions, Members were encouraged to reflect on the issue as it was likely that all SACREs would be consulted in future.
Agreed: That the report be noted.
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90 |
Update by the Local Authority
The Principal Education Advisor (Monitoring) presented the Local Authority’s report, which set out the work undertaken since the last meeting. The SACRE Annual Report, provisionally agreed at the 10 December 2024 meeting, had now been finalised and submitted to the Department for Education and NASACRE, as well as being presented to North Yorkshire Council’s Children and Young People’s Leadership Team, and the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee. It is now publicly available on the NASACRE website.
Since the last LA report to SACRE until 28 February, Ofsted have published a further 23 reports for state-funded schools within North Yorkshire from a total of 22 Section 5 inspections (graded) and 1 Section 8 inspection (ungraded).
Members also discussed the proposed questions for the Schools’ Survey, to be sent out in Summer 2025, providing feedback which LA officers noted.
Agreed: That the report be noted.
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91 |
Work Programme
The Clerk presented the work programme which outlined ongoing and forthcoming work. It was agreed that the SACRE Development Plan, which was due for renewal, would be discussed at the Mid Cycle Briefing in May, and any updates would be brought to a future meeting of SACRE for discussion and comment. It was also agreed that the Chair and Principal Education Advisor (Monitoring) would attend the NASACRE conference in London on 19 May.
Agreed: That the report be noted.
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92 |
Date of Next Meeting
The date of the next meeting, on Tuesday 17 June at 16:00, was noted.
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