North Yorkshire County Council

North Yorkshire Standing Advisory Council

on Religious Education (SACRE) –

13^th December 2022

 Teacher consultation on review of Agreed Syllabus through Autumn

 Primary RE Networks

1.0	Purpose of the Report
1.1	To inform Members on consultation with teachers about the review of the Locally Agreed Syllabus undertaken by the Professional RE Adviser during the RE networks this term.

2.0      Questions and responses

2.1       During the Primary RE networks this term the Professional RE Adviser provided an opportunity for all teachers present to submit responses to a small number of questions about the current locally agreed syllabus and the review for 2024. 

2.2       Detailed below is the responses from teachers. (copied as given and unedited) Further consultation will be needed but this gives a starting point for SACRE and the Agreed Syllabus Conference’s consideration.

Question 1

How effective is the current Locally Agreed Syllabus (LAS) for Religious Education in meeting and supporting your curriculum needs?

1 extremely effective

2 very effective

3 moderately effective

4 slightly effective

5 not at all effective

                  All present put 2 except one teacher who selected 1.

Comments included:

· Syllabus very effective

· I think it is very effective along with the units we bought

· Yes very effective

· 2 - it is very detailed (but perhaps a bit overwhelming for some teachers)

· Syllabus is very effective I like the detail to start with

Question 2

Is the guidance contained within the LAS clear?

 Yes / No

             All present put yes

Comments included:

· I find it very clear

· 1 - Guidance is clear 

· The guidance is clear but as someone suggested, it is overwhelming at times.

· 1 clear, but a lot in it and a lot of work to do in each school with the guidance.

· I think what you have shown us today about how to break things down is really helpful - so that we know exactly which information to pull out.

· I think it takes time for staff to read and re read to understand. I always find summary pages useful in documents so I know after I have read a document that I understood its main points

Question 3

Regarding the guidance contained within the LAS, how effectively does it enable you to:

A)Plan a coherent programme of learning

1 extremely effective

2 very effective

3 moderately effective

4 slightly effective

5 not at all effective

Comment

B) Deliver a coherent programme of learning

1 extremely effective

2 very effective

3 moderately effective

4 slightly effective

5 not at all effective

Comment

Responses were split between A2, B2 and A3, B3.

Comments included:

· 2 and 2 - I wouldn't know where to start without it.

· 2  B)2 (with units bought)

· It's a very effective start to then use for planning. I feel after today I can pick out more.

· b)3 We bought the more detailed units which made it easier

· 3: it would be helpful to have a more coherent sequence of steps to achieve the learning 

· B. 3 These networks are helping with this

· A2  Outlines all the requirements for delivering RE and also consistent in its approach across all key-stages.

· Good framework to use far more detailed

· The detail in the programme helps the other staff with their planning and activities

· I spoke to the RE team at the time of implementation as our team found the planning fairly difficult to use and quite incoherent but was basically told that we were the only ones that felt that way so we've persevered but don't find it particularly great. (comment relates to units of work)

Comments included:

· The full units are helpful with lots of ideas to support objectives 

· The strengths are the breadth and depth of information .

· I think it would be good to not change it too much as there is so much we are just getting to grips with, especially given the 2 years of disruption

· Strength is an excellent starting point. Improvement would be including the breakdowns you've shown us today.

· The links between the units are very useful. It's easy to dip into and find relevant sections.

· I feel more knowledge progression, like today, from the start

· What could be improved - yes I agree with Jackie - the breakdowns and progression.

· Improvements - I agree please don't change too much as it will make a lot of work for us subject leads. Updates rather than changes would be good.

· Agreed - improve but without too much change

· Yes updates rather than changes.

· Improvement- relevant links you have been sharing in networks on it. I think the links are useful on the unit plans but I have found a couple outdated, or not many. Updating these would be necessary

· An alternative believing unit for y6

· Agree seeing the breakdowns and progressions would be brilliant. This is a huge job for small schools.

· Include mixed age planning for small schools

· Also exemplifications of high standards of work

· Agree seeing the breakdowns and progressions would be brilliant. This is a huge job for small schools.

· Agree - Updated with improvements. Overwhelming at times.

· Examples of Knowledge Organisers and concept maps - some of what you have been covering today. 

· Current strengths - three strands, descriptors for emerging, expected and exceeding great for informing assessment.

· Strengths - allows us to plan a spiral curriculum

· Strengths - learning outcomes particularly emerging, expected and exceeding.

· I’d like an updated syllabus - so much work has gone into developing our curriculum

· Thank you Olivia, all useful.  In terms of updated syllabus, I agree with Sarah, so much work has gone into creating our curriculums etc. any change is always hard to take.