NORTH
YORKSHIRE COUNCIL
SACRE
ANNUAL
REPORT
2022-2023
Contents
Overview of SACRE meetings and attendance.
Overview of the Agreed Syllabus Conference
Standards and monitoring of RE
Growing Up in North Yorkshire bi-annual school survey 2022:
Teacher training, materials and advice for schools
Standards and monitoring of Collective Worship
Appendix 1: Table of GCSE – short and full, A/S & A' level Religious Studies results
Appendix 2: Development Plan 2022-2024
Appendix 3: Circulation of report
Introduction from the Chair
Welcome to the Annual Report for North Yorkshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education, covering the school year 2022/2023.
It has been another busy and productive year for North Yorkshire SACRE and so it is a pleasure to present our Annual Report for 2022-23. Earlier this year, I took over the role of Chair from Cllr Annabel Wilkinson. Stuart Anslow (Teachers Representative), Brian Berry (Faith Group Representative), Reverend Simone Bennett and Gill Simpson (Church of England) have also all left over this school year. I am incredibly grateful to all of them for their contributions over the last year.
We have been joined this year by Dr. Abhijeet Kulkarni (Faith Group Representative), Lee Talbot (Church of England Representative) and Jo Colledge and Sarah Hodgson (Teachers Representatives. We have also been pleased to welcome back Councilor Janet Jefferson (Local Authority Representative).
Our members are the beating heart of North Yorkshire SACRE, always ensuring that the right issues are discussed, the right views are sought, and the right actions are taken. Like much of working life, our meetings are now hybrid affairs, with some members joining virtually and others physically.
I would like to thank all members of North Yorkshire SACRE who have given their time and attention to SACRE over the past year – faith representatives, teachers, and councilors, Olivia Seymour, our Professional Religious Education Adviser, has informed and supported our work through the year, together with Adrian Clarke and Heather Russell on behalf of the Local Authority. I would also like to thank Patrick Duffy and Owen Griffiths for clerking for SACRE in the past year.
A highlight of the year was the Agreed Syllabus Conference. Work will be undertaken over the next academic year leading up to the launch of the new syllabus for September 2024.
Supporting and upskilling the teachers of Religious Education has remained a clear focus this year, with professional practice groups being offered termly for teachers to take part in sessions covering religion and world views, Ofsted and national updates, led by our professional Religious Education Adviser.
SACRE members have benefitted from the contribution of other members sharing information and celebration of religious world views and faiths.
As Chair I was fortunate to attend the NASACRE Annual Conference with Heather Russell. This event raised our understanding and awareness of the importance of SACRE to community cohesion, which has already had an impact on our work.
We have welcomed several new members over the last year across all our committees, which has strengthened SACRE.
On the 1st of April 2023 North Yorkshire became one Council - the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion intrinsic to everyone’s responsibility, ensuring differences are valued.
The work of SACRE is never done. With the continuing support of members, teachers, religion and worldview experts and the local authority, I have high expectations for what we will achieve in the year ahead
Cllr Alyson Baker
SACRE Chair
1.Introduction
Overview of SACRE meetings and attendance.
North Yorkshire SACREmet four times in the academic year 2022/2023.
The attendance, by Committee, is set out below: -
Table 1: Attendance-
|
Committee |
20 Sep 2022 |
13 Dec 2022 |
28 Mar 2023 |
20 June 2023 |
Possible maximum attendances at each meeting |
|
Committee A |
6 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
12 (Includes 4 vacancies) |
|
Committee B |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
4 (Includes 1 vacancy up to March 2023 and two vacancies from then) |
|
Committee C |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
5 (Includes 2 vacancies) |
|
Committee D |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 (Up to June 2023, when representation was increased to 5) |
|
Total members |
14 |
15 |
12 |
12 |
26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Professional Religious Education Adviser |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Local Authority Officers |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
NOTE: The attendance should be taken in the context of the number of vacancies. For example, whilst there are 12 Members of Committee A, to compare the attendance to that figure of 12 makes the attendance appear worse than it is. This is because there have been four vacancies throughout the year.
Each meeting receives updates from Local Authority Officers and the Professional Religious Education Adviser. Through the latter’s reports, the Committee has been appraised of various local and national updates. These have included: -
- Training
- Regional RE Hub Lead work in Yorkshire and Humber
- Still Standing - The Future of SACREs
- The NATRE (National Association of Teachers for Religious Education) Primary Survey
- Briefing: Impact of Census on Religion and Belief
· New RE Teacher Recruitment Campaign
· NATRE flash survey for secondary teachers in their first two years in the profession since qualification
Meetings in 2021/2022 had been held remotely. In 2022/2023, the first meeting, in September 2022, was held remotely but then, from the December 2022 meeting, meetings have been “hybrid”, whereby Members can either join the meeting in person, or join remotely. Whether or not it is attributable to this flexibility, the fact is that attendance has increased in 2022/2023.
Overview of the Agreed Syllabus Conference
In January 2023, a survey was sent to all schools prior to the Agreed Syllabus Conference to find their views on the current arrangements. The Professional RE Adviser also consulted with teachers during the spring term’s RE Professional Practice Groups. The following data reflects the findings from the schools who responded to the online survey.
As outlined in the Development Plan Priority Three, the Agreed Syllabus Conference meetings were held in both the Spring and Summer terms to decide the direction of travel of a new syllabus for 2024-2029.
It was resolved during 20th June 2023 SACRE meeting, the Agreed Syllabus Conference recommendation to the Local Authority that, in respect of the Agreed Syllabus for 2024-2029, Option A was chosen – namely, renew the licence with RE Today, which includes updating the 2019-2024 folder.
2. Statutory responsibilities
The Local Agreed Syllabus
The number of schools at the end of the academic year 2022/2023 within North Yorkshire is as follows;
Table 2: North Yorkshire school types and phases
|
|
Nursery |
Primary |
Secondary |
Special |
Pupil Referral Service |
Total |
|
Academy |
|
111 |
27 |
4 |
1 |
143 |
|
University Technical Colleges |
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
Community |
3 |
88 |
15 |
6 |
4 |
116 |
|
Foundation |
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Voluntary Controlled |
|
77 |
|
|
|
77 |
|
Voluntary Aided |
|
21 |
|
|
|
21 |
|
Total |
3 |
298 |
43 |
10 |
5 |
359 |
A total of 33 academies have adopted the North Yorkshire Locally Agreed Syllabus.
Separate regulations covering maintained special schools require them to ensure that, as far as practical, a pupil receives opportunities to explore RE. Most special schools use the North Yorkshire Locally Agreed Syllabus, at least partially, and adapt it to meet the needs of the pupils. Some special schools use the ‘Equals’ curriculum package, which is designed specifically for RE in special schools.
Standards and monitoring of RE
The agreed syllabus and RE in schools have been monitored through teacher voice at termly professional practice groups, teacher representation of Group C and the annual school questionnaire.
The questionnaire was developed by the Professional RE adviser in consultation with SACRE Group C and approved by SACRE in January 2021.
This is the third year the questionnaire has been used as a mechanism to monitor RE in North Yorkshire schools. 90 primary schools and 20 secondary schools completed the questionnaire in the summer term of 2023, and it is a useful mechanism to support SACRE’s responsibilities in monitoring RE in our schools.
Analysis of school types responding has taken place this year, following feedback from attendance at the NASACRE Annual Conference 2023.
Table 3: SACRE School survey respondents in each category (as a % of the total schools of each type within North Yorkshire)
|
Primary Maintained |
32% |
|
Primary Academy |
28% |
|
Secondary Maintained |
53% |
|
Secondary Academy |
44% |
|
Special Maintained |
17% |
|
Special Academy |
25% |
|
PRU Maintained |
25% |
|
PRU Academy |
0% |
· Engagement of primary schools has increased from 20% to 30% responding to the survey compared with last year.
· Engagement of secondary schools has increased from 30% to 47% responding to the survey compared with last year.
· 85% of secondary schools who responded enter pupils for GCSE examinations
· Seven schools out of a total of 23 schools with sixth forms entered pupils for A’ level examinations.
Length of service of secondary subject leaders:
Length of service of primary subject leaders:
Primary:
Secondary:
Growing Up in North Yorkshire bi-annual school survey 2022:
The North Yorkshire Children and Young People’s Service (CYPS), public health and North Yorkshire Police commission a survey of children and young people covering aspects of learning, safeguarding and well-being. The summer 2022 survey provides key information about learning, safety and wellbeing of children and young people across Years 2, 6, 8, 10 and 12, in mainstream schools and in special schools and PRUs. The information shared in autumn 2022 shows the children’s responses in relation to their religion/faith from Key Stage 2 and beyond:
Year 6 pupils' responses
Year 8 / 10 pupils' responses
Year 12 responses
Teacher training, materials and advice for schools
The Professional RE Adviser delivered several professional practice sessions via video conference during the academic year. A total of 49 schools engaged with these groups, consisting of 41 maintained schools with 71 delegates and 8 academy schools with 10 delegates.
This training has included a focus on developing an effective curriculum using the North Yorkshire Council Agreed Syllabus, subject knowledge and engaging with the recent Ofsted research review in religious education.
The Professional RE Adviser has met Senior Education Advisers in the Local Authority on two occasions to provide briefings on the role of SACRE, the Agreed Syllabus and the role of RE and Collective Worship in schools.
Resources to support Religious Education are accessible at https://secure2.sla-online.co.uk/v3/Resources/Page/14145 once logged into https://www.nyeducationservices.co.uk
A programme of visits and visitors, particularly in more rural parts of the county, continues to be a challenge. SACRE has therefore continued to signpost schools to local resources and opportunities through the professional practice groups, newsletter and the new RE Hubs website (launched May 2023) https://www.re-hubs.uk/hubs/yorkshire-humber/speakers-presenters/
The termly newsletter continues to be published, accessible to all schools, supplying resources, local and national updates, and information about the work of SACRE.
SACRE has received no formal complaints regarding RE provision or quality this year.
The Professional RE Adviser has supported North Yorkshire schools through communications of advice and support where asked.
GCSE and A’ level results
Data to be compared with earlier data – data will be released in October see Appendix 1
SA SC
3. Collective Worship
Standards and monitoring of Collective Worship
SACRE encourages all schools to comply with their legal duty to provide a daily act of Collective Worship for their pupils. This may take place at any time of day and in class, year group, or whole school settings. North Yorkshire SACRE believes that acts of collective worship or spiritual reflection should be meaningful and relevant to all those present. For this to be the case, SACRE has identified six principles which schools should apply about daily collective worship. Collective worship should:
1. Promote a sense of community;
2. Be educational;
3. Promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development;
4. Be a special time;
5. Enable participants to be actively involved;
6. Be of high quality.
Further information on this is available in the document, “Guidance to schools on Collective Worship”, which may be accessed by schools via https://nyes.info/religiouseducation
Schools may apply to SACRE for a determination to provide Collective Worship of a non-Christian or other form. No schools have done so during this academic year.
There were no complaints registered with the local authority or SACRE in 2022/2023 in respect of collective worship. Updating guidance on Collective Worship and providing training for schools has been identified as a development point for SACRE.
Determinations
As in previous years, no determinations were requested by schools.
4. Links with other bodies
North Yorkshire SACRE is a member of the National Association of SACREs (NASACRE). Throughout the year, SACRE members were informed of developments in RE from NASACRE, The National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) and The Religious Education Council of England and Wales. This was reported to SACRE through the Professional RE Adviser's reports.
The Chair and a LA (Local Authority) Officer attended the Summer 2023 NASACRE Conference and reported back to members.
5. Local involvement
North Yorkshire SACRE recommended advice to the Local Authority about Ramadan in schools.
A termly newsletter was published and digitally circulated to schools.
The Professional RE Adviser attended and gave information at Spring 2023 Headteacher video conference briefings and Summer 2023 Governor video conference networks.
6. Local arrangements
Finance
During the school year 2022-2023 the Local Authority has financially supported SACRE through the allocation of officers and other resources.
Staffing costs have been covered for officers from Democratic Services to fulfil the administrative preparation and clerking of SACRE meetings. Additional officer and technology resources have also been given to ensure that SACRE meetings could be held via video conference for hybrid meetings to take place.
Staffing costs have also been covered to ensure that two officers from the School Improvement Service have been able to attend SACRE, SACRE Core Groups, other meetings and developmental work.
The costs of the Professional RE Adviser, an external consultant, are met through Local Authority funds.
Officers and support
An officer in the Local Authority’s Democratic Services Section acts as Clerk to SACRE; advising on governance matters and acting as a link between the Local Authority and SACRE. The officer facilitates the SACRE Core Group, which includes the Chair, Vice-Chair, the Professional Religious Education Adviser and officers from the Local Authority. The Core Group discusses the content of the agenda for SACRE and related issues.
In addition, the Democratic Services Team Manager provides professional support and advice to SACRE, principally on matters of governance and matters relating to the work of the Council and its Committees. The Democratic Services Team Manager also attends Core Group meetings as needed.
Membership
Membership of each of the four Groups which form the North Yorkshire SACRE in the academic year 2022-2023 was:
Group A – Faith Group Representatives (12)
Professor John Adams, Humanist
Brian Berry, Judaism (left January 2023)
Sarah Beveridge, Society of Friends
Chris Devanny, Catholic
Tom Clayton, Methodist
Dave Haddock, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Dr. Abhijeet Kulkarni, Hindu (joined February 2023)
Nasr Moussa Emam, Muslim
Mohinder Singh Chana, Sikh
Vacancy Baptist
Vacancy Buddhist
Vacancy Judaism
Vacancy Salvationist
Group B – Church of England Representatives (4 - two each nominated by the Anglican Diocese of Leeds and the Diocese of York
Reverend Simone Bennett, Diocese of Leeds (left March 2023)
Lee Talbot, Diocese of Leeds (joined April 2023)
Gill Simpson, Diocese of Leeds (left June 2023)
Philippa Smith, Diocese of York
Vacancy Diocese of Leeds
Vacancy Diocese of York
Group C - Teachers of Religious Education (5)
Tara Askew
Jo Colledge (joined November 2022)
Sarah Hodgson (joined August 2022)
Vacancies (2)
Group D – Local Authority (5) - elected Members of the County Council
County Councillor Alyson Baker
Councillor George Jabbour
County Councillor Janet Jefferson (joined May 2023)
Councillor Robert Heseltine
Councillor Annabel Wilkinson
NOTE: For most of the period in question there were four Local Authority Representatives. This increased to five in May 2023.
Co-opted Member: Academic Expertise in Religious Education
Vacancy
SACRE is carrying several vacancies. There are 18 places filled out of 26. Officers continue to liaise with partners to fill these vacancies.
All meetings have been quorate and generally well attended with each Group represented at every meeting. As mentioned under Section 1, attendance has improved during the period in question.
SACRE has signed up to the virtual training package offered by NASACRE and several Members and officers have accessed courses including: -
- So, you’ve joined your local SACRE
- Being an effective Chair
- Being an effective SACRE Clerk
- What’s happening to Collective Worship beyond determinations
Appendix 1: Table of GCSE – short and full, A/S & A' level Religious Studies results
2022 results:
2023 results: