North Yorkshire Council
North Yorkshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) –
September 2023
Update from the Local Authority
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1.0
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Purpose of the Report
To inform Members on work undertaken by the Local Authority since the last SACRE meeting.
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2.1 Local Authority Officers have coordinated and written the draft Annual Report. The Chair, Clerk and Professional RE Adviser have supported the LA Officers with the content. The draft report is included within the enclosures for this meeting.
2.2 The autumn term newsletter planned for later this term and will be distributed to schools via the Red Bag system, and occasional ad hoc information is also posted via Red Bag.
2.3 Plans are in place (via the Red Bag) to alert school leaders and governors to the launch event for the new agreed syllabus, once the sign-up details have been uploaded to the appropriate central booking system (NYES). This communication will have taken place before the next SACRE meeting. An update on the numbers of schools that have signed-up to attend the launch event will also be shared at the next meeting.
2.4 The Local Authority has reallocated responsibility for providing these update enclosures to SACRE members to Julie Pattison, Principal Adviser (Monitoring) from within the School Improvement Service. This is due to staffing changes within the School Improvement Service since the last SACRE meeting.
2.5 The Local Authority with support from the Professional RE adviser has completed an
update of the information communicated to schools via the school information site ‘CYPS info’. The updates (links provided for information) relate to guidance and information relating to the RE curriculum Religious Education (RE) | CYPSinfo (northyorks.gov.uk), collective worship Collective worship | CYPSinfo (northyorks.gov.uk) and SACRE North Yorkshire SACRE | CYPSinfo.
3.1 A named Senior Education Adviser, Heather Russell, continues to have dedicated management time assigned to them to liaise and co-ordinate work with the Professional RE Adviser who is in post to provide expertise to schools in order to support them to deliver the RE curriculum and collective worship to a high standard through RE networks and subject leadership development programmes.
3.2 The contract for the Professional RE Adviser has been finalised. Olivia Seymour will continue in this role for the next two academic years as an independent consultant. The contract has been arranged to cover two academic years so that it can encompass the launch of the new Agreed Syllabus and subsequent support for schools.
3.3 The Local Authority is continuing to facilitate the coordination of RE subject leader networks alongside RE subject leadership courses. Networks and training courses are available to be
booked for the current school year. Links to this terms courses are provided for information (Secondary network: Secondary Religious Education (RE) Autumn Network | NYES Info, Primary Networks: Primary Religious Education (RE) Autumn Network | NYES Info, Primary Religious Education (RE) Autumn Network | NYES Info). Data concerning uptake and feedback from any networks that have taken place since the last SACRE meeting is reported in the professional adviser report.
3.4 The Local Authority has confirmed the date for the launch event for the new agreed syllabus. The launch event will take place on the 14th June 2023 at the Pavilions of Harrogate.
4.1 Since the start of March 2023 until the end of July 2023, Ofsted have published 59 reports from graded, ungraded or monitoring inspections, in the proportions outlined in the table below.
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Nursery |
Primary |
Secondary |
Special |
PRS |
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Community School |
1 |
19 |
3 |
2 |
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Voluntary Controlled |
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18 |
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Voluntary Aided |
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2 |
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Foundation |
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Academy Convertor |
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5 |
4 |
1 |
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Academy Sponsor Led |
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3 |
1 |
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Free School |
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University Technical College |
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4.2 Few inspections commented specifically on teaching or learning within RE lessons or the quality of the taught RE curriculum/syllabus, however the extracts below taken from inspection reports between March 2023 and July 2023 and reflect where inspectors have been able to identify behaviours and/or understanding that pupils have demonstrated that are in line with the principal aims of the RE curriculum as identified within the agreed syllabus (page 7).
• Pupils are knowledgeable about the major world religions and what it means to be a person of faith.
• Pupils are proud of the leadership responsibilities that they hold. Worship leaders support and lead acts of worship. They recently wrote and presented an assembly on the school’s theme of ‘joy’.
• They remember and understand the PSHE curriculum extremely well. For example, pupils have detailed knowledge of other cultures and religions, democracy and what makes a
healthy friendship.
• Visits to local places of worship and links to a school in Ghana broaden pupils’ understanding of others’ faith and cultures.
• Diversity is welcomed and valued. Pupils value and respect each other. Pupils are articulate when talking about different faiths, such as when sharing detailed knowledge on Humanism. Pupils are taught about fundamental British values. However, their ability to clearly articulate this is still developing.
• An effective personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum ensures that pupils develop knowledge about Britain beyond the area where they live. For example, pupils enjoy trips out, such as a recent visit to Liverpool, which helps them to understand religion through visits to different places of worship
• This term, children are developing their understanding of the world, through a question based project called ‘Who lives here?’
• They talk with enthusiasm about how they have learned about different faiths and cultures. Pupils understand the common features that unite people, as well as appreciating that we are all unique.
• Pupils revisit important learning, such as how to keep healthy and relationships education, each year. Leaders outline these themes in assembly and then build on the topics in personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons. In these lessons, pupils have opportunities to debate and discuss important issues, including race and other beliefs. Some pupils’ knowledge of fundamental British values and other faiths or beliefs is not as detailed as leaders intend.
• Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain, as they engage in ‘celebrating cultures’ weeks. They learn about other faiths and cultures, the protected characteristics and fundamental British values, such as the rule of law.
• Pupils develop a respectful understanding of other faiths and cultures. They recently learned about, and took part in, Eid celebrations.
• The school’s Christian ethos underpins day-to-day life in school. Pupils know the school’s Christian values and can relate these to British values. They have a respectful and caring attitude towards others who may be different to themselves. They see no reason why anyone would be treated differently. Pupils learn about people from other countries and cultures. They enjoyed hearing about Sweden’s culture of oral storytelling from a Swedish visitor. Pupils have limited opportunities to meet children from other faiths and cultures. Leaders and governors have plans to develop this aspect of school life further.
• The curriculum includes important messages about respect for the beliefs, cultures and sexual orientation of others. The school’s personal development curriculum, taught through personal, social and health education and tutor times, is new. Leaders have identified the most important messages that pupils should understand within this curriculum. These include knowledge of the protected characteristics and healthy relationships. Pupils’ understanding of these is strong. However, their knowledge of other faiths, cultures and British values is much less secure.
• Pupils know and use the school values like ‘respect’ and ‘friendship’ well. They are taught about the different beliefs across the world and locally, and how families can look different.
• Pupils learned about city life, different transport and different faiths as part of a recent visit to Edinburgh.
• Pupils are very clear that their school is inclusive. They understand the importance of being tolerant and treating everyone equally. The school’s Christian values help pupils to learn to be respectful and compassionate towards others
• The curriculum aims of ‘aspire, inspire, enquire’ shape the varied opportunities pupils experience. For example, younger pupils visited a lifeboat museum to help them understand Grace Darling’s heroism. A visit to Edinburgh by older pupils included a visit to a Hindu temple and the university
• Pupils have very little knowledge of different faiths. As a result, they are not prepared well enough for life in modern Britain. Leaders have plans to widen pupils’ knowledge of people from different backgrounds, cultures and religions.
• Recently, leaders revised the religious education curriculum. The new curriculum is helping to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils also have a limited knowledge of religion. They are able to recall general principles but cannot attribute them to any particular faith. Leaders acknowledge that this is due to previous weaknesses in the curriculum.
• Time for reflection in assembly, and during the day, enable pupils to consider the world around them and their impact on it. Pupils learn about fundamental British values. This work is carefully planned to link to Bible stories in assemblies and the school’s aims. Topics are revisited and developed as pupils progress through the school.
• For example, in English, pupils study ‘voices’ through a diverse range of texts to help them learn about different cultures.
• Pupils are not taught sufficiently well about different faiths, healthy relationships and wider British values. This is limiting aspects of their personal development and their readiness for life in modern Britain.
• Through the curriculum and appropriate visits, pupils develop a good understanding of different faiths.
• Leaders emphasise the importance of respect. Pupils learn about a range of different cultures and backgrounds. They have opportunities to interact with children in other schools and learn about their religions, cultures and experiences
• Pupils learn about important issues, including careers, keeping safe, different faiths and democracy.
• Pupils learn to respect other cultures and faiths. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain. • The school’s restorative approach to behaviour management is central to its work and Christian ethos. Leaders promote pupils’ personal development and well-being through the curriculum and acts of collective worship.
Julie Pattison
Principal Adviser (Monitoring)
County Hall, Northallerton
07/092023
Report Author: Julie Pattison
Background documents: None