North Yorkshire Council
North Yorkshire Standing Advisory Council
on Religious Education (SACRE)
September 2024
Update from the Local Authority
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1.0
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Purpose of the Report
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To inform Members on work undertaken by the Local Authority since the last SACRE meeting.
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2.0 Communication and resourcing
2.1 Local Authority Officers have coordinated and written the draft Annual Report with support from the Chair, Clerk and Professional RE Adviser. The draft report is included within the enclosures for this meeting.
2.2 The SACRE summer term newsletter was distributed to schools via the Red Bag system on the 3rd May 2024. The link to the latest newsletter is included in this report for information: North Yorkshire SACRE Newsletter Summer 2024.pdf. The autumn term newsletter is planned to go out later this term.
2.3 The launch of the new agreed syllabus took place on the 14th June 2024 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event reached maximum capacity and was well received by schools. Information about SACRE was shared within delegate packs. The Local Authority provided resources to coordinate, manage and prepare for the event as well as providing resourcing to ensure that the day ran smoothly.
2.4 The Local Authority has completed an annual check of the information communicated to schools via the school information site ‘CYPS info’ to make sure that it reflects the new academic year. 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.
3.0 Support for Senior Leaders and Governors
3.1 A named Senior Education Adviser continues to have dedicated management time assigned to her to liaise and co-ordinate work with the Professional RE Adviser.
3.2 The Local Authority is continuing to facilitate the coordination of RE subject leader networks alongside RE subject leadership courses. Data concerning uptake and feedback from any networks that have taken place since the last SACRE meeting is reported in the professional adviser report.
3.3 The contract for the Professional RE Adviser is in place for 2024-25. Olivia Seymour will continue in this role as an independent consultant.
Ofsted inspections
3.4 Since the last LA report to SACRE until the 31st July 2024, Ofsted have published a further 67 reports for state-funded schools within North Yorkshire from graded, ungraded or monitoring inspections, in the proportions outlined in the table below.
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Nursery |
Junior |
Primary |
Secondary |
PRS |
Special |
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Community School |
1 |
1 |
21 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
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Voluntary Controlled |
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8 |
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Voluntary Aided |
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3 |
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Foundation |
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Academy Convertor |
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15 |
2 |
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1 |
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Academy Sponsor Led |
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6 |
1 |
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1 |
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Free School |
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2 |
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1 |
3.5 The extracts below taken from inspection reports published between the 1st March 2024 and the 31st July 2024 and reflect where inspectors have identified 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. Comments from all schools inspected within North Yorkshire have been included. SACRE members are reminded that SACRE’s remit for RE curriculum is only for maintained Community, Voluntary Controlled and Foundation schools alongside any Academies that choose to adopt the syllabus and that SACRE’s remit for collective worship extends only to maintained community schools and Academies without a religious characteristic. Where there are gaps, no comments were made within the inspection report.
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Name |
Comments relating to Collective Worship |
Comments relating to RE |
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Aspin Park Academy |
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They understand the importance of celebrating all cultures in Britain through meaningful visits and visitors. |
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The Rubicon Centre |
The core values of respect, resilience and responsibility are woven into the daily life of the school to prepare pupils for future employment, education and training. |
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Sinnington Community Primary School |
The school’s important value of being ‘respectful’ is evident across the whole school.
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Leaders ensure that there is a wide representation of diversity across a range of books. This, along with the school’s personal, social and health education curriculum, helps to ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
Leaders know that awareness of other faiths, religions and cultures is important for their pupils. As a result, they planned a series of visitors to widen pupils’ understanding of different faiths, including Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam. The school has ensured a consistent approach to developing pupils’ cultural awareness. |
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Snainton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School |
The school teaches pupils what it means to be respectful towards each other and to recognise differences in opinion.
Assemblies to celebrate pupils’ work and family film nights contribute to the school’s welcoming and inclusive ethos. |
Pupils learn about different faiths and beliefs. Visitors to school from a range of faith groups enable pupils to learn about, and appreciate, other people’s beliefs. This broadens their knowledge of a variety of religions. |
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Cracoe and Rylstone Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School |
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In most curriculum subjects, leaders have developed precise checks on what pupils know and remember. However, in a small number of subjects, such as the personal, social and health education curriculum, checks are not as precise. While pupils learn about a range of topics within this curriculum, some pupils’ understanding of concepts such as fundamental British values is vague. This prevents them from progressing as quickly as they could. |
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Keeble Gateway Academy |
The values of kindness, respect, self-belief and aspiration are central to the life of the school.
They know that they have to ‘be ready, be respectful and be safe’. Pupils understand and follow these rules. |
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Brompton Community Primary School |
Both adults and pupils model inclusive behaviours. This ensures that all people in the school feel valued and involved. |
They understand differences and the importance of listening and debating to consider others’ viewpoints. |
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Masham CofE VA Primary School |
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In Years 5 and 6, pupils enjoy reading books carefully curated to reflect diversity and stories from different cultures. Pupils’ knowledge of major world religions and fundamental British values are developed well.
The personal development curriculum has not been successful in developing pupils’ attributes in listening to and respecting each other’s views. |
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Helmsley Community Primary School |
Pupils rise to the school’s expectations of ‘ready, respectful and safe.’
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Pupils learn about their local area, as well as diversity and difference in the wider world. They develop a keen sense of responsible citizenship, for example initiating campaigns such as ‘no mow in May’ to protect the wildlife where they live.
They access a wide range of texts. These have been carefully chosen to be ambitious and to develop pupils’ understanding of the wider world.
Pupils have many opportunities to discuss and debate a range of world issues through the school’s global curriculum, as well as during ‘Newsday Tuesday’ assemblies. Pupils use their knowledge and understanding of themes such as human rights to talk maturely about what they see as fair and unfair in the world today. |
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Friarage Community Primary School |
Pupils are polite and kind to others. They understand the fundamental rules of the school, the ‘Friarage 4’. |
Pupils display tolerance and understanding towards those from different cultures and faiths. They speak confidently about the importance of equality. Pupils learn about a range of different religions. Their knowledge helps them to be prepared well for life in modern Britain. |
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Brooklands School |
Pupils recite the school rules, ‘Bee calm, Bee safe, Bee responsible’, with pride. |
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Rosedale Abbey Community Primary School |
The ‘spirit’ values can be seen throughout the school. Resilience, inquisitiveness and tolerance are examples of these. |
Pupils learn about different religions, positive relationships, healthy lifestyles and mental health, among other topics. |
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Cambrai Primary School |
Pupils learn the ‘Cambrai Way’ from the day that they start. They embrace the values of the school. The bountiful opportunities available help pupils develop beyond the traditional curriculum areas and understand what it is to be a good citizen. |
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Knayton Church of England Academy |
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Pupils are confident when debating significant issues, such as discrimination or difference, in an age-appropriate way. This is underpinned by the strong Christian ethos of the school, the robust curriculum and the wide variety of opportunities pupils are given to explore their interests and understanding of the world beyond the school. |
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Scarborough Overdale Community Primary School |
Pupils at Overdale embody the school’s values of respect, responsibility and resilience. They understand these values and are proud to uphold them.
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Pupils develop a sense of equality, tolerance and respect through the teaching of the school’s wider curriculum. They develop an age-appropriate understanding of different faiths and cultures. One pupil summed up the views of many by saying, ‘It’s 100% important to treat people the same.’ |
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St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Scarborough |
Pupils participate in services at the local church during the year. |
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St Mary's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy |
[Pupils] understand and talk confidently about the virtues of love, honesty and faith that run throughout the school. |
There is a strong culture of respect in school. Pupils learn about ‘what makes me me.’ Pupils are accepting of others who may be different to themselves.
Pupils lack the knowledge they need about aspects of diversity, such as different cultures, within the community and the wider world. |
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Craven Pupil Referral Service |
Leaders have established an ambitious vision to ‘empower pupils to succeed in life.’ |
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Scarborough Northstead Community Primary School |
Pupils strive to embody the school’s mission: ‘To be the best we can be’. |
Pupils have a keen sense of fairness, equality and tolerance. Pupils’ understanding of different faiths and cultures is inconsistent, however. |
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Cononley Community Primary School |
Pupils are encouraged to understand and exhibit the school’s values and rules.
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Pupils benefit from a personal development offer that prepares them well for the wider world. Pupils are taught about different world faiths and how it is important to show respect for groups of people in society. Pupils develop a strong sense of fairness and justice. Pupils talk about enjoying supporting different charities during the school year.
Pupils are given opportunities to read books that provide an awareness of diversity in society. |
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East Ayton Community Primary School |
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Pupils are accepting and respectful of others. When asked, pupils said, ‘Everyone in school believes in a diverse world’. However, pupils’ understanding of different religions and world views is underdeveloped. The curriculum does not help pupils to remember the different religions they have studied. It does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to experience different cultures and beliefs. Pupils say that they would like to learn more about different faiths. |
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Giggleswick Primary School |
The school’s values of ‘respect, friendship, kindness and love’ help pupils to behave well.
The school provides regular opportunities for pupils to contribute to the local community. Pupils benefit from opportunities such as participating in services at the village church and taking part in the local ‘flowerpot trail’. |
Pupils understand and respect difference.
They understand different religions and recognise that some people do not have a faith. They know it is important to respect all beliefs. This helps them to understand that discrimination of any kind is wrong. |
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Knaresborough St John's Church of England Primary School |
Respect is at the very heart of this school and individuality is celebrated.
Leaders at all levels are passionate about their school and have high expectations. Their goal is for students to flourish in all areas. This includes academically, spiritually and by becoming active in the local community.
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Stillington Primary School |
Stillington Primary School is a small, welcoming school that has a strong sense of community. The school focuses on creativity, diversity, sustainability and community. They are an important part of the school’s curriculum. |
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Leeming RAF Community Primary School |
Staff swiftly identify the educational and pastoral needs of pupils. Everyone then works together towards the school’s vision of excellence in learning and excellence in character. They relish the range of opportunities they have to develop their character, such as becoming ‘Respect Ambassadors’. |
Personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils have numerous opportunities to develop their ‘Respect’ skills. They are well informed and have a mature understanding of areas such as the protected characteristics and how this applies to them. They relish the chance to learn more about themselves or other faiths and religions through educational visits. |
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St Peter's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy |
The school prioritises pupils’ personal development. The Catholic ethos in the school ensures that pupils understand equality and celebrate difference. |
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St Peter's Church of England Primary School |
The school’s Christian ethos underpins everything that happens here. Pupils demonstrate the school’s simple behaviour rules of ‘responsible, respectful, safe’ consistently well.
Pupils play an active role in the local community. They attend the local church for events such as the harvest festival and sing carols for local residents at Christmas. |
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Sand Hutton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School |
[Pupils] know what British values are. They link them to the school’s values taken from the Corinthians. This is reflected in the behaviour in school. Pupils are tolerant and accepting of other people. |
Pupils learn about different families, faiths and cultures. Governors and the diocese hold school leaders to account, while providing support. |
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Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy |
Pupils are proud to live up to the school’s vision of ‘being the best you can be’.
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Holy Family Catholic High School, A Voluntary Academy |
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Pupils engage in charity work through links with churches. Pupils learn about different faiths and perspectives. |
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Starbeck Primary Academy |
Five core values, including resilience and self-belief, underpin the school’s ethos. |
The school has developed links with the local community, for example with the local library and church.
Pupils are less knowledgeable about different faiths and aspects of diversity. |
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Kirkbymoorside Community Primary School |
Pupils embody the school’s values by showing curiosity and pride when learning. They treat one another with kindness. |
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Staithes, Seton Community Primary School |
Pupils’ sense of equality and fairness is tangible.
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Pupils’ understanding of tolerance, respect and equality stems from the school’s effective spiritual, moral, social and cultural curriculum. |
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Western Primary School |
Pupils demonstrate high levels of respect and kindness towards one another. |
The provision for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils gain a rich understanding of the world beyond school. Pupils experience different cultures. |
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Pickering Community Junior School |
Pupils work hard to follow the school’s ‘To Care’ motto. |
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Lady Lumley's School |
The motto at Lady Lumley’s School is ‘be our best’. This is promoted throughout the school, including academic studies and pupils’ wider personal development. |
Recent changes to the curriculum have allowed the school to encourage pupils to see themselves as members of a diverse modern Britain. Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds through the form time reading programme, assemblies and the ‘life’ curriculum. The school has prioritised pupils’ wider personal development in order to address historical issues around intolerance. The life curriculum is carefully planned from Year 7 to Year 13.
Pupils are taught about people from different backgrounds. Despite this, some pupils do not have a thorough understanding of fundamental British values and the protected characteristics. |
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Barlby Bridge Community Primary School |
Pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes to others. They are highly inclusive and have strong and positive attitudes to tolerance and diversity. These attitudes are promoted by the school’s BEAM representatives (Barlby Equalities Ambassadors).
[Pupils] appreciate that everyone is treated with fairness at Barlby Bridge. |
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Amotherby Community Primary School |
Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone equally. |
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Saxton Church of England Primary School |
The Christian ethos of the school shines through all that it does.
Pupils are eager to take on positions of leadership such as eco warriors, librarians and worship leaders. |
Pupils learn about diverse cultures and faiths. They respect these differences and understand fairness. Despite this, some pupils struggle to demonstrate their understanding about fundamental British values and the protected characteristics. |
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St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, West Tanfield |
Collective worship, often led by pupils or ‘worship warriors’, is a significant feature of school life. It develops pupils’ spirituality. |
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Long Marston Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School |
Pupils relish the chance to take on responsibilities. They enjoy leading assemblies and supporting with collective worship. Pupils also raise money for a variety of charities. |
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Brayton Church of England Primary School |
Pupils and staff treat each other with respect. The relationships between pupils and staff is a real strength of the school. The Christian ethos of the school helps pupils to develop both spiritually and morally. |
The school has taken steps to strengthen the personal development of pupils. This includes introducing a new curriculum for personal, social and health education. Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds and with different religious beliefs. Pupils show high levels of respect for others. |
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Broomfield School |
[Pupils] live up to the school rule of being ‘ready, respectful and safe’. |
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Markington Church of England Primary & Nursery School |
The school’s motto, ‘Make full use of the gift God gave you’, is important to pupils and staff. This makes the school wonderfully inclusive.
The Christian ethos of the school prioritises the spiritual development and well-being of pupils. All pupils contribute to the weekly collective worship in their classes.
Governors are highly committed to the school and ensure the Christian ethos is maintained. |
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Breckenbrough School |
Quaker values are the foundation of the school’s ethos. Core values, such as tolerance, forgiveness and reflection, are taught. |
Pupils enjoy regular lessons that focus on their personal, social, health and religious education. These are carefully planned from primary to secondary. This ensures pupils learn about the wider world. |
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Hunmanby Primary School |
Pupils know the school’s golden rules and follow them. |
Pupils are very respectful of different cultures, beliefs and religions. Through assemblies and personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons, pupils learn about the importance of protected characteristics. |
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Easingwold Community Primary School |
Adults help pupils understand the school’s values of resilience, respect and responsibility. Pupils demonstrate these values well.
Leaders, including governors, wholeheartedly share the vision of ‘excellence for all’. |
Pupils learn about diverse cultures and faiths and visit places of worship. They lead assemblies on values such as individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance. Pupils are prepared extremely well for life in modern Britain. |
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Sutton-in-Craven Community Primary School |
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The curriculum for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. The school’s values are to be ‘ready, respectful and safe’. These values are the foundation of the personal development curriculum. Pupils understand them. They know that they help everyone to enjoy school. Pupils are very well informed about different faiths and beliefs. They discuss with confidence the key features of Christianity, Islam and Humanism. |
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Huby CofE Primary School |
A strong Christian ethos runs through the school. Pupils thoroughly understand the school values of friendship, perseverance, respect and courage. Pupils demonstrate these values by treating each other with dignity and respect.
The ‘values champions’ select other pupils for a weekly school values award. |
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Childhaven Community Nursery School |
Staff consistently share the school’s vision and values.
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Skipton Parish Church of England Primary School |
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Pupils develop a thorough knowledge of different faiths. They learn about the protected characteristics and understand the importance of diversity. The democratically elected school council helps to raise money for local charities. Each week, in the ‘Pride of Parish’ assembly, the school recognises pupils for their positive behaviours or for displaying the school’s Christian values. Pupils take great satisfaction in receiving this recognition.
The school works effectively with the diocese. |
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West Heslerton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School |
The approach of the staff and the attitudes of the pupils reflect the Christian ethos of the school. |
They understand that everyone is unique and that our individual characteristics are protected by law. They have an excellent knowledge of different faiths and cultures. |
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Meadowside Academy |
School values, such as resilience and resourcefulness, are well understood by pupils and modelled by adults.
Pupils told inspectors that the school ethos of ‘nurturing courage, curiosity and kindness’ is well understood by everyone at the school. |
Opportunities for pupils to learn about different faiths, cultures and beliefs help to create a kind and caring atmosphere at the school. |
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Langton Primary School |
Assemblies contribute to pupils’ awareness of spirituality and the school’s values. |
Pupils are taught about world religions and benefited from a visit made by an Imam. Pupils understand the importance of respecting differences. They develop a thorough understanding of fundamental British values. |
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Kirkby in Malhamdale United Voluntary Aided Primary School |
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The school is at the heart of the local community and pupils know what it means to be a good citizen. They know they need to look after the environment and be helpful towards other people. Pupils are aware of the context of their school. They enjoy learning about different faiths and cultures and why this is important. Pupils say that activities, such as visiting other places of worship, are important to them because it ‘broadens their views of the world’. |
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Welburn Community Primary School |
Pupils at this school exemplify ‘The Welburn Way’. They embody the school’s core values, which include learn, belong and respect.
They show kindness and respect to each other.
The provision for pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural education has noticeable impact. Pupils have a clearly defined moral compass.
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Leaders have carefully planned common learning threads that weave through different subject areas. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 link their learning about the historic Islamic civilisation in history to work about Islam in religious education lessons.
Pupils’ wider development has been a clear priority for school leaders. Pupils talk with knowledge and understanding of a wide range of faiths, beliefs and religions. Educational visits and visitors into school supplement the school’s wider curriculum. A visit from a rabbi from York synagogue helped to bring to life pupils’ understanding of Judaism, for example. |
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Outwood Primary Academy Alne |
The school rules ‘be safe, be respectful, be responsible’ are demonstrated by the pupils.
A culture of respect and consideration resonates through school. |
[Pupils] experience a curriculum that prepares them exceptionally well for life in modern Britain. They develop a deep understanding of fundamental British values such as democracy. They relate this understanding to current affairs accurately. Pupils speak in depth about different cultures and faiths. |
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Rillington Primary School |
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Pupils are developing an increased knowledge of different faiths. They recognise that this knowledge is important as it helps them to understand people’s perspectives and views. |
Julie Pattison
Principal Adviser (Monitoring)
County Hall, Northallerton2
30/08/24
Report Author: Julie Pattison
Background documents: None
Additional sources: LA Red Bag, Ofsted inspection reports, CYPS info web pages