North Yorkshire Council

North Yorkshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education

9 December 2025

North Yorkshire SACRE – Annual Report 2024/25

Report of the Clerk to North Yorkshire SACRE

1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To summarise the procedure for approving the Annual Report.

2.0 BACKGROUND

2.1 Under Paragraph 13 of the North Yorkshire SACRE Constitution, the SACRE is required to publish an Annual Report in the Spring term.

2.2 Members commented on a draft of the Annual Report at the 30 September 2025 meeting.

2.3 The approval of the Annual Report will be voted on at the meeting. If approved, it will be shared with SACRE Members, all schools, the School Improvement Service and Council Members, as well as being sent to the Department for Education and NASACRE.

3.0 VOTING PROCEDURE

3.1 The procedure for voting is set out in Paragraph 9 of the Constitution, and is summarised below:

a) For business generally, the SACRE aims to operate on a basis of consensus and, therefore, a formal vote will rarely be necessary.

b) On any question to be decided by the SACRE, its constituent Groups each have a single vote, but Co-opted Members do not have a vote. For any voting to take place, SACRE must be quorate, with representatives from all four Groups present at the meeting.

c) Decisions within an individual Group do not require unanimity. Each Group must regulate its own proceedings, including provision for resolving deadlock. If there is a tied vote of the four Groups (i.e., two Groups in favour and two against), members will be asked to reconsider, following further discussion. Only SACRE Members present at the meeting are eligible to vote (note that under Paragraph 8.2, this is a hybrid meeting, and members of the SACRE can participate virtually and be considered fully “present”).

d) In the event of the matter still being deadlocked, the Chair shall not have a casting vote and the matter will be declared a non-decision vote.

3.2 Following discussion of the Annual Report, each Group will be asked whether it wishes to approve the Annual Report. If the Groups wish, they may participate in private discussions before giving their vote. This will be facilitated by the Clerk using virtual breakout rooms.