North Yorkshire Council

 

North Yorkshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE)

 

December 2025

Update from the Local Authority

 

1.0

 

Purpose of the Report

 

 

To inform Members on work undertaken by the Local Authority since the last SACRE meeting.

 

 

2.0  Communication and resourcing

 

2.1                  The SACRE interfaith week letter was distributed to schools via the Red Bag system on the 7th November 2025.

 

2.2                  LA officers have produced the final draft Annual SACRE Report, which is included within the agenda papers for approval.

 

2.3                  LA officers have continued to develop the next SACRE development plan through their mid-cycle meetings.

 

 

3.0  Support for Senior Leaders and Governors

 

3.1                  A named member of the School Improvement Service continues to have dedicated management time assigned to them to liaise and co-ordinate work with the Professional RE Adviser.

 

3.2                  The LA continues to facilitate the coordination of RE subject leader networks alongside RE subject leadership courses. Data confirming uptake and feedback from any networks that have taken place since the last SACRE meeting is reported within the professional adviser report.

 

3.3                  The LA continues to provide information and guidance for schools for its RE and collective worship provision through specialist pages on CYPS-info. The link to these pages  is included for information: Collective worship | CYPSinfo, North Yorkshire SACRE | CYPSinfo and Religious Education (RE) | CYPSinfo.

 

 

4.0  Ofsted inspections

 

4.1                  Since the last LA report to SACRE until the 31st October 2025, Ofsted have published a further 7 reports for state-funded schools within North Yorkshire from a total of seven Section 5 inspections (graded). No Section 8 inspections (ungraded) or Section 8 monitoring visits were published in this period. The inspection breakdown by school type and phase is outlined in the table below.

 

School Type

Primary

Pupil Referral Service (PRS)

Voluntary Controlled

1

 

Voluntary Aided

1

 

Community

1

1

Academy Convertor (Community School prior to conversion)

2

 

Academy Convertor Led (Voluntary Aided School prior to conversion)

1

 

 

4.2                  The extracts on the next 2 pages are taken from North Yorkshire school inspection reports published between the 1st September 2025 and the 31st October 2025 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 and Collective Worship, 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 the 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, or an inspected school is not reflected in the table, no relevant comments were made within the inspection report.

Name

Comments relating to Collective Worship

Comments relating to RE

Oakridge Primary School (1 and 2 July 2025 – Section 5)

 

(Community School prior to academisation)

 

Pupils’ understanding of other cultures is enhanced through the curriculum and reflective discussions. Pupils demonstrate a secure knowledge of the differences and similarities between a range of religions. They are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

Lothersdale Primary School (24 and 25 June 2025 – Section 5)

 

(Community School prior to academisation)

 

Pupils develop a knowledge of different religions and cultures by visiting places of worship and celebrating festivals such as Diwali.

Hambleton/Richmondshire Pupil Referral Service (1 and 2 July - Section 5)

 

While the school promotes respect and tolerance for difference and protected characteristics, this work is not securely in place. Some pupils do not show respect for some diverse groups.

 

Some pupils do not have good enough understanding of the fundamental British values, different world faiths and the protected characteristics. This means that pupils are not as well prepared as they could be for life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of tolerance and respect for those who are different to them.

Seamer and Irton Community

Primary School (15 and 16 July 2025 – Section 5)

 

In assemblies, visitors representing different faiths help pupils to consider their own and others’ beliefs.

Follifoot Church of England

Primary School (17 June 2025 – Section 5)

The school’s values of ‘love, learn and thrive’ are realised through the kindness pupils show towards one another.

Supported by the community, the school ensures that pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences and opportunities that develop their character. A recent visit to a mosque, as well as links with local charities, helps pupils see life and cultures beyond Follifoot.

St Peter's Brafferton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (8 and 9 July – Section 5)

They value living in a diverse country. Everyone is welcomed warmly here and difference is celebrated.

Pupils enjoy a range of educational visits, which help them to further explore the curriculum and ‘bring it to life’. They especially value being able to visit local places of worship to see how people of different faiths experience their religions.

 

They [pupils] understand that any form of discrimination is not acceptable. Pupils’ recall of some aspects, such as different faiths, is less clear.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary

School - a Catholic voluntary academy (10 and 11 June 2025 – Section 5)

 

(Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic School prior to academisation)

 

The curriculum helps pupils to understand many of the important issues they will face in modern Britain. Pupils know how to stay safe. They can describe fundamental British values and apply them to their lives. They also welcome the differences between people.

 

Julie Pattison

Principal Adviser (Monitoring)

County Hall, Northallerton

 

20/11/25

 

Report Author: Julie Pattison

Background documents:  None

Additional sources: LA Red Bag, Ofsted inspection reports, CYPS info web pages.