Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education - 11 September 2025

The meeting opened with the election of the Committee’s leadership. Mike Heron moved, and Patrick Buckley seconded, that Councillor Thomas be elected Chairman; the motion was carried and Councillor Thomas thanked members. A second motion, moved by Nicola Bonell and seconded by Mike Heron, elected Lee Moscato as Vice‑Chairman, and members congratulated him in his absence. The Clerk confirmed that two new representatives had joined the SACRE – Pat McGovern (replacing Maggie Thompson) and Mary Judkins – both serving Group A as representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and Independent Churches respectively, and the Chairman welcomed the newly appointed councillors.

The Committee approved the minutes of the 20 March 2025 meeting, signed by the Chairman, and noted that no public questions or statements had been received. A report on the 2025‑2026 budget, presented by the Senior Education Effectiveness Officer, highlighted that the figures reflected the financial position as of 17 June 2025 due to a postponed meeting date. Discussion clarified that the budget totals were fixed, though allocations within the budget could be adjusted, and that an additional £15 000 request for the Agreed Syllabus Conference had been partially funded (£10 000 from the Local Authority plus £8 125 from Learn Teach Lead RE and the Cornwall Association of Secondary Heads). It was resolved, on motion by Ron Ede and seconded by Councillor Ashton, that SACRE would spend the allocated funds in line with the SACRE Action Plan and approved the spending intentions set out in paragraph 11.1.

The Consultants gave a verbal update on the May 2025 Agreed Syllabus Conference and Launch. Members reported strong attendance and positive feedback, noting that the new 2025‑2030 syllabus builds on the previous version while incorporating local Cornwall references and a broader religion‑and‑world‑view approach consistent with national policy. Issues raised included the need to disseminate the syllabus to schools that missed the launch, to clarify legal obligations for academy schools, and to provide ongoing support for schools that require assistance. The Committee agreed to a short presentation on the syllabus at the next meeting and expressed concern that some teachers, particularly in Multi‑Academy Trusts, lacked flexibility in curriculum delivery.

Finally, the Senior Education Effectiveness Officer presented the SACRE annual cycle of Assess‑Plan‑Do‑Review and proposed several next steps: member participation in NASACRE self‑evaluation toolkits (to be submitted by September 2025), formation of small working groups with representation from each of the four SACRE groups, and development of a new SACRE website. Members expressed general support and urged prompt commencement of the work. It was also resolved that the updated Action Plan and its budget implications, as outlined in the consultants’ report, be accepted by the Committee. The meeting concluded with the agreement that a more detailed report with specific recommendations will be presented at the next meeting for further discussion and voting.