Agenda item

To monitor the Northumberland SACRE Action Plan September 2021 – August 2023 

D. Cookson explained to members that the action plan was created in conjunction with the work completed by the SACRE sub-committee. Members were encouraged to check over the action plan and agree points and also to agree who would be accountable for actions.

1.     Meetings should be held in a space that is more conductive to conversation between members.

This had been achieved by the Clerk for the meeting as the meeting was held in the Conference Room.

2.     Every SACRE meeting should include a time for discussion between members. It would be planned, led and would model good practice in discussion.

This was not on the agenda for the November meeting but would be added on the February agenda.

3.     Teachers from schools where there is good practice in RE should be invited to present their work at one meeting each year.

D. Cookson explained that the Spring agenda has been suggested for action 3.

4.     All meetings should have a key agenda item (which would include points 2 and 3)

D. Cookson explained to the committee that having both points 2 and 3 in every meeting may end up with a lengthy meeting, but the Spring agenda would include a discussion on “What is good practice in RE?”.

5.     SACRE should consider having hybrid meetings in an attempt to increase attendance and involvement by more members.

This action would fall under point 16, which J. Miller had taken responsibility for.

6.     The Chair should serve for a four-year period of office.

J. Miller explained that the committee required clarity on the role of the chair and that it may require a change to the constitution, and she was seeking to find the best way forward. 
It was agreed that J. Miller would oversee this action.

7.      A list of the CPD events held, their key topics, evaluation scores and attendance should be included in future annual reports, along with details of attendance at SACRE meetings by committee/individual members.

D. Cookson explained that this was possible for the committee to complete this year.

8.     SACRE should meet its constitutional requirement to have a member to represent the NAHT to enable better communication with head teachers, and to consider inviting a lecturer from higher education to represent their organisation.

It was agreed that D. Cookson and R. Little would oversee this action.

9.     SACRE should support the roll-out of the new Agreed Syllabus and should consider ways in which this can be achieved.

D. Cookson explained that his team were looking into creating an event after Easter to bring the new syllabus back into focus in schools. This would remind Local Authority schools that they must be using the new syllabus and provide an opportunity for schools to discuss the new syllabus with each other and enable SACRE to gather feedback on how it had landed in schools.

10.  SACRE members, where appropriate, should support schools by visits to classrooms, accompanying teachers and pupils on visits to places of worship or other sacred spaces, and by offering Q and A Zoom sessions. A list of volunteers with their topics and special interests should be made available to teachers.

D. Van Der Velde to update the list of places of worship in Northumberland, Tyneside and Newcastle and to verify that those places were allowing schools to visit for educational purposes.
It was agreed that D. Van Der Velde would oversee this action.

11.  SACRE should urgently investigate how it can support schools in relation to the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition in Newcastle.

C. Weir had previously investigated how SACRE could support schools however the information was received too late for members to support schools; however a number of schools had been visited by the pilgrims walking to Lindisfarne and some had visited the exhibition in Newcastle. The exhibition was expected to be in Newcastle until 3^rd December 2022.

C. Dixon explained that the children from Slaley First School would be attending Slaley Church to view the Slaley Sheep as part of the Illuminated Sheep Project.

D. Cookson spoke to members to advise that promotion of the event did go ahead as it was on the SACRE Newsletter.

12.  SACRE should keep ways in which is can play a greater role in Holocaust Memorial Day.

It was agreed that D. Van Der Velde would oversee this action.

13.  SACRE should advise the Council on the need for support from school improvement services to gather data on how far schools meet their statutory duties, particularly with regard to the implementation of the new agreed syllabus.

It was agreed that D. Cookson would collect data from schools to allow committee members to discuss at later meetings.

14.  The Chair of SACRE and consultant/officer should have an annual meeting with the Director of Children’s Services.

D. Cookson explained that the committee would need to decide when the most appropriate time for a meeting with the Director of Children’s Services would be, it was decided that the meeting should take place in March 2023 after the verified exam results were released.

15.  Analysis of workforce data and examination results should be presented annually, along with any evidence from Ofsted reports on Northumberland schools.

It was agreed that D. Cookson would oversee this action.

16.  SACRE should continue to pursue the question of its status in relation to the Local Authority through further discussion with NASACRE and other national bodies.

It was agreed that J. Miller would oversee this action.

RESOLVED that the ownership of each task was agreed and a new Action Plan would be drafted and sent out to members.