Hampshire County Council

Councillors: 78

Wards: 76

Committees: 49

Meetings (2025): 165

Meetings (2024): 156

Council Home Committee

Back to Home

Meeting

Name: Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education
Start: 2024-06-11T13:00:00Z
End: 2024-06-11T17:00:00Z
Location: Ashburton Hall, Winchester

Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education - Hampshire

Agenda

Published

Minutes

Published

Meeting Times

Scheduled Time

Start:
Tuesday, 11th June 2024
2:00 PM

End:
Tuesday, 11th June 2024
6:00 PM

Meeting Status

Status:
Confirmed

Date:
11 Jun 2024

Location:
Ashburton Hall, Winchester

Meeting Attendees

Committee Member

Julie Kelly

Group C - Hampshire Teachers' Liaison Panel

Absent

Co-opted Member

Gill Heron

Academy Schools

Present, as expected

Committee Member

Councillor Wayne Irish

Liberal Democrat

Present, as expected

View Profile

Committee Member

Councillor Pal Hayre

Conservative

Present, as expected

View Profile

Conservative Deputy

Councillor Jackie Branson

Conservative

Not required

View Profile

Liberal Democrats Deputy

Councillor Jackie Porter

Liberal Democrat

Not required

View Profile

Committee Member

Vacancy

Group A - Baha'i

Not required

Committee Member

Vacancy

Group A - Baptist

Not required

Committee Member

Vacancy

Group A - Buddhist

Not required

Committee Member

Chris Hughes

Group A - Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

Present, as expected

Deputy

Joyce Wan

Group A - Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

Not required

Committee Member

Vacancy

Group A - Hindu

Not required

Committee Member

Chris Robinson

Group A - Humanists

Present, as expected

Deputy

Mary Wallbank

Group A - Humanists

Not required

Committee Member

Danny Habel

Group A - Jewish Community

Apologies

Committee Member

Rachel Jackson

Group C - Hampshire Teachers' Liaison Panel

Absent

Co-opted Member

James Pitkin

Governors

Apologies

Co-opted Member

Rhiannon Love

Higher Education

Present, as expected

Committee Member

Sheikh Fazle Abbas Datoo

Group A - Muslim

Apologies

Committee Member

Yasmeen Hussain

Group A - Muslim

Present, as expected

Committee Member

Father John Chandler

Group A - Roman Catholic Church

Absent

Committee Member

Rhian Jones

Group A - The Salvation Army

Present, as expected

Deputy

Captain Victoria Crawford

Group A - The Salvation Army

Not required

Committee Member

Harjinder Virdee

Group A - Sikh

Absent

Committee Member

Noel Thorpe-Tracey

Group A - Society of Friends

Present, as expected

Committee Member

Vacancy

Group A - United Reform Church

Not required

Committee Member

Sue Bowen

Group B - Church of England

Apologies

Committee Member

Jeff Williams

Group B - Church of England

Present, as expected

Committee Member

Rev Howard Wright

Group B - Church of England

Present, as expected

Committee Member

Maria Ackland

Group B - Church of England

Present, as expected

Deputy

Robert Sanders

Group B - Church of England

Not required

Committee Member

Maureen Barnes

Group C - Hampshire Teachers' Liaison Panel

Present, as expected

Committee Member

Carson Elday

Group C - Hampshire Teachers' Liaison Panel

Present, as expected

Co-opted Member

Alasdair Richardson

Higher Education

Present, as expected

Committee Member

Revd Peter Rayson

Group A - Methodist

Present, as expected

Deputy

Imam Sayfullah Nasir

Group A - Muslim

Not required

Chairman

Councillor Elaine Still

Conservative

Present, as expected

View Profile

Conservative Deputy

Councillor Juliet Henderson

Conservative

Not required

View Profile

Vice-Chairman

Councillor Christopher Donnelly

Conservative

Present, as expected

View Profile

Agenda

1 Apologies for Absence

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes Apologies had been received from:

Danny Habel – Jewish Representative Sheikh Fazle Abbas Datoo – Muslim Representative Sue Bowen – Church of England Rev James Pitkin – Co-opted – Governors Representative

2 Declarations of Interest

All Members who believe they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting must declare that interest and, having regard to Part 3 Paragraph 1.5 of the County Council's Members’ Code of Conduct, leave the meeting while the matter is discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with Paragraph 1.6 of the Code. Furthermore all Members with a Personal Interest in a matter being considered at the meeting should consider, having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 4 of the Code, whether such interest should be declared, and having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 5 of the Code, consider whether it is appropriate to leave the meeting while the matter is discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with the Code.

No declarations were made.

Minutes Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in any matter considered at the meeting they must declare that interest at the time of the relevant debate and, having regard to the circumstances described in Part 3, Paragraph 1.5 of the County Council's Members' Code of Conduct, leave the meeting while the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with Paragraph 1.6 of the Code. Furthermore Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Personal Interest in a matter being considered at the meeting they considered whether such interest should be declared, and having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 5 of the Code, considered whether it was appropriate to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with the Code.

3 Minutes of the Previous Meeting

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting.

Attachments:

Document Minutes Public Pack, 27/02/2024 Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education 03 Jun 2024

Minutes The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed as an accurate record.

4 Deputations

To receive any deputations notified under Standing Order 12.

Minutes There were no deputations received.

5 Chairman's Announcements

To receive any Chairman’s announcements.

Minutes The Chairman shared news of the recent announcement at the NASACRE conference in York of Hampshire SACRE being selected as one of three award winners for the annual Westhill SACRE award.

This is an award of up to £4000 that SACRE’s can apply for and the theme this year was “Education into Diversity” for local schools. Hampshire’ SACRE had been awarded a sum to help reestablish and develop the Youth Voice in Secondary Schools, which will culminate in a Youth Voice conference next summer.

6 SACRE Monitoring Group

To receive a report from the Director of Children’s Services regarding the activities and discussions of the monitoring group in relation to the monitoring of RE and the implementation of Living Difference IV.

Attachments:

Document Report - SACRE Monitoring Group Report 03 Jun 2024

Minutes The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education received a report from the Director of Children’s Services providing an update on the activities of the Monitoring Group at its recent meeting on the 7 May 2024. It was noted that SACRE had a statutory responsibility to monitor the effectiveness of the locally agreed syllabus, which was undertaken through this Monitoring Group.

Members noted a summary of the following areas discussed by the Monitoring Group, including:

Reports from Primary and Secondary Hampshire Ofsted Visits, Update on Work with RE and Disadvantaged Groups, Professional Education Opportunities, Monitoring of Living Difference IV in schools, SACRE Monitoring Visits, Information gathered from other inspector/adviser visits, Update on teacher vacancies and ITE provision, Update on other National projects relating to Hampshire.

It was noted that all members of SACRE can undertake Monitoring Visits to witness religious education produced in a classroom, and that it would be beneficial for their monitoring role if more members endeavoured to do so.

RESOLVED:

That the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education notes the Monitoring Group report.

7 Key National and Local RE Matters

To receive a report from the Director of Children’s Services on developments in relation to the work of the Religious Education Council, RE Research and other key national and local RE matters.

Attachments:

Document Report - Key National and Local RE Matters 03 Jun 2024

Minutes The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education received a report from the Director of Children’s Services setting out key national and local RE matters.

Members noted the update on the work of the Religious Education Council (REC), NASACRE, RE Hubs, the Association of University Lecturers in Religious Education (AULRE) and initiatives being led by the Culham St Gabriel’s Trust.

Officers provided a summary of the National Association of SACRE’s conference in York on 20 May which included their AGM, were a proposal to move to a new constitution was received. Additionally, it was announced that Hampshire SACRE had won a Westhill Award for the reestablishment of a secondary youth voice event in July 2025.

RESOLVED:

That the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education notes the report on key national and local re matters.

8 Confirmation of Three Year Action Plan

To receive a report from the Director of Children’s Services seeking the approval of SACRE’s three year plan, following the proposed amendments from SACRE’s last meeting.

Attachments:

Document Report - Confirmation of Three Year Action Plan 03 Jun 2024
Document Appendix 1 - Confirmation of Three Year Action Plan 03 Jun 2024

Minutes The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education received a report from the Director of Children’s Services setting out SACRE’s Three Year Action Plan as amended at the last meeting.

Following a brief review the plan was agreed to have been accurately updated as per the recommendations at the previous meeting.

RESOLVED:

That the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education agreed its Three Year Action Plan as attached in appendix 1 to the report.

9 Summary of the Ofsted National Subject Report on RE for England

To receive a report from the Director of Children’s Services providing a summary of the Ofsted National Subject Report on RE for England.

Attachments:

Document Report - Summary of the Ofsted National Subject Report on RE for England 03 Jun 2024

Minutes The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education received a report from the Director of Children’s Services setting out a summary of the Ofsted National Subject Report on RE in England published in April 2024.

Members noted that the previous Ofsted Subject Report for RE was published over ten years ago in 2013, with a research review for RE being published in 2021. Officers provided a summary of the key findings for England, highlighting areas for Hampshire SACRE to consider.

Members discussed the concerns surrounding a superficially broad curriculum not providing pupils with the depth of knowledge required for future study and the impact of long gaps between lessons hindering pupils’ recall.

The report noted that in cases where the curriculum prioritised depth of study, pupils learnt much more and when the timetable was organised so that pupils had regular RE lessons, they remembered more.

During discussion it was noted that:

· This was a rare report for RE and some elements were very critical and disheartening on a national level.

· The contents of the report would be communicated to Hampshire’s schools and governors would be informed via planned training events.

· Visits to religious places of speakers coming into school is a strong way to assist learning.

RESOLVED:

That the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education notes the summary of the Ofsted National Subject Report on RE.

10 SACRE Membership

To receive a verbal update from the Director of Children’s Services regarding the membership of Hampshire’s SACRE.

Minutes The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education received a verbal update from the Director of Children’s Services regarding the membership of SACRE.

Several new members were welcomed, including deputies and the current vacancies and attempts to recruit to them was noted. All members of Group A were reminded that they could nominate a deputy to attend if they were unable but that these individuals would be required to undertake the formal appointment process.

RESOLVED:

That the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education notes the verbal update on their membership.

Previous Meetings

28th Jan 2025