A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Council and councillors

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Via Zoom

Contact: Governance Team  Email: governance@rutland.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

A MOMENT FOR REFLECTION

We gather together here today intent on doing good work.

We seek to represent fairly and well, those who have given us this task.

May our efforts be blessed with insight, guided by understanding and wisdom.

We seek to serve with respect for all.

May our personal beliefs give us strength to act honestly and well in all matters before us.

Minutes:

The committee undertook a moment for reflection.

2.

APOLOGIES

Minutes:

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor L Stephenson, Elizabeth Papworth and Rev James McWhirter.

3.

RECORD OF MEETING pdf icon PDF 251 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Rutland SACRE held on 18 January 2022.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 January 2022 were considered and AGREED as a true record of the proceedings.

 

4.

ACTIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING

Minutes:

Councillor R Powell confirmed that the Agreed Syllabus and Network meeting dates had been placed onto the Rutland County Council website.

 

Councillor R Powell would be updating Full Council at the March or April meeting on the work of the Rutland SACRE.

5.

UPDATE ON AGREED SYLLABUS CONFERENCE

To receive a verbal update from Amanda Fitton, SACRE Advisor.

Minutes:

Amanda Fitton, SACRE and Religious Education Advisor, provided an update on the Agreed Syllabus Conference.

 

During the discussion the following points were noted:

 

  • Revd Dr Peter Holmes, Church of England Representative had undertaken some work on Religion and Worldviews, and this would be discussed at the next conference meeting on 30 March 2022.
  • Stacey Potter would contact Laura Corcoran, SACRE clerk for Peterborough City Council to share Rutland SACRE Members contact details for the purpose of attending the Agreed Syllabus Conference on 30 March 2022.

Action: Stacey Potter

  • The SACRE Advisor confirmed that the conference meeting would be taking place via Microsoft Teams and would ensure that all Rutland SACRE Members had access to the Agreed Syllabus Conference reports and minutes.

Action: Amanda Fitton

  • The SACRE Advisor had been in discussions with two teachers and had started to look at the concepts and pedagogy in relation to the Religious Education Council’s report from 2018 on the National Entitlements and had created some recommendations. A presentation outlining how these may look in the Agreed Syllabus was being created to share at the next conference.
  • The SACRE Advisor would be meeting with primary school teachers to look at assessments and what assessment and progression looks like.
  • Revd Dr Peter Holmes, Church of England Representative stated that on the Statement of Entitlement there was a definition of the term Worldviews and advised that a discussion needed to take place as the definition was quite narrow and may require expanding. The SACRE Advisor stated that it would be beneficial for a small group to work together on defining the definition and would discuss this with the Peterborough SACRE Chair.

Action: Amanda Fitton

  • Revd Dr Peter Holmes, Church of England Representative advised Members that a request had been made by the Chair of the Agreed Syllabus Conference in relation to the Rutland SACRE Constitution and the inclusion of a section detailing the Agreed Syllabus Conference, membership and financial contributions. Stacey Potter would share these with Members, and this would be discussed at the next SACRE Board meeting.

Action: Stacey Potter

6.

NASACRE SELF EVALUATION TOOLKIT pdf icon PDF 984 KB

To review sections 1 and 5 of the NASACRE Self Evaluation Toolkit.

https://www.nasacre.org.uk/resources/sacre-management

Minutes:

Councillor R Powell proposed that item 1 and 5 of the NASACRE Self Evaluation Toolkit be discussed.

 

During the discussion the following points were noted:

 

Key Area: 1e - Information and advice

How well informed is SACRE in order to be able to advise the LA appropriately?

 

  • The SACRE Adviser stated that with academisation and SACRE’s not being able to go into schools to make judgement this was difficult. SACRE were relying on Ofsted reports, and the Ofsted website for information and public exams.
  • Gurdev Singh, representative of the Sikh Faith suggested that there was too much information and not enough insight behind the information shared.
  • The SACRE Adviser stated that Officers were not always invited into schools.
  • Councillor R Powell stated that regular information was provided but more insight was needed, and this was difficult to improve with the current structure.
  • The SACRE Adviser stated that it would be useful to invite schools to a future SACRE Board meeting.

Action: Stacey Potter

 

Key Area: 1f - Partnerships with key stakeholders

What partnerships does the SACRE have with key local and national stakeholders, and what quality are these?

 

  • Several Rutland SACRE Members had attended the National Conference and had undertaken various training.
  • Councillor R Powell stated that it would be useful to hear the views of pupils and suggested that schools share comments from pupils at a future SACRE meeting.

Action: Stacey Potter

 

Key Area: 1g – Relations with the Academies sector

How effectively is SACRE encouraging academies etc to see themselves also as stakeholders in their local area, specifically by devising ways in which an academies presence is incorporated into SACRE itself?

 

  • The SACRE Adviser stated that academies were attending the Network meetings regularly and the teacher representative on the Rutland SACRE was part of an academy school.
  • Megan Davies, representative of the National Association of Head Teachers outlined that by the end of the next academic there would only be one school within Rutland that was a Local Authority school. There were several academy trusts within Rutland, and it would not be wise to state that the Rutland SACRE had a great relationship with academies. The teacher representative was representing teachers and not all of the academies in the area. The links needed to be strengthened.
  • The SACRE Adviser stated that it would be beneficial to have more teacher representatives on the SACRE Board and to look at the teachers and pupils as a whole rather than the type of school.
  • In response to a question from Bjoern Finke, representative of the Roman Catholic Faith asking is there were any links to independent schools, the SACRE Adviser confirmed that there were currently no links but that it would be useful to reach out to them.
  • Councillor R Powell suggested that the Rutland SACRE needed to strengthen its relationships with academies and the independent sector.

Action: All Members

 

Key Area: 5a – SACRE’s membership

How representative is SACRE’s membership of the local community?

 

7.

SACRE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2020-22 pdf icon PDF 243 KB

To review the SACRE Development Plan 2020-22.

Minutes:

The Council CONSIDERED the SACRE Development Plan for 2020-22 and an update would be undertaken following the completion of the Self Evaluation Toolkit.

8.

TRAINING ATTENDED BY SACRE MEMBERS

To receive a verbal update from Members of SACRE on training attended.

Minutes:

Amanda Fitton, SACRE and Religious Education Advisor, had attended the NASACRE Worldviews webinar and was attending ‘An Approach to Decolonising Teaching about Jesus in Primary Schools’ training delivered by Culham St Gabriel’s.

 

The SACRE Adviser confirmed that the NASACRE annual conference would be taking place in Birmingham. Councillor R Powell asked if there was any designated funding available in the Rutland SACRE budget for Member training.

Action: Stacey Potter

9.

UPDATE ON NETWORK MEETINGS

To receive an update from Amanda Fitton, SACRE Advisor, on Network Meetings.

 

Minutes:

Amanda Fitton, SACRE and Religious Education Advisor, confirmed that the Network meetings were on 24 and 29 March. Gurdev Singh, representative of the Sikh Faith would be attending to answer any question in relation to the Sikh Religion and both meetings would be held jointly with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

10.

MONITORING OF RE IN SCHOOLS AND OFSTED INSPECTION REPORTS

To receive a verbal report from Elizabeth Papworth, Education Development Lead.

Minutes:

Amanda Fitton, SACRE and Religious Education Advisor, confirmed that there were no updates.

11.

ANY URGENT BUSINESS

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

12.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING:

To be confirmed following the publication of the Programme of Meetings 2022/23.

Minutes:

To be confirmed following the publication of the Programme of Meetings 2022/23.