The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Monday 8 June 2026 to discuss the upcoming Agreed Syllabus Conference, the monitoring of RE standards in local schools, and the proposed Kingston and Richmond SACRE Award for Quality Religious Education. The council also received updates on national RE developments and reviewed its forward plan and meeting schedule.

Agreed Syllabus Conference Preparations

The council discussed preparations for the Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC), which is responsible for producing and recommending an agreed RE syllabus. Helena Moore, Lead Improvement Advisor for Curriculum at Achieving for Children (AfC), confirmed that the current Kingston syllabus is licensed for use until the end of the 2027/28 academic year. A school survey was conducted to gather feedback on the current syllabus, with generally positive responses indicating areas for development. However, the timeline for creating an official ASC timeline is dependent on decisions regarding RE's place within the national curriculum, which is still pending. Stephen Peirce, an advisor at RE Today, confirmed that the Department for Education (DfE) has not yet provided clarity on this matter. The local authority intends to appoint the same members of SACRE to the ASC.

Monitoring Standards of RE and Collective Worship

The council reviewed data on GCSE Religious Studies examination results and teaching hours for schools in the borough. Jane Whittington, representing the Diocese of Guildford, expressed disappointment at the wide discrepancy in GCSE RE entries as a percentage of the total student number, noting that some schools had very low entry numbers. It was clarified that while faith schools are required to offer GCSE RE, academies are not always bound by the local syllabus. Stephen Peirce explained that academies are legally required to teach RE, but not all adhere to this. He noted that while the agreed syllabus recommends that all 14-16 year olds pursue an accredited course in Religious Studies or RE, not all students need to be entered for the examination. Helena Moore also confirmed that while AfC's team has not agreed to use School Improvement Partner (SIP) visits for monitoring RE, they are open to promoting and reminding schools to complete other monitoring forms.

Kingston and Richmond SACRE Award for Quality Religious Education

The council considered approving the implementation of the Kingston and Richmond SACRE Award for Quality Religious Education and appointing RE practitioners as assessors. Helena Moore explained that the award aims to celebrate excellent RE provision and raise standards through sharing good practice. While two schools from Richmond had expressed interest, the council discussed the need for a budget to cover potential supply costs for assessors, as well as the time required for assessment and report writing. Various funding avenues were explored, including the West Hill Foundation, but concerns were raised about whether these would be suitable for the award. New suggestions for assessment methods, such as a moderation-style model, and potential collaboration with Richmond SACRE were also discussed. Ultimately, the council decided to leave the item open for further discussion at the next meeting, pending further exploration of funding and assessment methods. Kieran Wood, a qualified primary school teacher, and Sharma Khan expressed interest in potentially serving as assessors.

RE Today Updates

Stephen Peirce provided an update from RE Today, highlighting a NATRE analysis of new-style Ofsted reports which indicated that RE is mentioned in approximately half of the reports, often in the context of personal development and wellbeing rather than curriculum content. He also noted a shift in government focus, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government acknowledging the role of SACREs and RE in social cohesion. Updates were also provided on funding opportunities from the Jerusalem Trust for teaching Christianity, the NASACRE conference, and the Westhill/NASACRE Awards for projects promoting unity, community, and diversity. Stephen encouraged schools to participate in the NATRE primary survey by 31 July.

Forward Plan and Meeting Schedule

The council noted its forward plan, which includes the election of a Chair and Vice-Chair for the 2026/27 academic year and the approval of the annual report. The meeting schedule was confirmed, with the next annual meeting set for Monday 19 October 2026 at the Guildhall, and a spring term meeting planned for Monday 8 March 2027 at a place of worship or school. Provisional dates for subsequent meetings will be announced later in the year.

The meeting concluded with a moment of reflection for co-op member Simon Birch, who had recently passed away.