The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 17 June 2026. The meeting agenda includes discussions on connecting social care with faith communities, safeguarding updates, and feedback from the NASACRE conference.

Connecting Social Care with Faith Communities

A key item scheduled for discussion is a presentation by Ruth Madembo, Interim Head of Service for Family Help South, on the topic of Connecting social care with the faith communities to protect children. This session aims to explore how social care services can collaborate with faith communities to enhance child protection efforts.

Safeguarding Update

Anthony Doudle is scheduled to provide an update on safeguarding matters. This will likely cover current safeguarding practices and any new developments relevant to schools and educational settings. Monsignor Nicholas Rothon is also expected to mention a new bill progressing through Parliament concerning the safeguarding of electronic images.

NASACRE Conference and AGM Feedback

The meeting agenda includes initial feedback from Shaun Burns following the NASACRE Conference and AGM. This will be followed by a discussion on the NASACRE AGM keynote address by Dr Vanessa Ogden, focusing on Religious Education (RE) and the National Curriculum. Additionally, Nick Hughes is scheduled to lead a discussion on the NASACRE AGM workshops, specifically on the topic of Being an Inclusive SACRE.

National Curriculum and RE Developments

The report pack indicates that discussions may touch upon national developments concerning Religious Education. This includes the potential inclusion of RE within the national curriculum, following the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR). The Department for Education (DfE) is noted as being clear that high quality RE can develop children's knowledge of the religious and non-religious traditions of Britain and other countries, and foster understanding between people with different beliefs. ¹ The report pack also outlines a proposed phased approach to bringing RE within the national curriculum framework, involving stages such as consensus building, drafting and testing, legislative review, and implementation support.

Future Meetings

The meeting will also cover the proposed dates for future SACRE and Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) meetings. These are scheduled for:

• SACRE: Thursday, 10 September 2026; Monday, 9 November 2026; Wednesday, 3 February 2027 (via Zoom); Thursday, 15 April 2027; Monday, 28 June 2027.
• Agreed Syllabus Conference: Wednesday, 21 October 2026; Tuesday, 16 March 2027.