The Hillingdon Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (HSACRE) discussed several significant topics, including the closure of The Interfaith Network, the need for faith speakers in schools, and the adaptation of the RE syllabus for SEND schools. Decisions were made to produce a localised calendar of religious festivals and to use electronic surveys to gather information on the RE curriculum in schools.

Closure of The Interfaith Network

The meeting noted the closure of The Interfaith Network due to a lack of government funding. The HSACRE Advisor highlighted the importance of HSACRE faith groups, as they might now be the only accessible faith speakers for schools in the Borough. Members were encouraged to register as faith speakers on the RE Hubs website.

Faith Speakers in Schools

It was highlighted that almost no HSACRE Faith Representative Committee Members were advertised as faith speakers on the RE Hubs website, forcing Hillingdon schools to seek out-of-borough speakers. The HSACRE Advisor urged all members to register as faith speakers to support local schools.

Calendar of Religious Festivals

Members discussed creating a calendar of religious festivals on the Hillingdon Council website, similar to the one previously available on The Interfaith Network website. This calendar would include localised photographs of people celebrating their religious festivals, offering real examples and experiences to schools. Councillor June Nelson supported this initiative, and it was agreed that the HSACRE Advisor would draft wording to request photographs from schools.

Adaptation of the RE Syllabus for SEND Schools

Questions were raised about how well the current RE syllabus was adapted for SEND schools. The HSACRE Advisor acknowledged that SEND was not sufficiently recognised within the syllabus. The Head of the School Improvement Team suggested breaking down conceptual tasks into smaller steps to reduce cognitive load for SEND pupils. The teacher training sessions were seen as a consultative base to better adapt the RE syllabus to different schools' needs.

Electronic Surveys for Information Gathering

The Committee voted to use electronic surveys to gather information on the RE curriculum in schools. Concerns were raised about low response rates, but members were reassured that teacher networks would be set up to encourage higher engagement. This method was agreed upon to identify what RE was happening in schools and how the syllabus could be developed.

NASACRE Conference

Members were informed about the upcoming NASACRE Conference at Hilton York on 20 May 2024. The HSACRE Advisor invited members to attend.

HSACRE Action Plan

The HSACRE Action Plan was discussed, and key action points were agreed upon. These included registering faith representatives as speakers on the RE Hubs website, devising an electronic survey for teachers, and supporting the production of a localised calendar of religious festivals.