The Bexley Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Tuesday 19 November 2024 to discuss local and national updates concerning Religious Education (RE) in schools. Key discussions included the progress of the Bexley Agreed Syllabus review, the impact of national OFSTED frameworks on RE, and ongoing challenges in teacher recruitment and retention for RE.

Local Updates

Joan Woodham (JW), Head of Education Improvement and Partnerships for Bexley Council, provided an update on local school performance. She noted that exam results data had not yet been published by the Department of Education and would be reported in March. OFSTED reports indicated that schools in Bexley were continuing to score outstanding or good, with a new framework implemented from September that no longer includes deep dives into specific subjects. JW also highlighted that Rizwana Rehman (RR), an RE advisor for Bexley Council, would be holding further workshops for schools.

Dr. Fazlur Rashid, a governor at a local school, raised concerns about the apparent failure of RE classes to teach children about tolerance and prevent hate, referencing recent riots. JW acknowledged these concerns and explained that a Channel Panel is in place for schools to report concerns about hate crimes or extremism among pupils. RR added that RE has been underfunded and neglected, which may contribute to these issues.

Regarding the Spirited Arts competition, it was noted that Shenstone School had participated, and discussions were held about awarding a prize and using Bexley's social media to showcase the children's work. There were also requests for ideas on how to raise further funds for future competitions. RR mentioned that schools had requested more visitors from different faiths to speak in assemblies or deliver talks, and that all visitors would be vetted.

Krishna Vekriya inquired about which schools were following the Locally Agreed Syllabus, and JW stated this data would be collected during the consultation period for the syllabus review.

National Updates

Rizwana Rehman (RR) presented national updates on Religious Education. Nationally, GCSE RE uptake remained stable, while A-Level RE was decreasing in Wales. She highlighted that the teacher training bursary for RE is £10,000, which is significantly lower than for other specialist subjects offering up to £29,000. Subject knowledge enhancement grants for RE have been discontinued, meaning teachers with humanities degrees are often tasked with teaching RE without specialist support.

RR also reported that the NATRE-School-Workforce-Report-2024 indicated that nearly one in six schools have no RE provision in Year 11, despite RE being a required subject until age 18. However, GCSE entries for Religious Studies have remained stable, with over 233,000 pupils taking the subject nationally. Despite this, 51% of those teaching RE primarily teach another subject, and the number of specialist RE teachers has not increased since 2011.

The development of the national online resource, RE Hubs, was mentioned as a central point for RE professionals, offering job notifications, networking events, and resources. Additionally, free online resources for Interfaith Week were highlighted, produced by the Faith and Belief Forum and Facing History and Ourselves, aimed at fostering understanding between different faiths.

Review of the Bexley Agreed Syllabus

Joan Woodham (JW) and Rizwana Rehman (RR) are scheduled to begin the review of the Bexley Agreed Syllabus during the Autumn term. A Primary RE Network meeting on 27 November will focus on this review.

Ofsted and School Performance

The report indicated that several Bexley schools received Outstanding or Good ratings from OFSTED, including St Fidelis (Outstanding), Cornerstone (Good), St Paulinus (Good), Burnt Oak (Outstanding), Parkway (Good), and Longlands (Good). Reports were still awaited for St Augustine of Canterbury. Secondary school performance data publication had been delayed, with an expected release between November and December. The Head of Department from St Catherine's School has agreed to attend the next SACRE meeting to share school data and discuss teaching and learning in RE.

Spirited Arts Competition and Storytelling Workshops

The council noted the success of the Spirited Arts competition, with Shenstone School's Year 5 and 6 pupils being previous winners. Plans are underway to run the competition again, with ideas for incorporating RE into the curriculum to be discussed at the next Primary Network meeting. Rizwana Rehman also reported on the Bexley Westhill Project, which involved storytelling workshops in primary schools, focusing on stories from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These workshops aimed to showcase shared heritage and values, with students from Hook Lane, Orchard, Danson, Dulverton, and Gravel Hill Primary Schools participating.

Teacher Training and Professional Development

Discussions touched upon the national recruitment crisis in teaching, particularly for RE. While a £10,000 bursary is available for RE teacher training in England, it is significantly less than for other subjects. The discontinuation of subject knowledge enhancement grants for RE was also a point of concern. Several professional development opportunities were listed, including the Bexley Primary Subject Network meeting, Strictly RE, cREative Primary RE, Introducing a Religion and Worldviews approach, and Understanding Humanism Teacher Training.

The next meeting of the Bexley Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) was scheduled for Wednesday, 12 March 2025.