This meeting was scheduled to include updates on the national picture in Religious Education and local updates on several ongoing projects. The council were also scheduled to review the SACRE's self-evaluation and action plan.

Religious Education in Bromley Schools

The meeting was scheduled to include the SACRE Annual Report Bromley 2023-24 for SACRE meeting 4.12.24_watermark, which included several observations and recommendations about the state of Religious Education in Bromley schools.

The report noted that:

Bromley schools are able to partake in innovative pilot projects (e.g. with the Faith Belief Forum) because the Syllabus has been designed to support the latest (Worldviews) approaches and developments in the subject, and this year many were involved in a national research project with a university. We would nit be able to engage with these opportunities if our syllabus was not aligned to these new approaches in the subject.

The report also noted that:

Ofsted’s latest Subject Report (2024) was shared with SACRE and discussed in the summer term meeting. This included their national findings around the number of schools delivering RE as per statutory expectations.

The report recommended that:

SACRE members agreed to partake in a website survey, to explore which schools were showing correct information about how their curriculum was devised, whether this was using the Locally Agreed Syllabus, and if they showed information about how RE was delivered i.e. in discrete lessons as part of a timetable. The results of this survey will be shared in the next academic year and will enable SACRE and the RE Advisor to target those schools which appear to require more support.

The report included the results of a recent survey of school governors:

In addition, a survey was devised and shared to glean feedback from school governors. Bromley SACRE are aware that this is an area which could potentially provide much support to subject leaders in their schools. Data analysis took place and was shared with SACRE members, and in response, SACRE has decided to provide a special session for school governors to reiterate the role of RE and how it can support community cohesion. This training is being supported by the LA and will include information about schools’ duties and how SACRE may be able to support these.

Teacher Sessions

The meeting was scheduled to include an update from the teacher sessions that had taken place during the year. The SACRE Annual Report Bromley 2023-24 for SACRE meeting 4.12.24_watermark said that:

Throughout 2023-24 the RE Advisor, with support from the LA, has continued to run termly teacher networks for both primary and secondary schools. Approximately a third of primary schools engage with this network, whilst just under half of the secondary schools are active.

The report noted that:

These network sessions continue to have attendance and engagement from a wide range of schools, including academies, special schools and schools with specialist SEND/Autism units. Sessions include discussion of effective pedagogy using enquiry, clarification and updates of key Ofsted messages regarding curriculum and demonstration of how the Agreed Syllabus supports these.

Calendar Competition

The meeting was also scheduled to include an update on the Religious Education calendar competition. The SACRE Annual Report Bromley 2023-24 for SACRE meeting 4.12.24_watermark said that:

Bromley SACRE also continues to run the borough wide RE calendar competition, open to all Bromley schools. This results in an annual calendar detailing religious and non-religious faith festivals and commemorations throughout the year, which schools can use to inform and support learning of other faiths and worldviews.

The artwork for this calendar is based around carefully planned enquiry questions which promote inclusivity and focus on key concepts relevant to RE, but also reflect some of the curriculum planning being developed in the teachers’ networks. This year there was a large increase in the number of schools taking part.

Inter-faith Dialogue Workshop

The meeting was scheduled to receive an update on a planned inter-faith dialogue workshop. The SACRE Annual Report Bromley 2023-24 for SACRE meeting 4.12.24_watermark explains that:

We are delighted that our application for funding from Westhill to create our own Schools’ Interfaith Dialogue Conference Workshop next year for and with schools was successful.

SACRE Self-Evaluation & Action Plan

The meeting was scheduled to receive the SACRE's self-evaluation, and to consider its action plan for the year ahead. The action plan included the following items:

• Holding teacher network meetings
• Running the Religious Education calendar competition
• Producing a newsletter for schools
• Delivering training to school governors
• Reviewing the agreed syllabus for Religious Education
• Supporting the delivery of Religious Education at Key Stages 4 and 5.

The action plan also contains details of how these activities are to be resourced.

National Updates

The meeting was scheduled to include a discussion of the RE X conference that was held in October 2024.

The meeting was also scheduled to include a discussion of the response to Ofsted's recent call for evidence.

The meeting was also scheduled to include a discussion of the RE Hubs website.

AOB

The meeting was scheduled to include any other business.