The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Tuesday 1 April 2025 to approve the draft Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education and the draft Annual Report for 2023-24. The council also discussed the interim report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review and received a briefing from NASACRE.

Draft Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education

The council approved the draft Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, recommending it for approval by the Full Council. This revised syllabus, which updates the 2020 version, reflects changes in teaching and assessment methods and incorporates data from the 2021 census. The syllabus aims to promote mutual understanding, tolerance, and community cohesion by providing accurate and balanced information about religions and worldviews. Several amendments were agreed upon, including the inclusion of Christianity in the census data table, a photograph representing Buddhism, consistent use of Richmond upon Thames, and adjustments to the placement and wording of sections on local intent and legal requirements. Specific details within the syllabus, such as the core concepts for Christianity and the removal of repetitive sections for the Early Years Foundation Stage, were also refined.

Draft Annual Report for 2023-24

The council approved the draft Annual Report detailing SACRE's activities during the academic year 2023-24. The report, which follows a template provided by the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils (NASACRE), outlines the council's work on Religious Education and Collective Worship. Amendments to the report included updating references from 2022/23 to 2023/24, correcting the name of Heathfield Infant School to Heathfield Junior School, and seeking further information for Grey Court and Turing House schools. Emphasis was placed on the survey of RE provision in secondary schools, with Jon Fayle to provide an additional paragraph for insertion.

Update on Faith Direct Day

Members were informed that attempts to organise a Faith Direct Day specifically for special schools had been hampered by a lack of school engagement. It was noted that the special schools in the borough are part of the same academy trust, and Helena Moore from Achieving for Children would follow up with the relevant officer and the Director for Education if necessary.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report

The council discussed the interim report of the government-commissioned Curriculum and Assessment Review. The report highlighted that Religious Education (RE) would benefit from a national content standard to address regional disparities in curriculum quality. The RE Council and other organisations favour the introduction of such a standard. The Minister for School Standards, Catherine McKinnell, was quoted as stating that RE is a compulsory subject up to the age of 18, providing pupils with opportunities to learn about a wide range of beliefs and understand different religious communities. The council noted that while Richmond SACRE had missed the call for evidence, it would be beneficial to make further representations and agreed to make this a future agenda item.

NASACRE Briefing

The NASACRE Conference was highlighted, scheduled for 19 May in London. Fiona Foreman expressed interest in attending, and the clerk would confirm if the delegate fee could be covered by Achieving for Children. The Westhill Awards were also mentioned, with a note that there had been no new applications for the Kingston and Richmond SACRE RE Award since Heathfield Junior School. Heathfield Infant School had expressed interest in pursuing this at a later date. It was suggested that the launch of the new Agreed Syllabus could be used to gather contact details for RE leads to facilitate direct communication.

Date of the Next Meeting

The provisional date for the next SACRE meeting was set for 19 June 2025. The Chair, Councillor Penny Frost, informed members that she would be taking up the role of Mayor of Richmond upon Thames in May and would continue as Chair of SACRE during her Mayoral year, with Councillor Nicholson deputising if she was unable to attend.