The Doncaster Council Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met on Thursday, 31st July 2025, to discuss several key issues, including the constitution and terms of reference, updates to the SACRE webpage and REsource directory, Key Stage 4 grade summaries, and the Agreed RE Syllabus launch event. The council also reviewed national updates for SACRE from RE Today Summer 2025. During the meeting, a new chair and vice-chair were appointed.

Appointment of Chair and Vice-Chair

At the previous meeting, Councillor Glynis Smith was appointed as Chair of the meeting only, and until a new Chair was elected. At this meeting, the council appointed a new chair and vice-chair. The minutes do not record who was appointed, but do record that at the meeting of 6th March 2025, Niyi Olusola had expressed an interest in becoming Chair.

Constitution and Terms of Reference

The council reviewed its constitution and terms of reference¹, which outline the statutory responsibilities and operational guidelines for the Doncaster SACRE. Key points of the constitution include:

• Statutory Responsibilities: SACRE is required to advise the local authority (LA) on matters related to agreed syllabus religious education and collective worship, publish an annual report, consider applications from headteachers for release from collective worship requirements, meet in public, and produce accessible minutes.
• Membership: The SACRE comprises representatives from Christian and other religious denominations (Group A), the Church of England (Group B), teacher associations (Group C), and the local authority (Group D), ensuring a broad representation of stakeholders.
• Voting Procedures: Each of the four representative groups has one vote, and decisions require a simple majority, with approval from at least three of the four groups.
• Quorum: A meeting is quorate if at least one representative member from each of the four groups is present.
• Terms of Office: Members hold office until resignation or ineligibility, with the LA responsible for appointing replacements.
• Administrative Arrangements: The LA provides a clerk, meeting accommodations, and ensures sufficient funds and support for SACRE to perform its duties.

Key Stage 4 Grade Summary

The council reviewed the Key Stage 4 grade summary ² for Religious Studies (RS) across several schools in Doncaster, comparing them against local authority (LA) and national averages. The data indicates variations in performance across different schools:

• Hall Cross Academy [https://www.google.com/maps/search/Hall+Cross+Academy+Doncaster/]: Shows a high percentage of students achieving grades 9-5 (74.1%) and 9-4 (81.5%), with 100% achieving grades 9-1.
• Ridgewood School [https://www.google.com/maps/search/Ridgewood+School+Doncaster/]: Demonstrates 58.8% of students achieving grades 9-5 and 73.5% achieving grades 9-4, with 97.1% achieving grades 9-1.
• Rossington All Saints Academy [https://www.google.com/maps/search/Rossington+All+Saints+Academy+Doncaster/]: Shows 46.2% of students achieving grades 9-5 and 61.5% achieving grades 9-4, with 92.3% achieving grades 9-1.
• The McAuley Catholic High School [https://www.google.com/maps/search/The+McAuley+Catholic+High+School+Doncaster/]: Indicates 53.2% of students achieving grades 9-5 and 67.1% achieving grades 9-4, with 99.1% achieving grades 9-1.
• Trinity Academy [https://www.google.com/maps/search/Trinity+Academy+Doncaster/]: Shows 32.3% of students achieving grades 9-5 and 41.9% achieving grades 9-4, with 95.2% achieving grades 9-1.
• XP East [https://www.google.com/maps/search/XP+East+Doncaster/]: Demonstrates 35.3% of students achieving grades 9-5 and 47.1% achieving grades 9-4, with 94.1% achieving grades 9-1.
• XP School [https://www.google.com/maps/search/XP+School+Doncaster/]: Indicates 38.1% of students achieving grades 9-5 and 42.9% achieving grades 9-4, with 100% achieving grades 9-1.
• Campsmount Academy [https://www.google.com/maps/search/Campsmount+Academy+Doncaster/]: Shows 70.6% of students achieving grades 9-5 and 94.1% achieving grades 9-4, with 100% achieving grades 9-1.

Compared to national averages, some schools are performing above, while others are below. For instance, Hall Cross Academy and Campsmount Academy are performing well above the national average for grades 9-5, while Trinity Academy and XP East are significantly below.

Agreed RE Syllabus Launch Event: Reflection and Insights

The council discussed the RE Syllabus Launch Event ³ held on 9 May, which marked the introduction of the newly agreed syllabus for Religious Education, developed in partnership with Pennine Learning. The event saw approximately 100 attendees, including primary and secondary subject leads, headteachers, and faith representatives. A survey was conducted to gather feedback, which indicated:

• Overall Impression: Attendees had a positive impression of the event, appreciating its informative sessions, engaging guest speakers, and networking opportunities.
• Further Support: Attendees emphasised the importance of ongoing CPD, including network meetings, guest speakers, and follow-up discussions to exchange best practices. They also requested contacts for organising school visits and guidance on resources to develop a medium-term plan.

Next steps include follow-up sessions in July and October, and the development of a comprehensive support package in collaboration with Pennine Learning, including a structured CPD program.

National RE Updates for SACRE from RE Today Summer 2025

The council reviewed national updates for SACRE from RE Today Summer 2025 ⁴, which included information on curriculum and assessment reviews, BBC series Pilgrimage , NASACRE training, RE Hubs, Spirited Arts 2025, Jerusalem Trust grants, World Humanist Day, and upcoming RE Today courses. Key highlights from the update:

• Curriculum and Assessment Review: The government is conducting a Curriculum and Assessment Review, with NATRE submitting over 100 pieces of evidence. The interim report noted disparities in the quality of RE provision due to a lack of national agreed content standards.
• BBC Pilgrimage: The BBC series Pilgrimage offers suitable content for use in the RE classroom, with Truetube providing clips and downloadable lesson ideas.
• NASACRE: NASACRE continues to support local SACREs and offers training for members, including a free session on understanding the role of SACRE members.
• RE Hubs: RE Hubs offer training for speakers to support schools in bringing the curriculum to life, with a website listing kite-marked speakers for schools to access.
• Spirited Arts 2025: NATRE's annual Spirited Arts competition encourages students to explore questions of religious and non-religious worldviews through creative arts.
• The Jerusalem Trust: The Jerusalem Trust offers grants to schools for purchasing Christianity resources for use in RE lessons.
• World Humanist Day: Celebrated on 21st June, World Humanist Day promotes the positive values of humanism, with free resources available for schools at Understanding Humanism.
• Upcoming RE Today Courses: RE Today offers various CPD courses for primary and secondary teachers, covering topics such as mentoring new RE teachers, understanding Christianity, and effective RE subject leadership.