The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) of Cornwall Council convened to address several key areas, including budget management, the SACRE action plan, and the annual cycle of assessment, planning, execution, and review. Updates on the Agreed Syllabus Conference and membership were also on the agenda. The meeting was scheduled to take place in the Grenville Room, County Hall, Truro.

SACRE Action Plan

The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education was scheduled to discuss the updated SACRE Action Plan September 2024 – August 2025. The plan outlines five key priorities:

• Evaluating the effectiveness of the locally agreed syllabus (AS).
• Promoting improvement in the standards, the quality of teaching, and provision in Religious Education (RE).
• Managing the SACRE and building the partnership between the SACRE, the Local Authority (LA) and other key stakeholders.
• Promoting improvement in the quality of Collective Worship in LA schools.
• Contributing to cohesion across the community and the promotion of social and racial harmony.

The action plan included progress updates on various initiatives, such as monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the locally agreed syllabus, continuing to focus on resourcing and embedding the Cornwall Agreed Syllabus (CAS) in hub meetings, and consultants working with schools to support the continued implementation of the agreed syllabus.

The SACRE was to consider and approve the updated action plan, its implications for the budget set in April 2025, and the continued support from Cornwall Council for the delivery of the programme.

Budget Report

The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education was scheduled to discuss the budget report for the financial year 2025-2026. Cornwall Council's contribution to the SACRE budget for 2025/26 was approved as £15,000, the same as in the previous financial year. In addition, Cornwall Council committed a further £10,000 of growth funding in the 2025/26 financial year to account for the additional costs incurred in convening and launching the Agreed Syllabus 2025-2026.

The budget report included a summary of the SACRE budget as of 17 June 2025, detailing the budget, actuals, and remaining budget for various aspects, such as consultants, management of SACRE and partnerships with stakeholders, standards and quality of RE, monitoring and evaluation of the Agreed Syllabus, standards and quality of collective worship, and contributing to community cohesion.

The SACRE was to ensure that the funds allocated to it for the financial year 2025-2026 are utilised in line with the identified areas agreed within the SACRE action plan and approve the spending intentions detailed in the report.

SACRE's Annual Cycle

The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education was scheduled to receive a verbal update on SACRE's annual cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review.

The annual cycle involves assessing the impact of actions and recording these within the SACRE Annual Report, completing the SACRE Self-Assessment Tool to identify areas of strength and development, delivering and monitoring key actions within the SACRE Development Plan, and updating the SACRE Development Plan and planning key actions.

SACRE members were expected to take greater ownership of the improvement cycle and contribute in those areas identified, potentially requiring activity between scheduled meetings. Changes to templates and report formats were expected to ensure a better alignment between the Self Evaluation Tool, SACRE Development Plan, SACRE Annual Report, and Budget Report. A longer-term strategic plan may be necessary to manage and sustain change over a longer period.

Agreed Syllabus Conference

The Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education was scheduled to receive a verbal update on the Agreed Syllabus Conference. The Agreed Syllabus is a document that outlines the curriculum for religious education in schools within a specific local authority. It is developed by the SACRE, in consultation with local religious groups, educators, and other stakeholders, and is intended to provide a framework for teaching about different religions and beliefs in a balanced and objective way¹.

Other Matters

The agenda also included:

• Apologies for Absence
• Election of Chairman
• Election of Vice Chairman
• Declarations of Interest
• Minutes of the Meeting Held on 20 March 2025
• Public Questions and Statements to SACRE
• Membership Report by the Clerk to SACRE
• Any Other Business that the Chairman Considers to be of Urgency