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Rotherham Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) - Thursday 18 September 2025 4.00 p.m.
September 18, 2025 View on council websiteSummary
The Rotherham Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) met to discuss the SACRE budget, updates to annual reports, and the Religious Education (RE) conference planned for January 2026. The council approved the proposed spend of the SACRE budget for 2025-2026. Members also received updates on the Sheffield SACRE's activities, feedback on the RE Awards event, the Agreed Syllabus Conference, Continuous Professional Development (CPD), and the SACRE Development Plan.
SACRE Budget Update
The council reviewed the proposed SACRE budget for 2025-2026 and approved the proposed spend. The SACRE Budget- Proposed Spend 25-26 outlined the following:
- A total available budget of £5,695.00
- A proposed spend of £5,178.00
- A remaining balance of £517.00
The proposed expenditure included:
- £115.00 for the NASACRE1 Annual Subscription 2025/26
- £1,000.00 for a keynote speaker at the RE Conference
- £813.00 for room hire and catering for the RE Conference, based on an estimated 50 delegates
- £1,750.00 for Vanessa Gregory, RE Advisor to SACRE, for 5 days at £350 per day
- £1,500.00 for RE Subject Leader Facilitation by Hannah Lambert, Chair of Rotherham SACRE
The council will receive an Annual Budget Report and regular Budget Briefings in the future.
SACRE Annual Reports Update
The council received updates on the progress of the SACRE Annual Reports for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. Members were also informed of the proposed process and timeframes for these and all future reports.
RE Conference 2026 Update
The council received an update on the RE Conference planned for January 2026 and were asked to approve any proposed spending related to the conference. The SACRE Budget- Proposed Spend 25-26 document showed that £1,000 had been allocated for a keynote speaker, and £813 for room hire and catering.
An Overview of Sheffield SACRE's Activities
The council received a high-level overview of the activities of Sheffield SACRE, including:
- Drafting and reviewing the Annual Report 2023–2024, with updates to the development plan.
- A comprehensive Ofsted2 inspection analysis.
- Membership updates, including new representatives and legal advice on Humanist representation.
- Ongoing development priorities focused on RE quality, collective worship monitoring, and inclusive representation.
Rewards Event Feedback
The council received an update and feedback on the RE Awards Event held in June 2025, via a PowerPoint presentation. The RE Awards Feedback presentation highlighted the positives of the event, including that students loved it, responded well, and appreciated the certificates, recognition, and tour of the Rotherham Town Hall. The presence of the Mayor of Rotherham was also appreciated, and the Town Hall staff were helpful.
Areas for development included:
- Preparation being time-consuming
- Too much
red tape
, such as filling in the mayor's visit form - Misunderstandings with the Town Hall regarding hosting responsibilities
- Certificates needing to be checked beforehand
Future improvements suggested were:
- A more structured approach
- Agreed funding for refreshments
- Inviting parents
- Addressing management of multiple schools and the suitability of the Town Hall
- SACRE sorting certificates or awards
Agreed Syllabus Conference Update
The council received a verbal update on the activities of the Agreed Syllabus Conference, following the recent meeting.
Continuous Professional Development Update
The council received an update on recent Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities.
SACRE Development Plan Update
The council received a verbal update on the SACRE Development Plan, which included the following objectives:
- Continue to develop RE subject knowledge for Rotherham primary teachers and subject leaders.
- Review and carry out determinations for collective worship3.
- Develop links with Sheffield and Doncaster SACREs.
- Provide support to enhance provision in RE in schools.
- Increase prominence of RE through the Rewards Celebration.
- Raise the profile and importance of RE to create community cohesion through the Together for Tomorrow Project.
- Provide resources for virtual tours of places of worship.
- Revision of the agreed syllabus.
-
NASACRE stands for the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education. It is a membership organisation that supports SACREs in their work. ↩
-
Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. It inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people, and services that provide education and training. ↩
-
Determinations for collective worship are a legal process that allows a school to deviate from the statutory requirement that collective worship be
wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character
. ↩
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