The Bexley Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) met on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, to formally agree the Bexley Agreed Syllabus for 2026-2031. The conference also discussed the date of its next meeting, concluding that no further meetings would be necessary if the syllabus was approved.

Agreement of the Bexley Agreed Syllabus 2026-2031

The primary focus of the meeting was the agreement of the Bexley Agreed Syllabus for the period 2026-2031. Rizwana Rehman (RR), an officer from Bexley Council, provided an overview of minor changes made to the syllabus since the previous meeting in January.

Krishna Vekriya, representing Hinduism, raised a query regarding the placement of Hinduism teachings, which had been moved from Key Stage 1 (KS1) to Key Stage 2 (KS2). RR explained that teachers sometimes found it challenging to teach the dharmic faiths at KS1 and that KS2 was considered a more appropriate placement, allowing for a better progression into subsequent topics. Anna Stone, representing Humanism, requested that non-faith celebrations also be included in the syllabus, highlighting their importance for student learning. This suggestion was noted by RR.

The ASC agreed that the Agreed Syllabus was approved in principle. RR will make the minor amendments discussed during the meeting and circulate the document one final time for comments before it is passed to the Cabinet Member for sign-off. The conference concluded that, unless any significant changes were made to the syllabus, no further meetings of the ASC would be required for the 2026-2031 period.

Date of the next meeting

The conference discussed the necessity of future meetings. It was agreed that if the Bexley Agreed Syllabus was formally approved at this meeting, no further meetings of the ASC would be required. Any subsequent information could be circulated via email. Members noted that if another meeting were deemed necessary, it would need to take place before the Local Elections on 7 May 2026.