Decision details
Request for the Updated Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education to be approved (WL)
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and Communities
Decision status: Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Purpose:
Every local authority (LA) has to have a
Standing Advisory Council on RE (SACRE) by law. The law says that
religious education (RE) must be taught in all schools and
academies and a SACRE's role is to advise its LA on what needs to
be done to improve RE and collective worship for schools in its
area. This is because RE is not part of the National Curriculum; it
is a local responsibility. Through the SACRE, local communities and
teachers have the opportunity to influence and support what pupils
learn in RE.
SACRE can require the LA to review its agreed Syllabus for RE (This
must happen at least every five years). At a recent meeting of the
B&NES Agreed Syllabus Conference, constituted under Schedule 31
of the Education Act 1996, a unanimous recommendation was made to
adopt an updated Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. The
Agreed Syllabus Conference, which included Cllrs Kumar and Jackson,
has requested that B&NES Council affect the
recommendation.
There are no changes to the current Syllabus from the one already
adopted. A link to the current Syllabus is provided below
www.awarenessmysteryvalue.org/syllabus/
Decision:
The Cabinet Member agrees that the recommendation, from the B&NES Syllabus Conference, to ratify the current syllabus ‘Awareness, Mystery & Value’, should be supported.
Reasons for the decision:
Every local authority (LA) has to have a Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) by law. SACRE can require the LA to review its agreed Syllabus for RE (This must happen at least every five years). As well as its regular work in monitoring standards and promoting interfaith respect and understanding, B&NES SACRE recently conducted its five-yearly review of the locally agreed Syllabus (LAS). This was carried out in partnership with three other LA SACREs that all share the Syllabus. They are Bristol, North Somerset and the London Borough of Haringey. At that meeting, constituted under Schedule 31 of the Education Act 1996, a unanimous recommendation was made to adopt an updated Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.
Alternative options considered:
Other option was to adopt another syllabus but was not the preferred option
Publication date: 26/11/2021
Date of decision: 23/11/2021
Effective from: 04/12/2021
Accompanying Documents:
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