Agenda item

The professional advisor updated members on the Pan-Berkshire Summer Term Hub meeting held at Shut End, Wokingham on 24 April 2018.

It was noted that the future of the Pan-Berkshire SACRE Hub had been the  main discussion at the meeting.  The Hub had been initially set up in order to pool resources, offer consistency across the six Local Authorities (Bracknell Forest Council, Reading Borough Council, Slough Borough Council, West Berkshire Council, Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhaead and Wokingham Borough Council) to work on joint projects, primarily, the Crossing the Bridge Project and revising the Agreed Syllabus.

The issue was raised about the future of the Hub and whether the six SACREs would wish to continue subscribing to ensure its continuation now that the joint venture on the Agreed Syllabus was nearing completion. The consensus at the meeting was for joint working between the six councils to continue via the Hub subject to sufficient funding contributions being received from the six councils.

Funding subscription of £1700 in 2017-2018 from each of the councils had included the cost of work on the review of the Agreed Syllabus which had been completed and the final draft was being reported to the Agreed Syllabus Conference meeting for approval on the rising of the SACRE meeting. Subsequently, the contribution for 2018-2019 had therefore been costed at a reduced rate of £900.

It was noted the there had been lengthy discussion on draft Agreed Syllabus review at the meeting as detailed in the notes of the meeting attached to this agenda. There had also been a long discussion relating to secular teaching where the question was raised about the consensus following consultation to specify Humanism as the study of a non-religious world wide view in Key Stage 3. Nevertheless, it was noted that schools could add additional religious and belief systems as relevant to their community.

The professional advisor had been the sole representative at the meeting and members were reminded that the Hub meetings were open to all SACRE members.

Members noted the Slough SACRE would be launching the revised Agreed Syllabus on Thursday 12 July 2018 from 1pm to 4.40pm at Eden Girls’ School.

Resolved – That the update be noted.