Religious education and SACRE

Supporting Religious Education (RE) and the Plymouth Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (Plymouth SACRE)

This information is for teachers, SACRE Members and all those interested in and committed to, providing excellent religious education in schools and across the community.

The main aim is to provide resources and support for this important work.

Religious Education (RE)

RE is a statutory subject of the school curriculum of maintained schools. Academies and free schools are contractually required, through the terms of their funding, to make provision for the teaching of RE to all pupils on the school roll.

The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE)

Every local authority has a statutory responsibility and duty to support a SACRE. It is a unique organisation. The law states that RE must be taught in all schools and a SACRE's role is to advise its local authority 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; the RE syllabus is locally determined and is another responsibility of SACRE. Through SACRE, local community representatives have the opportunity to influence RE policy and approaches to teaching.

There are four groups or committees:

1. The Christian denominations and other religions and their denominations, reflecting the principal religious traditions of the area.
2. The Church of England
3. Teacher, Lecturer and Head Teacher Associations
4. The Local Authority – usually elected members.

SACREs can co-opt other members who have a particular expertise or represent other communities, for example Humanist.

Function of SACRE

SACREs main function is to advise the local authority on matters related to RE, which follows the locally agreed syllabus and on matters to do with collective worship in schools.

Plymouth Agreed Syllabus 2019-2024

Plymouth SACRE is pleased to present our new agreed syllabus in collaboration with REToday services.  Our new syllabus follows on from ‘Engaging with religions and non religious worldviews’, adding more depth and rigor to the RE curriculum.  This spiral curriculum helps children to build upon prior knowledge of religion and non-religious worldviews and to dig deeper into concepts studied.  The syllabus promotes creative and knowledge rich RE which challenges all pupils in all phases of their studies. Plymouth SACRE is pleased to present our new agreed syllabus in collaboration with REToday services.  Our new syllabus follows on from ‘Engaging with religions and non religious worldviews’, adding more depth and rigor to the RE curriculum.  This spiral curriculum helps children to build upon prior knowledge of religion and non-religious worldviews and to dig deeper into concepts studied.  The syllabus promotes creative and knowledge rich RE which challenges all pupils in all phases of their studies.

Support for Teachers

Senior Education Adviser to SACRE:Heather Ogburn (contact heather.ogburn@plymouth.gov.uk)

A Plymouth RE hub for teachers, which began through the Learn Teach Lead RE project continues to be run by Katie Freeman (Bickleigh Down C of E Primary School) The group is going from strength to strength under Katie’s leadership and meets each term, (six times a year) providing much needed support, resources, classroom hints and wisdom. Oh yes, and cake!  

For further information about the RE hub, Email: kfreeman@bickleighdown.devon.sch.uk