Minutes:
Steering Group Report
(1) Members had received a paper on progress to date and Mr Viner invited Members comments.
(2) Mr Horne referred to page 3 of the plan and asked to be kept informed on the progress made of the development of mobile places of worship. In response to a request from Mrs Fairchild, Mr Foster clarified what was meant by mobile places of worship. Rev Canon Smith felt that advice would be needed about what should be in the mobile places of worship. Mrs Draycott explained that they would be a simulation not an actual place of worship and that people in the Local Authority and SACRE would be able to offer advice as well as advice coming from members of the faiths concerned.
(3) Mr Bristow asked the Steering Group to bear in mind the updating of the ‘Shaping the Spirit’ document. Mr Foster agreed that ‘Shaping the Spirit’ as a first or at least equal source of materials was a very good document but that the priority had to be looking at support material for acts of worship. Mrs Draycott felt that the Collective Worship document for schools was outdated. Mr Bristow thought more in need of renewal than outdated. Mr Platnauer wanted to see a time frame for looking at ‘Shaping the Spirit’ although Mrs Draycott advised that it was a bit too early to do this until QCA’s proposals were known.
(4) Mr Viner confirmed that the Group was endeavouring to move beyond routine matters and that the involvement of all SACRE members in this was crucial. He welcomed the fuller representation that we have been able to secure on the Christian and other faith groups committee.
(5) Mrs Draycott referred to the launch of the Kent Agreed Syllabus and took the view that it was likely to have a five year life span before needing to be statutorily reviewed again. She encouraged schools to see it as a five year cycle of implementation, embedding and sustaining good practice. Mr Foster reported that there had been a lot of interest and support for the KAS from schools (including some in the independent sector) and from governors.
(6) Mr Horne referred to the issue of Collective Worship and enquired as to whether Kent schools conformed to the statutory requirements. Mr Bristow confirmed that the church schools did, although Mr Foster thought generally the provision of collective worship was patchy. Mr Platnauer had concerns about the moral development of pupils with the lack of daily worship being considered. Mrs Draycott advised SACRE that daily worship had not been included in the Agreed Syllabus because it had its own statutory requirements. She reported that moral development had not been left out. This and spiritual development were an important part of collective worship (and RE). Mr Lancaster felt that there was a disparity between primary and secondary schools on this and enquired as to whether there was going to be an attempt to remedy this. Mrs Draycott agreed that there was a significant difference and that a working party would need to look at this. Mr Bristow agreed that it was important to find out what was happening with collective worship and sought views on the best way to set up a working party. Mr Foster felt that the Agreed Syllabus Group had been effective. He suggested the summer meeting would be the best time to convene a working group. He added that neither he nor Mrs Draycott would have time this academic year and therefore more likely to be considered for a September/Autumn start. Mr Foster suggested that the Group convenors come up with suggestions and nominations for the next meeting. Mrs Draycott thought two Members from each Group would be the best solution to be decided at Group pre meetings immediately prior to the next SACRE meeting. Mr Bristow agreed to let Mrs Younosi know what was happening. A further suggestion from Mr Viner was that the Christ Church students could be asked to look at these researching aspects of collective worship.
(7) Rev Canon Smith referred to Section 5 Item 3, and the importance of schools having regard to similarities and differences between religion, ethnicity and culture. His concern was that many schools, did not understand this. Mrs Draycott agreed and suggested that reference to this needed to be made in any revision of the Shaping of the Spirit document. At this stage of the meeting reference was made to the request for a volunteer to look at policy documents regarding Equality Impact Assessment on KCC employment policies. Rev Canon Smith volunteered his services for this.
(8) Mr Foster recommended that SACRE should review its self evaluation in the near future. Mrs Miller reported that there were proposals to amend the format of the Annual Report so that it included self evaluation.