Legal Context
The Education Reform Act 1988 places a duty on every Local Authority to constitute a Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE). Religious Education is part of the basic curriculum which is made up of the National Curriculum and Religious Education. Unlike any other subject in the statutory curriculum, RE is local determined, monitored and controlled in a partnership with the local communities of religion and belief.
Each SACRE has the following main functions:
- to require the Local Authority to set up a statutory conference to review the Agreed Syllabus every five years and if, in the opinion of the SACRE, this becomes necessary, sooner;
- to monitor the provision and quality of RE taught according to its agreed syllabus, together with the overall effectiveness of the syllabus;
- to advise the LA on RE given in accordance with the agreed syllabus, upon matters connected with school worship in community schools and on other matters related to its functions, whether in response to a referral from the LA or as it sees fit;
- to publish an annual report on its work and on actions taken by its representative groups, specifying any matters on which it has advised the LA, broadly describe the nature of that advice, and set out reasons for offering advice on matters not referred to it by the LA and to send a copy of the report to the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA);
- to provide advice and support on the effective teaching of RE in accordance with the locally agreed syllabus; provide advice to the LA and its schools on methods of teaching, the choice of teaching material and the provision of teacher training;
- in partnership with its LA, consider whether any changes need to be made in the agreed syllabus or in the support offered to schools in the implementation of the agreed syllabus, to improve the quality teaching and learning of RE
- offer advice to the LA, and through the LA to schools, concerning how an existing agreed syllabus can be interpreted so as to fit in with a broad, balanced and coherent curriculum;
- To receive and determine whether applications from Governors to vary the requirement for worship of a broadly Christian nature, for the whole school or for groups of pupils, are appropriate.
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