SACRES

What is a SACRE ?
SACRES (Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education) are responsible in law for advising local education authorities on RE and collective worship. There are over one hundred SACREs in England and Wales. Each SACRE is composed of four representative groups (or three in Wales): Christian and other religious denominations, the Church of England (except in Wales), teachers' associations and elected councillors.

In practice the kind of advice and support offered by SACREs varies, often depending on the quality of advice given by the LEA officer whose job is to keep SACRE informed of local and national developments. Effective SACREs carry out a range of responsibilities from providing support to implement an Agreed Syllabus to monitoring local schools' Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education) inspection reports on RE.

Each SACRE is required to publish an Annual Report that is sent to QCA (Qualifications and Assessment Authority). Each year QCA publishes a report that provides an overall analysis of the work of SACREs during the previous year (1)

In addition to its advisory role a SACRE has two particular responsibilities. The first ids that it can require the LEA to review its Agreed Syllabus for RE. If this is required then the LEA must constitute an Agreed Syllabus Conference to undertake this task. This group should reflect the same four groupings of a SACRE, but without provision for co-opted members, and in practice it often involves the same people.
The second particular responsibility is that SACREs can consider requests from schools to lift the legal requirement to hold an act of collective worship of a broadly Christian character. Such requests come from schools with a large number of pupils from non-Christian religious backgrounds. If the SACRE agrees then the school is granted a 'determination' for five years, after which time the school can reapply if it so wishes.

SACREs have a very important role to play in supporting RE, and in contributing to the raising of standards in the subject. In order to maximise the effectiveness of SACREs , and to strengthen them in carrying out their responsibilities a National Association of SACREs was founded in 1993.

National Association of SACREs (NASACRE)
The new National Association (NASACRE) was launched in March1993 in the House of Lords in the presence of religious leaders and the then Minister of State for Education, Baroness Blatch.

For the launch the National Association published its aims and has subsequently developed a mission statement. These continue to provide the focus for NASACRE's programmes and activities.

The National Association has an Executive Committee comprising:
Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer - all are elected at the AGM for a two year term.
8 people elected for upto three years at the AGM.
Up to 3 co-opted members.

Current Honorary Officers, elected and co-opted members are listed in a regular termly Newsletter distributed, usually, after the Executive Committee has met.

The Executive Committee meets each term to plan events and discuss issues as they arise

Officers represent the interests of SACREs at meetings of the Department for Education and Employment, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, and the Religious Education Council of England and Wales

The Association holds membership of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales and the Inter-Faith Network UK.

Officers are invited to national conferences, seminars and discussion groups, such as the National Consultation on Collective Worship in Schools

Each year the National Association organises an AGM which, in addition to the necessary business items, usually hosts a keynote speaker, of national standing, on a contemporary RE issue.

Occasional Forums are also organised where major RE issues are presented by a range of speakers. These have included school pupils as well as national figures in RE affairs. Distinct from the AGMs, the Forums allow more time for discussion and sharing.

A Newsletter that covers both national issues and news from local SACREs, is published each term.

The Aims of NASACRE

To assist the SACREs to fulfil their responsibilities
To represent their common concerns to other bodies
To assist in the training and mutual consultation of SACRE members
To encourage the development of SACREs
To undertake such other activities, appropriate to SACREs, as may benefit RE and collective worship.

NASACRE mission statement

NASACRE exists to strengthen local SACREs and to support them in carrying out all their responsibilities.
NASACRE stands for the value of RE within the whole school curriculum by supporting RE, which is determined locally.
NASACRE considers that the work of SACREs and Agreed Syllabus Conferences should involve genuine consultation at the local level with faith communities and teachers.
NASACRE seeks to maintain and develop lines of communication with the Department for Education and Employment and other relevant bodies.
NASACRE seeks to promote inter-faith understanding and sensitivity.
NASACRE seeks to strengthen RE by promoting the key role of well-qualified teachers and advisers in all areas and facets of the subject.
NASACRE seeks to promote professional development in RE through initial teacher training and in-service training.
NASACRE campaigns for adequate levels of resourcing to achieve these aims.

NASACRE intends to play a key role in any future debates about the place of RE and Collective Worship in school.

Publications
A Handbook for SACRE members, available from Westhill RE Centre, University of Birmingham, Westhill, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6LL, England

An Effective SACRE-making a difference, Qualifications and Assessment Authority, 1998

Religious Education and Collective Worship: An analysis of SACRE reports, Qualifications and Assessment Authority

Research opportunities
What makes an effective SACRE?
How do SACREs influence RE and collective worship in the local authority?
What is good practice for SACREs?

Geoff Teece email: G.M.Teece@bham.ac.uk Secretary to NASACRE

By Geoff Teece