Index of contents on this page:

• The Standing Advisory Council on RE (SACRE)
• Representative List

The Standing Advisory Council on RE (SACRE)

Every LA must have a SACRE.  A SACRE can advise the LA on matters connected with religious worship in county maintained, or community schools, and on the RE to be given in accordance with an agreed syllabus.  Also it:

• can require the LA to review its current agreed syllabus.
• must consider applications made by a headteacher that the requirement for    
     collective worship in county maintained or community schools to be wholly or
     mainly of a broadly Christian character shall not apply to the collective worship
     provided for some or all of the pupils at that particular school.
  

The broad role of a SACRE is to support the effective provision of RE and collective worship in schools.  It is for a LA to decide what matters it wishes to refer to its SACRE, but the 1988 Education Reform Act says that these should include, in particular, methods of teaching, the choice of teaching material and the provision of training for teachers.

For the purpose of preparing an agreed syllabus for RE, a LA must convene an Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC). An ASC is a separate legal entity from a SACRE and, although common membership is permissible, it must be separately convened.  The role of the ASC is to produce and recommend an agreed syllabus for RE which meets fully the requirements of the 1988 Education Reform Act and is educationally sound (an agreed syllabus is deemed to be educationally sound if it meets the legislative requirements outlined above).  Only an ASC may recommend an agreed syllabus, and its recommendations must be unanimously agreed by the committees constituting the ASC.

A SACRE and an ASC are each to comprise four groups or committees representing:

• The Church of England
• Christian denominations and other religions and religious denominations, the
     number of whose representatives shall, so far as is consistent with the efficient
     discharge of the committee’s functions, reflect broadly the proportionate
     strengths of that denomination or religion in the area.
• Such associations representing teachers (teachers’ trade unions or professional
     associations, in other words), as in the opinion of the LA, ought to be
     represented, having regard to the circumstances of the area.
• The LA.

A SACRE may also include co-opted members, but co-opted members do not have voting rights.  On any question to be decided by a SACRE the groups each have a single vote.  Decisions within a group about how that vote is to be case do not require unanimity.  This applies to the ASC, or to any sub-committee it may appoint, although all committees of an ASC must unanimously agree to recommend an agreed syllabus to the LA.

In producing the agreed syllabus, the ASC took note of:

• The QCA Non-Statutory National Framework for RE, 2004.
• The QCDA RE Non-Statutory Programmes of study for Key Stages 3 & 4, 2007.
• The QCDA RE Non-Statutory Programme of Learning for a statutory subject in
     Primary schools, 2010
• The DCSF RE in English schools : non-statutory guidance, 2010.

Representative List

Representation of Other Churches and Faiths

Roman Catholic Church                                 Mr. J. McVay (from February 2008)
United Reformed Church                               Reverend E. Marley OBE (from Jan 2006)*
Baptist Church                                                Vacancy since 2003  (shared with URC place)*
Methodist Church                                           Mr. D. Fenwick
Jewish Faith                                                  Mrs. D. Van der Velde (from January 2005)
Sikhs                                                              Harpal Singh (from June 2011)
Hindu                                                              Bhakti Rasa Adhikhara (from May 2009)

Church of England

Mrs. E. Bainbridge
Mr. P. W. Rusby
Mr. D. Johnson       (from 12 January 2010)
Mr. B. Hedley, Assistant Director of Newcastle Diocesan Board of Education

Teacher Representatives

Mrs. S. J. Brett (from June 2011)
Mrs. L. Atkinson (from Jan. 2005)
Mr. T. Nicholls (from April 2010)
Mrs. H. Shaw

County Councillors   (from May 2008 and no changes 4 May 2012)

R. Styring
J. E. Smith
A. H. Murray
G. R. Arckless

Co-Opted  (non-voting capacity)

Mrs. C. Butterworth – Humanist rep (from Jan. 2005)

Observer (Academies rep)

Mr. M. Thompson, Head of Philosophy, Theology & Ethics, Bede Academy

Terms of Reference

Terms of reference as per Circular 3/89:-

“To advise the Authority upon such matters connected with religious worship in County schools and the religious education to be given in accordance with an agreed syllabus as the Authority may refer to the Council or as the Council may see fit.”

If you require further information about Northumberland Local Authority and their work around the area of SACRE, or if you require a Word version of any of the units, please contact: