What is Lambeth SACRE?
The Lambeth Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) is an local authority(LA) body that is responsible the character of RE in Lambeth schools. Its terms of reference are shown below. When convened as an agreed syllabus conference the representative groups on SACRE are also responsible for the development and dissemination of our agreed religious education syllabus.
Terms of reference
The function of SACRE is:
- to advise us upon such matters connected with collective worship in county schools and religious education to be given in accordance with the agreed syllabus. This includes particular methods of teaching, the choice of materials and the provision of the training for teachers
- to consider, following an application made by the headteacher of any community and foundation school after consultation with the governing body, whether it is appropriate for the requirement for broadly Christian worship to apply in the case of that school, or in the case of any class or description of pupils at that school (a determination);
- to assist us with the consideration and disposal of any complaint about religious education or collective worship in a community and foundation school, within the framework of the our agreed complaints procedure established under the terms of Section 23 of the 1988 Education Reform Act.
- to publish an annual report detailing any action that SACRE has taken and any advice it has given to the us.
SACRE may also require us to review our current agreed religious education syllabus, and that we must establish a conference for that purpose if a majority of the non-council groups in SACRE requests such a review in writing. Conversely, we may require SACRE to work with us to review the existing provision for religious education in its schools on the basis of the current agreed religious education syllabus. In addition, SACRE is free to offer advice to the us on any matters related to its functions as it sees fit, and we will give careful attention to advice offered.