SACRE Annual Report for the Academic Year 2002/2003

Collective worship

Advice on Collective Worship:

During the year SACRE developed advice on Collective Worship which is attached at Appendix A. This was distributed to schools as hard copy and has also been placed on the SACRE website and along with the LEA's determinations procedure will be available for schools to download.

One training course was offered during this academic year with a nationally known and respected provider but unfortunately it did not recruit sufficient applicants and was cancelled.

Monitoring:

When SACRE receive and discuss extracts from schools’ OFSTED reports, these also include the sections on spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and Collective Worship.

Where schools receive a good report on their Collective Worship, SACRE writes to congratulate them. An example of this is:

On behalf of SACRE I would like to congratulate you and your staff on the excellent progress which has been made in your school both in the provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and in the delivery of religious education since the last inspection.

SACRE members were delighted that the school’ s provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is now judged to be excellent and that 'This excellent provision underpins the life of the school, which has a clear set of values that are well known to, and respected by, the whole school community.'

SACRE also offers suggestions for support to those schools where Collective Worship is indicated as needing further development:

On behalf of SACRE members I would like to congratulate you and your staff on the high standard of spiritual development that is being provided in your school. We were delighted to read that although the school does not meet its statutory requirement to deliver collective worship for all pupils, the quality of the collective worship provided was praised and that provision for pupils' spiritual development was judged to be good. SACRE members noted that 'Assembly themes cover a broad area of human experience and deal with such issues as responsibility and aspirations. There are adequate moments for reflection and, particularly in whole-school assemblies, a peaceful and reflective mood is set by an appropriate choice of music, dance or speech.' SACRE's latest advice on Collective Worship will be circulated to schools this term and I hope this will be of use to you in addressing the legal requirement which is currently not being met.

Determinations:

There have been no applications for determinations during this academic year.

Complaints concerning Collective Worship:

There have been no complaints concerning Collective Worship during this academic year.