Ealing SACRE briefing: January 2009 Reaching Nirvana, Holly, aged 15 Winner of Spirited Arts 2005, www.natre.org.uk Happy New Year! This paper is to brief you on several points that should be of interest to SACRE members. Monitoring It is proposed: . to link monitoring of provision with a school’s self-evaluation and not with the cycle of Ofsted inspections. to produce a pro-forma that schools can use to inform their SEF (see appendix 1). to ask five schools per term to fill out the proforma and send a representative to SACRE to discuss their provision and any ways that SACRE might be able to help. In the first instance I propose to write to schools whose co-ordinators regularly attend the network meetings and invite them to the summer SACRE meeting. Revision of ‘Reflection’ guidance This guidance was revised to include a sample policy (see appendix 2) and send out to schools via gatekeeping 10 December 2008. Revision of guidance for schools with Muslim pupils LA officers and school leaders took part in a consultation with the British Muslims for Secular Democracy, giving them feedback on guidance the BMSD is producing for schools. As a result of this, and following several conversations with schools during the month of Ramadan, it was decided to update our own guidance to include example letters that can be sent to parents regarding concerns over the fasting of children before puberty, information about staff absence for religious reasons (they are entitled to three days a year) and sections on issues that might arise in connection with forced marriage and female genital mutilation (which is of course a cultural rather than a specifically Muslim issue). Ealing SACRE briefing: January 2009 1 Determinations Both Amrit Nandha (headteacher, Havelock Primary School) and Gillian Borg (headteacher, Allenby Nursery and Primary School) spoke to me in December regarding the renewal of their school’s determination. Amrit is a new head and has been unable to get to the application until now and Gillian has been on long-term sick leave. They both said they would present their application for renewal at the summer meeting. SACRE and community cohesion A report on RE and community cohesion by HMI Alan Brine can be found in appendix 3. Aconference on community cohesion is being held on 27 March and Ali Langston will give a short briefing about this at the meeting. Towards a satisfying vision of life? Neil Richardson has had an article published on the Gay and Lesbian Humanist website about the proposed atheist bus campaign. The full article can be found in appendix 4. NASACRE The NASACRE AGM is scheduled for 4 June 2009 in Birmingham. The Winter NASACRE newsletter, which features a report on Ealing’s RE summer school, can be found appended to this briefing paper. Nora Leonard SACRE consultant December 2008 Ealing SACRE briefing: January 2009 2 Appendix 1: possible monitoring pro-forma Name of School RE Co-ordinator/ HoD Strengths of RE provision in school Areas requiring development Is RE provision in the school compliant with the Ealing agreed syllabus? If not, how are you addressing this? Is the school compliant as regards provision of the statutory daily act of reflection? If not, how are you addressing this? O G S I Learners’ achievement and standards in their work Learners’ personal development and well-being in RE Quality of teaching and learning in RE Quality of the curriculum in religious education Quality of care, guidance and support in RE Effectiveness and efficiency of leadership and management Overall effectiveness Capacity to make further improvement Improvement since last evaluation O = outstanding G = good S = satisfactory I = inadequate Is there any way Ealing SACRE could help? Return to: Nora Leonard, SACRE consultant, Perceval House P2: NE, 14-16 Uxbridge Road, London W5 2HL Ealing SACRE briefing: January 2009 3 Appendix 2: example of a ‘reflection’ policy Name of school Reflection and assembly policy “Spiritual development relates to that aspect of inner life through which pupils acquire insights into their personal existence which are of enduring worth. It is characterised by reflection, the attribution of meaning to experience, valuing a non- material dimension to life and intimations of an enduring reality. ‘Spiritual’ is not synonymous with ‘religious’…” Handbook for the Inspection of Schools, OfSTED, 1994 [A statement of the school ethos, e.g.] (Name of school) is a thriving school which celebrates the diversity of the pupils and provides a nurturing environment for effective learning to take place. Good links with the community helps to create exciting opportunities for children to learn. The school has a positive ethos in which the needs of children are paramount and met by a harmonious team of teachers and governors. [How the policy was developed, e.g.] This policy was created as a result of a series of meetings with a cross section of staff. It draws upon various guidelines issued by the DFES and Ealing SACRE, and is regularly reviewed. It recognises the legal responsibility to provide a daily act of ‘collective worship’ for all registered pupils. We are committed to promoting community cohesion, and by referring to ‘reflection’ rather than ‘worship’ it is not our intention to secularise the experience, but rather to make it fully inclusive. Organisation [See ‘where and when’ section in “Reflection” guidance, p 4, and developing a school policy, p 8, e.g.] Reflection is held daily when each year group meets together for their twenty minutes assembly time. Each head of year plans a sensitive approach so that notices, as well as the reinforcing of good practice by praise and the award of certificates at all key stages, are linked into the theme. This means that liaison takes place between the head of year and the person leading the assembly. Themes are often linked to seasonal religious festivals and poems, music and various textual passages may be used. Overall aims [A statement of aims, e.g.] We believe that the benefits—to both the whole school community and individual pupils and members of staff—of gathering together in reflection on a daily basis include: Ealing SACRE briefing: January 2009 4 . the fostering in pupils of an awareness of universal moral principles of right and wrong, justice and fairness and a proper concern for the fate of others and the world; . an affirmation and celebration of the values and ethos of the school; . the development of an awareness of, and a sense of belonging to, the many different dimensions of the school’s community; . opportunities to experience the sense of gathering for a special purpose; . shared experiences that promote thought; . the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including opportunities to reflect on practical issues raised by becoming an adult citizen of the world; . opportunities to consider and reflect upon a variety of situations and issues and make a personal response; and . opportunities to reflect quietly and make an internal response congruent with one’s own personal beliefs and background: as explained above this may include religious prayers or other forms of meditation. Content and themes Assemblies are an important part of the school day. The tradition of listening to music, which encourages a sense of reflection as well as celebration and togetherness, assists in encouraging thoughtfulness about the ethos of the school. Themes are planned in advance and assemblies are presented by members of staff and invited guests from a variety of traditions. Care is taken to ensure that the chosen theme is sensitive and appropriate to the needs of the pupils and the school. The head teacher is formally responsible (under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998) for arranging the daily act of reflection after consulting the governing body. In practice this responsibility is devolved in [name of school] to (examples: the deputy head teacher/RE co-ordinator, etc). Monitoring and evaluation Example: Monitoring occurs through observation carried out by senior staff and heads of year who keep written records of assemblies. Withdrawal Every parent and guardian is made aware of their right to withdraw their child from the daily act through the school prospectus. However we at [name of school] strive to make Ealing SACRE briefing: January 2009 5 our acts of reflection as inclusive as possible, [if the school has a determination] and towards that end we have had a determination (which allows schools to opt out of the requirement to provide predominantly Christian acts) since [date]. Development [How the school wishes to develop the programme (e.g. more pupil participation), and any proposed training/support for staff.] Date Policy compiled by: Approved by: Ealing SACRE briefing: January 2009 6 Appendix 3: Religious education and community cohesion1 Every school—whatever its intake and wherever it is located—is responsible for educating children and young people who will live and work in a country which is diverse in terms of cultures, religions or beliefs, ethnicities and social backgrounds.2 By community cohesion, we mean working towards a society in which there is a common vision and sense of belonging by all communities; a society in which the diversity of people's backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated and valued; a society in which similar life opportunities are available to all; and a society in which strong and positive relationships exist and continue to be developed in the workplace, in schools and in the wider community.3 The requirement on schools from September 2007 to promote community cohesion makes this aspiration particularly significant. From September 2008 Ofsted has included community cohesion as an important focus of Section 5 school inspections. Religious Education (RE) provides a key context for children and young people to develop their understanding and appreciation of diversity through the study of religious and non- religious beliefs.