Draft Forward Plan Report – November – 2021

The SACRE subgroup has met regularly, online, to further the actions towards implementing the 2018 - 2023 Pan Berkshire RE Syllabus and Collective Worship in Bracknell Forest Schools..

Nobody foresaw lengthy school closures; the advent of home schooling and parents taking on so much responsibility for their children’s education.  Alongside these changes, people had to contend with working online both for “classroom” interaction, meetings and even conversations - to which an invitation was required!

Our Achievements:

Priority 1 Understanding the local context.

1. Schools: We have located our schools and the many open spaces of our green Borough.  Publication of the 2021 Census gives details of the current demographics.

2. Places of Worship:  Only Christian and Muslim residents have a local place of worship requiring travel for other faith groups to meet, usually in family units.

3. Website analysis:  Collation shows that all schools had a viable Mission Statement/ expanded Vision with details of intent.  This portrayed a fantastic set of schools in our Borough.  RE content was mentioned in the curriculum Information of all.  Collective Worship, an optional inclusion, was included by the Voluntary Aided and Controlled schools with others referring to assemblies.

Priority 2 Promoting good religious education

1. Network Meetings & SACRE newsletters give practitioners appropriate support for required teaching information and ideas for Collective Worship.

2. Westhill Project Films “Real People, Real Faith” provide details of different worship practice and places of worship.

3. Video lessons have been produced by teachers to explain religious practice.

4. Faith artefacts, housed at The Open Learning Centre, are being revitalised in teaching sets with notes for ease of use.

5. Access to resources:  BFC “Can do” website is being explored for use by providing a Directory with links for booking.

6. Faith Representatives on SACRE are willing to provide lessons/ Assembly items digitally from specific faith views to individual schools.  The means are still in discussion.

7. BFC Community Engagement Officersare working on promoting all faith festivals and their significance through their media channels.

Priority 3 Monitoring Religious Education and Collective Worship

1. Mentimeter, used by BFC, is a suitable tool for collating opinion from groups.  Although suitable question topics have been considered for discussion, sadly it is felt that promoting such monitoring was unacceptable in the present climate where schools are working under considerable pressure on Covid Recovery Plans and keeping our children safe in the continuing uncertainties.  Whilst SACRE can proceed with positive objectives to support learning, it is not appropriate to reflect on such a disrupted, past situation.

Proposal:   Suspend  Priority 3 until at least 2022 – 2023 School year.