Agenda item

a) To receive September 2017 News Bulletin -  feedback from Goytre Fawr Primary School on visit from Fatma Jilani responding to concerns of children following terrorist attacks (attached) 

b) Information briefings from members for inclusion in next SACRE News Bulletin 

a) Kath Fitter reported on the visit to Goytre Fawr Primary School by Fatima Jilani and her teenage daughter, Umaamah, to answer questions about the Muslim faith particularly in response to various news items e.g. Manchester Arena atrocity. 

The discussion was very positive.  Only one family had asked if their daughter could leave if she felt uncomfortable but this had not been necessary. The children had behaved in a mature and sensible manner whilst considering this sensitive topic. The guests and children had both responded honestly and openly and it was felt that a safe environment had been created to ask and answer questions which included the following:

•           Have people treated you differently since the event;

•           Are the people who carry out attacks bad Muslims or not even Muslims at all;.

•           What would you do if you found your friend was a terrorist; and

•           Had Umaamah experienced bullying;

Positive feedback had been received from parents who valued the opportunity for the children to ask questions and believed that the children benefitted from the opportunity.

SACRE Members were informed that Mrs. Jilani had resigned her position on SACRE but was still very willing to go to schools.  Mrs. Jilani was thanked for her time, work and commitment during her membership.

b) Suggested items for inclusion in the next SACRE News Bulletin included the following:

·         Holocaust Memorial Day

·         Inter Faith Network

·         Calendar of Festivals

·         Report from Chris Abbas report (Afon Taf High School)

·         Article from the Religious Education Council

·         Bahá’í Faith: 200 years anniversary celebration.  The Chair reported that she had attended the celebration event in the Senedd.  The speaker was extraordinary and the information pack was made available for members to view.

·         Farmington Scholarship for Teachers

·         Plurality in Religious Education Conference.

·         SACRE Members were reminded that there is an Open Day at Blaina Mosque on Sunday 18^th February 2018.

·         SACRE Member Mrs S Cave provided the following report for inclusion:

On Tuesday 6^th February, I was invited with two other Bahá’í members from Tewkesbury and Leominster (both members of their SACREs) to have a Bahá’í activity day at Heart of the Forest Community Special School, Speech House, Forest of Dean.  It was their bi-annual World Faith week.  It was most inspiring working with the students and their teachers and assistants.  We took two assemblies and three art workshops – with the theme based on Unity.

During the week the school has also had visits from other faith representatives and they are ending the week with the 6^th form Gospel Choir from Wyedean School.”

County Councillor J. Watkins had also visited Archbishop Rowan Williams Church in Wales Voluntary Aided Primary School to provide a successful assembly on Buddhism as part of World Faith week with opportunities for the pupils to ask questions. The Chair will liaise with the RE Consultant regarding the possibility of a presentation about World Faith Week at a future meeting.

·         It was noted that Monmouth Comprehensive School lends artefacts, information and resources to cluster primary schools.

·         Mr. R. Cottrell reported that he had attended the Archdiocesan Conference in Cardiff on the topic of the Donaldson curriculum and the way forward for Religious Education in Catholic Schools. St Mary's RC Primary School follows the “Come and See” scheme and the Jesuits made a presentation and provided a pupil profile with a view that it is adopted for use in all Roman Catholic Schools.  This values based profile is being incorporated and piloted in St. Mary’s RC Primary School.  This has involved rewriting the RE Policy to embed values across all aspects of the curriculum concentrating on “What kind of person do you want us to help you to be”.  SACRE Members are welcome to visit the school.  The information will be circulated. 

It was also mentioned that there is another values based package (not church/faith based) that provides universal positive human values (available online).

·         Concern was expressed about the huge content of the new RE GCSE course observing that there was too much content to allow meaningful consideration.  One member suggested that there are too many topics adding that, in her view, humanism is a belief not a religion and that time is needed to cover main religions.  It was explained that humanism is a small section of the life and death module only.

Actions taken to deliver the curriculum include starting the full course in June for Y9 classes, discrete RE is being delivered by form tutors, Y8 and Y9 pupils are given GCSE style exam questions and topics delivered in KS3 are at GCSE level. Concern was expressed at the pressure that GCSE teachers are under and the support of SACRE Members was confirmed.  The RE Consultant was asked to convey our concerns.