Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement logo Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement
Sign in

Sign in to Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement or Complete a task any time of day with your dedicated, personalised account Create account

SACRE / RE

Information and resources relating to the teaching of the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education

Southbank

Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education

The Education Act 1996 states that every local authority (LA) must set up a Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE). 
This has responsibility to advise the LA on matters concerned with the provision of religious education and collective worship. This provision was continued in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The Southwark SACRE, therefore, is the statutory body whose role is to advise Southwark Council on religious education and collective worship in Southwark  schools.

Responsibilities of SACRE 
These are:
•    to provide advice to the LA on all aspects of its provision for Religious Education (RE) in its schools (this does not include Voluntary Aided Schools)
•    to decide whether the LA's Agreed Syllabus for RE needs to be reviewed and to require that the LA does so
•    to provide advice to the LA on Collective Worship in its schools (this does not include Voluntary Aided or Voluntary Controlled Schools)
•    to consider any requests from Head teachers to hold Collective Worship that is not of a broadly Christian character
•    to advise on matters relating to training for teachers in RE and Collective Worship to publish an annual report of its work

Who is in SACRE?
To bring a wide range of interests and talents to this work, every SACRE is made up of four groups, which by law are made up of representatives from various groups:
•    Group A - Christian denominations (other than the Church of England) and other religions and religious denominations represented in the LA.
•    Group B - the Church of England including, where possible, a representative of the Director of Education of the Diocese.
•    Group C - teachers’ professional associations.
•    Group D - the local authority. Including Councillors and RE advisors
The LA provides a clerk to the SACRE and a small budget for general running expenses. It is the duty of the SACRE to ensure that a revision of the locally agreed syllabus takes place every five years. Southwark's SACRE meets at least three times a year. SACRE meetings are open to the members of the public who can observe.

Southwark RE Syllabus

Southwark RE Syllabus 2018 (pdf, 2.5mb)

New Agreed Southwark RE Syllabus 2025 - Coming Soon

Contact details 

If you are interested in finding out more about Southwark SACRE, contact Janet Clarke, Clerk to Southwark SACRE:
•    Email:  Janet.Clarke@southwark.gov.uk

NASACRE
You can view useful documents on the NASACRE website. (you will need to be a member of NASACRE to access some resources)