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There is no summary of this meeting yet. One is written once the council publishes the minutes. The agenda and papers are below.
The Chair welcomed all to the meeting. The Chair shared that Mary Davies, the LA official who had currently supported the Ceredigion SACRE, had now retired following a long period of ill-health. It was also noted that Lyndon Lloyd would no longer be able to attend the SACRE meetings due to his current health situation. It was agreed to send a letter to both of them thanking them for their work on the committee over the years.
The Meeting commenced with Rev Gareth Ioan leading the Committee in prayer.
Councillor Keith Henson and John Roberts apologised for their inability to attend the meeting.
None
It was AGREED to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Standing Advisory Council held on 06 March 2026.
The committee received a membership update and noted that there had been little progress since the previous meeting. Efforts had been made to reconnect with various faith groups and representatives; however, no nominations or expressions of interest had been received. It was noted that there were four vacancies for co-opted members on the committee. Members recognised the importance of continuing this work and discussed ways of attracting new members. It was agreed that any potential nominations should be forwarded to Officers or the Chair so that expressions of interest could be followed up.
Members received and considered correspondence received from WASACRE. Members noted recent correspondence relating to Freedom of Information matters and wider developments affecting SACREs across Wales. An update was provided on the work of the National Advisory Panel for Religion, Ethics and Values (NAPfRVE) and the Religious Education Council. Members were informed of recent meetings involving Estyn and NAPfRVE and ongoing work following annual reporting processes. It was noted that a range of resources had been developed to support the teaching of Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE), including self-evaluation materials and possible questions for schools. It was agreed that these resources would be circulated by the Democratic Services and Standards Officer. The committee also received an email from Dr Samantha Clutton, Head of Mathematics and Humanities, Curriculum and Assessment Division / Education, Culture and the Welsh Language Group, Welsh Government regarding the review, consultation and updating of the current guidance on collective worship. Members discussed the challenges facing schools and the potential implications of Welsh Government guidance. It was noted that it would be important to consider whether any developments would affect the locally agreed syllabus. Members were advised that a review of the Agreed Syllabus would commence during the next academic year, with the syllabus operating on a five-year review cycle. It was agreed that the committee would begin considering this matter further at its September meeting. Members considered information regarding the context of a recent Supreme Court case and related developments in Northern Ireland. The discussion focused on parental complaints concerning collective worship and the rights of parents to withdraw their children from acts of collective worship, whilst noting that the same right did not apply to Religion, Values and Ethics lessons. Members acknowledged that schools and teachers could face challenges in addressing the needs and beliefs of pupils from different faith backgrounds or those with no religious belief. An update was received on proposed GCSE reforms and concerns raised by WASACRE. Members noted concerns regarding the additional workload that curriculum and qualification changes could place on schools. Reference was made to ongoing concerns from schools regarding Religious Studies, English and Languages qualifications, and the cumulative impact of reforms as further subject changes were introduced. The committee acknowledged the pressures that assessment and examination arrangements placed on both teachers and pupils.
The Committee received a presentation from Carol Davies of Ysgol Dyffryn Cledlyn following the school's successful Section 50 Inspection. Members noted that there was two Church in Wales schools within the county. The Committee were informed of the details of the Section 50 inspection process and the preparation required. It was explained that significant work had been undertaken by staff to gather evidence and demonstrate developments over recent years, particularly in relation to the Christian ethos of the school. Members were informed that the inspection had been highly successful and recognised the school's work in supporting the development of children and young people. Members congratulated the school on its achievement. It was commented that the inspection report had been a pleasure to read and represented a significant accomplishment for the school community. During discussion, members queried whether the presentation could be shared more widely and suggested that opportunities should be explored to share good practice with other schools, including schools in neighbouring authorities. Members discussed the potential for strengthening professional networks and sharing examples of effective practice across schools. Suggestions included the use of Microsoft Teams, Google Sites, and other collaborative approaches to enable schools to exchange resources, ideas, and examples of good practice in Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE). Carol Davies welcomed these suggestions and agreed that sharing resources and experiences would be beneficial. The Chair thanked Miss Carol Davies on her presentation.
Rev Gareth Ioan provided an update on recent activities within the Independent Churches. By way of background, an overview was provided of the Independent Churches in Ceredigion. It was noted that there were approximately forty Independent Churches across the county, represented through an umbrella organisation. Members were informed that the movement had its origins in the sixteenth century and was founded on several key principles, including church autonomy, voluntary participation, and national congregational links. The presentation outlined the broad geographical spread of Independent Churches across Ceredigion, from Cardigan in the south to Tal-y-bont in the north and throughout the Teifi Valley. Emphasis was placed on work with children and young people. Members were informed that churches continued to support primary-age children through Sunday schools, youth activities, worship, the teaching of Bible stories, and the promotion of Christian and ethical values. An update was also provided on recent activities, including a county-wide Sunday School Festival held during May held at Llangrannog, which had brought together Sunday school children and families. The event included a guest-led service followed by opportunities to enjoy the facilities at the Urdd centre. A separate service for adults was also held in the afternoon. It was reported that attendance had been excellent, and the event had been one of the highlights of the year for many participants. Members were also informed of developments relating to a former Towyn church in New Quay. Following the closure of the church several years previously, financial assets had been transferred into a dedicated fund with a specific requirement that the money be used to support work with children and young people. It was noted that the fund, now valued at over £20,000 was available to support Sunday schools and Independent Churches across Ceredigion. Members were informed that, despite ongoing challenges faced by churches, the fund provided a positive opportunity to support future work and encourage innovative approaches, including the use of new technologies. The Chair thanked Rev Gareth Ioan for his presentation.
The following information was provided:- • Leanne Field, a current teacher at St Padarn’s Catholic School has been appointed as a Temporary Headteacher of the school from September 2026. Best wishes to Enid Brophy on her retirement. • Following ESTYN's findings regarding the provision within Humanities, and more specifically, RVE elements within ESTYN reports, Ysgol Rhydypennau’s report was shared with the committee to outline the comments made about their provision within Humanities, and in particular RVE following their inspection in March 2026. References to RVE provision within school ESTYN reports be shared termly from now on in light of ESTYN’s concerns. • Thanks were conveyed to Anne Uruska for attending the Spring term WASACRE meeting in the absence of the School Support Advisor. The official minutes were now available to share with the committee. • Ysgol Penweddig had received a request from the National Centre for Religious Education Wales enquiring if the school was meeting the statutory requirement for Religion, Values and Ethics in accordance with Curriculum for Wales for learners in Years 7-11. It was reported that other schools had not received the FOI. WASACRE had shared concerns with Bangor University about the FOI – correspondence to share. • Schools from across Wales received an FOI from the National Secular Society regarding external groups and individuals speaking and delivering sessions in schools. WASACRE provided support to all LAs on how to respond to this and the guidance was shared with each school as support. • The content of the WASCRE minutes was considered, and it was noted that Ceredigion would host the next meeting virtually, as usual, on the 10 November 2026. It was agreed that the Executive Corporate Lead Officer for Schools, Lifelong Learning and Culture, together with the Chair, would be invited to attend. Members also emphasised the importance of ensuring that the Committee was well represented at the meeting.
· A draft document created by CYTÛN was mentioned by Anne Uruska which supports the teaching of RVE. It was suggested that CYTÛN would be invited to the next meeting to share this document with the committee. · Awareness was raised regarding the work of Sunday Schools Wales. It was agreed that, at the September meeting, members would be provided with a list of relevant resources and websites. Members also agreed that stronger links should be established with Sunday Schools Wales and that representatives could be invited to attend a future meeting. · Reference was made to examples of good practice at Ysgol Penparc and Ysgol Penrhyncoch, and members suggested inviting representatives from schools to share their experiences and outcomes. Members emphasised the importance of sharing the work being undertaken in schools across the county and exploring opportunities for visits, either in person or in a hybrid format, whilst recognising the practical challenges associated with organising visits to schools, chapels, and other venues. · It was agreed that Cllr Keith Henson would be invited to suggest a religious building or setting for a visit during the following term.
None. It was agreed that the next meeting would be held on the 17 November 2026 at 10:00am
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