Wrthi'n llwytho
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RESOLVED that the Denbighshire Autumn 2025 Newsletter be received, and the local authority be asked to distribute the newsletter to schools.
RESOLVED that – (a) the presentation be received and noted, and (b) a request be made to the local authority for the presentation to be shared at a future meeting of full Council, alongside or instead of prayers.
RESOLVED that – (a) the Annual Report of Denbighshire SAC(RE) for 2024 – 2025 be approved as an accurate account of SAC(RE)’s work, and (b) the Local Authority be requested to arrange for the report to be made available to all schools and colleges in Denbighshire and other recipients as required by law and as identified in the report.
RESOLVED that the amendments to the Constitution be agreed and the Local Authority be advised to receive and approve the updated Constitution.
RESOLVED that SAC(RE)’s development plan for 2025 – 26 be agreed and work be carried out with the local authority to ensure that the action plan was achievable.
RESOLVED that the verbal report from the recent EFTRE Conference held in Budapest be received and noted.
RESOLVED that the verbal report be received and noted.
Councillor Will Price and Dominic Oakes The Chair, Councillor Ellie Chard would need to leave the meeting at 10.45 am and Leah Crimes would take the Chair for the reminder of the meeting.
Councillor Ellie Chard declared a general personal interest because she was a school governor at Ysgol Tir Morfa and Christchurch School. Councillor Emrys Wynne declared a general personal interest because he was a school governor at Ysgol Borthyn and Ysgol Brynhyfryd.
No urgent matters had been raised.
The minutes of the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SAC(RE)) meeting held on 4 June 2025 (previously circulated) were submitted. Matters Arising – Page 8: Item 5 Translating the Untranslatable – Jennie Downes had written an article which would be included in the next edition of the Denbighshire newsletter. Page 9: Item 6 Supporting RVE and Collective Worship – The RVE Adviser explained that a Working Group had not been set up, but he had met with the Chair to discuss an action plan to support RVE and Collective Worship in schools which had been included as an agenda item for the meeting. Councillor Emrys Wynne explained he had been unable to attend the last meeting as it clashed with the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan meeting which he chaired. RESOLVED that the minutes of the SAC(RE) meeting held on 4 June 2025 be received and approved as a correct record.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that the Denbighshire Autumn 2025 Newsletter be received, and the local authority be asked to distribute the newsletter to schools.
The RVE Adviser presented the most recent edition of the Denbighshire and Conwy Autumn 2025 newsletter, REach (previously circulated) which supported the work of Denbighshire and Conwy’s SAC(RE)s. Articles in the newsletter related to the following two RE conferences attended by the RVE Adviser and included keynote presentations and relevant research – · Association of RE Inspectors, Advisors and Consultants Annual Conference held in June at the University of Exeter · European Forum of Teachers of RE Conference held in Budapest in August It was agreed that the Newsletters provided a good opportunity to promote SAC(RE)’s work with schools by sharing them with schools on a regular basis. The Chair thanked the RVE Adviser for the work carried out. RESOLVED that the Denbighshire Autumn 2025 Newsletter be received, and the local authority be asked to distribute the newsletter to schools.
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RESOLVED that – (a) the presentation be received and noted, and (b) a request be made to the local authority for the presentation to be shared at a future meeting of full Council, alongside or instead of prayers.
Susan Williams, RVE Coordinator, Ysgol Christchurch gave a presentation on how RVE was being delivered in the school in line with the Curriculum for Wales 2022. The following elements were included in the comprehensive presentation – · the school’s ethos and RVE reflecting and reinforcing the school’s values of respect, inclusion, and wellbeing whilst ensuring legal requirements were met · the journey leading up to the new Curriculum for Wales, legal / moral / philosophical principles, and next steps in designing the curriculum · highlighted the five ‘Statements of What Matters’ in the Humanities Area of Learning (AoLE) and areas covered in each of those statements broken down between the ages of 3 – 7 (Progression Step 1-2) and ages 7 – 11 (Progression Step 2-3) with a detailed account and examples of questioning and learning · creation of a scheme to reflect the needs and profile of the school and to make links with learning to focus on promoting essential skills · provided various examples of support materials, the Christchurch Hymn written by the pupils, staff and families, examples of mapping work and whole school overviews linking learning progression steps to the different year groups, and RVE learning provision avoiding duplication across those progression steps · referenced the school’s ongoing journey with the Humanities AoLE action plan target in the current academic year being RVE provision to ensure the best possible learning opportunities with continual evaluation and development. Members thanked Ms. Williams for her interesting and informative presentation which had been well received and acknowledged the hard work in planning and implementing RVE in the school. Members discussed the importance of inclusivity and learning about, and celebrating, different faiths, and there was also some discussion about the importance of understanding Welsh heritage and Christian culture in Wales, with particular reference to Welsh non-conformists and former buildings in Rhyl and potential learning links for pupils. The RVE Adviser linked to the website ‘People’s Collection Wales’ as a useful resource and demonstrated how it could be used to explore localities with maps and a series of photographs to view places and how they had changed over a period of time, including some of the Welsh chapels in the area which had been discussed. Any school could use that facility which provided an excellent resource for children to investigate and ask questions. Ms. Williams welcomed the feedback given with pride of history and legacy fitting for Year 6 pupils and would welcome further feedback from members. During her presentation Ms. Williams had mentioned how pupils would have been best placed to describe how RVE was taught in the school and the Chair suggested a short video be produced which could be viewed at the next meeting. Councillor Ann Davies felt it was important that all elected members heard the presentation and proposed, second by the Chair, that the presentation be given to full Council, alongside or instead or prayers, and members confirmed their agreement. RESOLVED that – (a) the presentation be received and noted, and (b) a request be made to the local authority for the presentation to be shared at a future meeting of full Council, alongside or instead of prayers.
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RESOLVED that – (a) the Annual Report of Denbighshire SAC(RE) for 2024 – 2025 be approved as an accurate account of SAC(RE)’s work, and (b) the Local Authority be requested to arrange for the report to be made available to all schools and colleges in Denbighshire and other recipients as required by law and as identified in the report.
The RVE Adviser presented the draft Annual Report for Denbighshire SAC(RE) 2024 – 25 (previously circulated) for approval which identified and recorded the work of the SAC(RE) for the year from September 2024 – July 2025. Members were reminded that the annual report was a historic document and approval of the report was sought, subject to any accuracy points. To make the report more relevant and useful to schools, numerous links had been included to resources and support within the document. Members agreed it was a dynamic document which contained valuable information for schools to engage with and thanked the RVE Adviser for his hard work in that regard. RESOLVED that – (a) the Annual Report of Denbighshire SAC(RE) for 2024 – 2025 be approved as an accurate account of SAC(RE)’s work, and (b) the Local Authority be requested to arrange for the report to be made available to all schools and colleges in Denbighshire and other recipients as required by law and as identified in the report.
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RESOLVED that the amendments to the Constitution be agreed and the Local Authority be advised to receive and approve the updated Constitution.
The RVE Adviser explained that Denbighshire SAC(RE)’s constitution had not been updated since its inception in 1996. Consequently, the Constitution had been amended and presented for members’ consideration (previously circulated). Members were guided through the Constitution and proposed amendments in order to reflect SAC(RE)’s current practice and current educational climate. The proposed additions had been highlighted in green text and removals had been highlighted in red text for transparency. The amendments reflected legislative changes since 1996, latest terminology, updated membership, and provided greater clarification and modernisation of processes in relation to the SAC(RE) and its working arrangements. The updated Constitution had been shared with the Democratic Services Manager for compliance and governance and his comments had also been incorporated into the final draft. In terms of process, SAC(RE) would need to recommend the proposed Constitution to full Council for approval. Members considered the draft Constitution and were content that the proposed amendments brought the document up to date and reflected current practice. The RVE Adviser confirmed he would liaise with the Chair with a view to seeking approval of the updated Constitution through the relevant democratic processes. RESOLVED that the amendments to the Constitution be agreed and the Local Authority be advised to receive and approve the updated Constitution.
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RESOLVED that SAC(RE)’s development plan for 2025 – 26 be agreed and work be carried out with the local authority to ensure that the action plan was achievable.
The RVE Adviser presented the draft SAC(RE) Development Plan (previously circulated) for members’ consideration. SAC(RE)’s role was reiterated in the development plan and proposed three priorities for the ongoing work of SAC(RE) for the academic year. The plan also set out the reasons for each priority and proposed areas to develop. Members confirmed they were satisfied with the priorities and discussed how best to achieve them. In summary, key points for each priority included the following – Priority 1 – To develop the effectiveness of SAC(RE) The need to fill the vacancies on SAC(RE) was highlighted, particularly from the faith and belief representation in order to reflect the different religions schools were required to include and there could be a role for those members in helping to guide schools to the correct resources/information. In terms of linking with the faith and belief communities to recruit to the vacancies it was agreed that members provide the RVE Adviser with any contacts they had in that regard; a web link was also provided to the RE Hub as a resource to engage with potential members. Recruitment to the teacher vacancies could be carried out via the local authority. The circulation of SAC(RE)’s Annual Report and Newsletter to schools would help raise SAC(RE)’s profile. Using the teachers’ network would be an excellent means of engagement and promoting SAC(RE)’s work and the Principal Education Manager reported on steps to engage Headteachers/Deputy Headteachers as part of that process and work to identify schools who would like additional support. The need to also raise awareness amongst elected members was highlighted and a request could be made to include SAC(RE) as a topic for discussion at a future Council Workshop. Councillor Emrys Wynne said he would contact Councillor Diane King, Cabinet Lead Member for Education to highlight the need to raise SAC(RE)’s profile and the potential to publish the action plan. Priority 2 – Monitor and support the provision of RE/RVE in the schools of the local authority The use of a teachers’ network was agreed as an action to progress and work to include the RVE Coordinators in schools as part of that network and being proactive in that regard with shared learning and best practice. SACRE members may also have a role to support that process to share knowledge and experience and potentially bringing in skills sets from key organisations to create a learning community. The potential for a sub Working Group to produce guidelines and evaluation criteria of RVE provision and collective worship was suggested. There was some debate as to the use of a questionnaire to gauge schools’ awareness of the Agreed Syllabus and aspects within it. There was an option to include the questionnaire as an activity at a future Headteachers/Deputy Headteachers meeting. The possibility of a further questionnaire on other aspects for RVE Coordinators was raised with a view to targeting specific resources. The lack of uptake for GCSE Religious Studies and A Level was raised which meant that they were not offered as an option at some schools. It was accepted that there were a number of options for providing RVE and it was agreed that the 14 – 19 Leads be asked to confirm what was being provided within their schools to gain a better understanding as to how RVE was being developed across schools. Jennie Downes reported on work as part of her thesis relating to critical religious literacy which she hoped to present in future around the importance of what was being taught within RVE and given that it ran through the whole curriculum. Priority 3 – Monitor and support provision of collective worship and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in the schools of the local authority Whilst acknowledging the difficulties, particularly in larger secondary schools, members highlighted the importance of collective worship and schools meeting their statutory obligations in that regard. It was suggested a Working Group could be established as an action for this priority in order to support schools. Once the RVE network had been established a section on collective worship could also be added. It was also agreed that there would be merit in a checklist with questions relating to good practice which schools could use to evaluate and improve provision. In closing, the RVE Adviser confirmed he would finalise the action plan to include members’ suggestions and those discussed with the Principal Education Manager to ensure some of those could be progressed in the current term. A regular update on progress with the action plan would be submitted to future SAC(RE) meetings. RESOLVED that SAC(RE)’s development plan for 2025 – 26 be agreed and work be carried out with the local authority to ensure that the action plan was achievable.
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RESOLVED that the verbal report from the recent EFTRE Conference held in Budapest be received and noted.
The RVE Adviser reported on the European Forum of Teachers of RE (EFTRE) Conference held in August in Budapest called ‘The Art of Empowerment in RE’. The Conference included key themes such as inclusivity in RE, cross-cultural understanding, and the integration of digital resources into teaching. Attendees participated in workshops, keynote lectures and networking events, fostering collaboration, and exchanging ideas to enhance RE provision throughout Europe. The RVE Adviser elaborated on the keynote presentations which included ‘Questioning Empowerment’ and the vital role of questioning within RE and empowering students to ask questions, ‘Existential Resilience’ exploring how children and young people formed their understanding of the world and develop resilience to existential questions, and ‘Jewish-Muslim Relations and RE’ which examined the historical and current complexities between Jews and Muslims. Further details of the key messages and relevant research had been provided in the Denbighshire Autumn 2025 Newsletter discussed earlier on the agenda. A bid was being put together to host the 2028 EFTRE Conference in Cardiff or Swansea. Members welcomed the feedback from the Conference and key messages/learning. Particular mention was made to the findings referenced in the ‘Questioning Empowerment’ presentation with teachers raising far more questions than students in the classroom together with ways of fostering meaningful engagement and empowering students to ask questions, not only to enhance their understanding and interest but also to support broader educational and personal development. RESOLVED that the verbal report from the recent EFTRE Conference held in Budapest be received and noted.
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RESOLVED that the verbal report be received and noted.
· WASACRE Meeting – 2 July 2025 The minutes of the last WASACRE meeting held on 2 July 2025 had not yet been made available and it was agreed to receive those minutes once published. · WASACRE Meeting – 19 November 2025 The next WASACRE meeting would be held online at 10.30 am on 19 November 2025. The RE Adviser confirmed that he would be attending and asked members to let him know directly if they also wished to attend to ensure that the relevant details and meeting link could be sent. He added that a further presentation on the EFTRE Conference would be given at that meeting. RESOLVED that the verbal report be received and noted.
Future meetings of Denbighshire SACRE had been scheduled as follows – · Spring 2026 – 10am Friday 6 February 2026 · Summer 2026 – 10am Tuesday 2 June 2026 · Autumn 2026 – 10am Wednesday 14 October 2026 The meeting concluded at 12.00 noon.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
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