Religious Education makes an
important, although not exclusive, contribution to these key aspects of
the curriculum
Legal Requirements
The Education Reform Act (1988) prescribes for all schools a Basic Curriculum,
comprising Religious Education and the National Curriculum.
All registered pupils at a school, including sixth forms, are entitled to
receive Religious Education [Section 2 (1) (a)].
In Sixth Form Colleges, the governors must ensure the Religious Education is
provided on a regular basis for all who wish to receive it [1992 Further and Higher
Education Act, Section 45]
In County Schools RE must be non-denominational and
taught in accordance with
the LEA's Agreed Syllabus [Section 26 of 1944 Act]. In Voluntary Controlled Schools, the
Agreed Syllabus will be taught, except where parents have requested denominational
teaching [Section 27 of 1944 Act].
Any new Agreed Syllabus shall reflect the fact that the religious traditions in
Great Britain are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and
practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain [Section 8 (3)].
All LEAs are required to establish a Standing Advisory Council on Religious
Education (SACRE). The Council has the duty of advising the LEA on such aspects of
Religious Education as methods of teaching, choice of materials and the provision of
training for teachers. It may also require a review of an Agreed Syllabus [Section 11
(4)].
The 1993 Education Act amended schedule 5 of the 1944 Act to require that every
LEA institute a review of its locally agreed syllabus within five years of the last
review, and subsequently every five years after the completion of each further review.
Parents retain the right to withdraw their children from Religious Education
[Section 9 (3)].
A headteacher is required under the Education (Individual Pupils' Achievements)
(Information) Regulations 1992 to send parents an annual written report on their child's
progress. Unless a pupil has been withdrawn from RE, reports must contain details of the
pupil's progress in RE.
Legal requirements
The Education Act 1988 introduced new requirements for collective worship in
maintained schools and amended or re-enacted requirements of the Education Act 1944.
Provision of a daily act of collective
worship for all pupils remains a requirement. In County schools this must not be distinctive of a particular
denomination.
Parents
have the right to withdraw their children from this provision, and teachers
have the right not to participate in collective worship without penalty to career
opportunities.
Daily collective
worship
may include separate gatherings in groups in which pupils are organised for other school
activities (eg.year groups, house groups, tutor groups). This would exclude, without the
special approval of SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education), separate
faith groups. Acts of worship may be held at any time during the school day.
Acts
of collective worship should be "wholly or mainly
of a broadly Christian character" for most of the time.
Schools
may seek formal exemption from this requirement
in favour of an alternative form of worship for the whole school or for a particular group
of pupils by contacting SACRE.
Summary of principal provisions:
i) All pupils in attendance at a maintained school [including those above
compulsory school age, but excluding special schools] shall on each school day take part
in an act of collective worship [6 (1)].
ii) In Sixth Form Colleges the governors should ensure that on at least one day
in each week an act of collective worship is held which students may attend. In addition
to broadly Christian acts of worship, governors may provide acts of worship which reflect
the practices of some or all of the religious traditions represented in Great Britain
[1992 Further and Higher Education Act, Section 44].
iii) So far as practicable, all pupils in special schools should attend
religious worship [1981 Act, 12 (4)].
iv) Arrangements may, in respect of each school day, provide for a single act of
worship for all pupils or for separate acts of worship for pupils in different age groups
or in different school groups [6 (2)].
v) Arrangements shall be made-
a) in the case of a County school, by the headteacher after consultation with
the governing body;
b) in the case of a voluntary school, by the governing body after consultation
with the headteacher [6 (3)].
The right of headteachers not to participate in collective worship is
safeguarded [1944 Act, 30]; heads do have a statutory duty, however, to secure appropriate
arrangements for their pupils [1988 Act, 10 (1)].
vi) Collective worship shall take place on school premises, although in Aided
schools exceptions may be made on special occasions [6 (4)(5)(6)]. County and Controlled
schools may hold acts of worship off the school premises only if they are in addition to
the daily statutory act of worship in school.
vii) For County schools, collective worship must be wholly or mainly of a
broadly Christian character, reflecting the broad traditions of Christian belief without
being distinctive of any particular Christian denomination. It is not necessary that every
act of worship complies with this requirement, provided that, taking any school term as a
whole, most such acts do comply [7 (1)(2)(3)].
viii) In determining the character and organisation of collective worship in
relation to these principles, heads will need to take account of the family backgrounds,
as well as the ages and aptitudes, of their pupils [7 (4)(5)].
Comment: In other words, schools will be expected to adopt a proper educational
approach to worship, and not to assume a uniform level of understanding and commitment.
ix) Worship distinctive of any denomination (Christian or other religion) is not
normally permitted on school premises. Parents may, however, request facilities for
worship in accordance with the tenets of a denomination, and reasonable steps should be
taken to accommodate such requests provided that no additional costs fall upon the
authority [1944 Act, 26]. Pupils may be withdrawn from school for alternative worship only
at the beginning or end of any school session [1988 Act, 9 (6)].
x) Worship distinctive of a faith or religion other than Christianity may be
permitted in school, for all or part of the week, for large or small groups of pupils, but
only if approval is given by SACRE on receipt of a written request from the headteacher,
after consulting the governing body. Such requests should set out proposed alternative
arrangements and relevant circumstances relating to the family background of the pupils
concerned. Any determination by SACRE must be reviewed after five years, or earlier if
requested by the school [7 (6); 12].
xi) Schools should ensure that relevant information is available to parents
regarding arrangements for collective worship and rights of withdrawal.
This page last
updated
20 December 2005
Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to
heather.farr@staffordshire.gov.uk
Copyright © 2003 QLS Staffordshire County Council]
