Leadership and Management
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Governors
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Extract from 'A Guide to the Law for School
Governors, 2006':
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
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41. All maintained schools must provide RE for their pupils.
The precise nature of that religious education at a
foundation or voluntary school will depend on the religious
character of the school. Whether a foundation or voluntary
school has a religious character and the particular religion
or religious denomination concerned is set out in The
Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character
(England) Order 1999. There are no foundation special
schools that have a religious character. |
| 42. All community schools and all foundation
and voluntary schools without a religious character must provide
RE for all registered pupils (apart from those who have been
withdrawn by their parents). Teaching will follow the agreed
syllabus for the area, which is drawn up by a local conference
of teachers, local churches, faith groups and the LA. The
headteacher shares responsibility with the LA and the governing
body for making sure that the RE requirements are met. |
| 43. All locally agreed syllabuses must reflect
the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in
the main Christian, while taking account of the teaching and
practices of the other principal religions represented in Great
Britain. The DfES, in partnership with the QCA, issued a
nonstatutory national framework for RE in October 2004, which
supports those with a responsibility for RE in maintained
schools, principally LAs, and sets national standards and
expectations to help promote higher standards in teaching and
learning. |
Voluntary aided schools with a religious character
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44. RE in a voluntary aided school with a
religious character must be provided in accordance with the
school’s trust deed or, where provision is not made by a trust
deed, in accordance with the beliefs of the religion or
denomination specified in the Order referred to above.
45. Where parents ask for RE to be provided for any pupils
according to the locally agreed syllabus, and it is not
convenient for them to attend a school at which the syllabus is
in use, the governing body must make arrangements. This
requirement is lifted if, because of any special circumstances,
it would be unreasonable to do so. |
Foundation and voluntary controlled schools with a religious
character
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46. RE in a foundation or voluntary controlled
school with a religious character must be provided in accordance
with the locally agreed syllabus for the area. However, where
parents request it, provision may be made in accordance with the
school’s trust deed or, where provision is not made by trust
deed, in accordance with the beliefs of the religion or
denomination specified in the Order referred to above. This
requirement is lifted if, because of any special circumstances,
it would be unreasonable to do so. The governing body is
responsible for ensuring that such religious education is
provided for not more than two periods in each
week. The headteacher shares responsibility with the LA and the
governing body for making sure that the RE requirements are met.
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COLLECTIVE WORSHIP
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47. All maintained schools must provide for
collective worship for their pupils. The precise nature of the
collective worship and religious education at a foundation or
voluntary school will depend on the religious character of the
school. To determine whether a foundation or voluntary school
has a religious character and the particular religion or
religious denomination concerned, refer to guidelines set out in
The Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character
(England) Order 1999: SI 1999 No. 2432.
48. All maintained schools must provide daily collective worship
for all registered pupils (apart from those who have been
withdrawn from this by their parents). This is usually provided
within daily assembly but can also be done within individual
classes or groups of children. This may be particularly
appropriate for younger children in primary schools.
49. For community schools and foundation schools without
religious character, the headteacher is responsible for
arranging the daily collective worship after consulting with the
governing body. For voluntary schools and foundation schools
with a religious character, the governing body is responsible
for arranging daily collective worship after consulting with the
headteacher. Daily collective worship must be wholly or mainly
of a broadly Christian character. The precise nature will depend
on the family background, ages and abilities of the pupils.
50. Most schools should be able to include all pupils in their
act of collective worship. However, there may be exceptional
cases where, in view of the family background of some or all
pupils, the headteacher and governing body feel that a broadly
Christian act of worship is not suitable. In these
circumstances, the headteacher can apply to the local Standing
Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) to have the
Christian content requirement lifted. Before doing so, the
governing body should consult the parents of pupils at the
school. |
Foundation schools with a religious character and voluntary
schools
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| 51. Collective worship in foundation schools
with a religious character and voluntary schools will be in
accordance with the school’s trust deed. Where provision is not
made by a trust deed, the worship should be in accordance with
the beliefs of the religion or denomination specified for the
school. |
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