Agenda

To elect a Chair for this meeting of the Agreed Syllabus Conference.

This will be followed by welcome and introductions.

Note: Whilst the membership of the Agreed Syllabus Conference is the same as for Portsmouth Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education, this is a separate statutory body.

To receive and note any apologies for absence.

Members are asked to identify any pecuniary, prejudicial or personal interests on any matters on the agenda.

Note: Should any indication of an interest arise during the meeting, members are asked to declare at that time, as soon as is practicable

RECOMMENDED that the minutes of the previous Agreed Syllabus Conference held on 6 October 2016 be agreed as a correct record.

To receive any deputations from the public if requests have been received.

Every five years each Local Authority is required to review its agreed syllabus for religious education.

This item will be presented by Patricia Hannam, Professional Adviser to SACRE.

Members will have received separately correspondence from Somerset County Council regarding the new Somerset Religious Education Syllabus, which is available to view at https://www.amvsomerset.org.uk/

RECOMMENDED that the Agreed Syllabus Conference agrees to review Living Difference III together with Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight with whom Portsmouth shares an agreed syllabus.

Note: This is subject to a formal vote the protocol for this is:

·          Each of the four groups of the Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) discuss within their own groups their joint vote on the revised syllabus.

·         Each group is entitled to 1 vote and according to non-statutory guidance, in order for the revised syllabus to be approved, all four groups must vote in favour.

·         If the vote is not unanimous, the ASC must seek to arrive at a proposal which is acceptable to all four groups.

·         If the situation remains unresolved, then the Secretary of State ultimately has the power to impose a syllabus on the authority.