Minutes:
Councillor Brookes Chaired the discussion group on ‘Changes in Key Stage 4 (KS4)’ and the following key points were raised during the discussion:-
The purpose of RE at KS4 is not consistently clear: is it an academic milestone qualification for future employment? Or is it 'core RE', the legal requirement to deliver RE as per development and preparation for adult life?
Schools make the decision via their timetabling provision and sometimes they are trying to mix the two purposes with an academic subject being taught with insufficient time or clarity.
Schools need to make the decision about which fight to take on. Is RE available to all pupils with a personal slant or is it an option for a full academic course?
This scene was complicated by its insertion with citizenship and PSH(C)E in some schools.
Durham RE Syllabus currently has no provision for a KS4 non-GCSE option.
The Specialist Inspector for Religious Education had provided a paper summarising the options that may be offered by schools currently so that SACRE could appreciate the current situation in preparation for the content of the RE syllabus revision in 2017.
The group looked at whether the new syllabus should provide a recommended curriculum for non-exam KS4?
The group decided that there needed to be guidance on statutory requirement, what the school could offer and how this could be taught to show progression through levels of progress. Whichever option was chosen needed to meet statutory requirements.
New GCSE specifications required a lot of content and subject knowledge and needed to ensure continuity back through into Key Stage 3 to build required knowledge on what was sometimes restricted time. The bridging unit was great but some of the units may need tweaking.
The new agreed syllabus needs to address assessment clearly with continuity in terms of how you assess student progress.
It was suggested that SACRE proactively follow up contact with Heads and Governors to ensure that the expressed purpose of the syllabus is clear and schools are encouraged to support that internally through staffing and timetable.