The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) was established in Milton Keynes to meet the requirements of the Education Act 1996 (Section 390). This Constitution ensures that those requirements are met and sets out conditions agreed by the Local Authority for the conduct of SACRE’s business.
Membership structure
The members of the SACRE shall be appointed by the Authority so that they shall represent the following groups:
| The Free Churches | Up to 4 representatives, each from a different denomination |
| The Roman Catholic Church | 1 |
| Hinduism | 1 |
| Islam (Sunni and Shia) | 2 |
| Judaism | 1 |
| Sikhism | 1 |
| Buddhism | 1 |
| Baha’i faith | 1 |
| Greek Orthodox | 1 |
| Non-religious world view | 1 |
| Group B | |
| The Church of England | 4 |
| Group C | |
| Primary, secondary, and special school teachers | |
| Group D | |
| Local Authority | 2 |
2. Terms of Office
2.1. Members of the SACRE shall serve from the date of their appointment for a period of three years. They shall be eligible for re-appointment.
2.2. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive ordinary meetings of the SACRE other than for a reason approved by the SACRE shall cease to be a member.
2.3. The validity of the proceedings of the SACRE, or any of its representative groups, shall not be affected by a vacancy in the membership or on the ground that a member does not at the time represent the denomination, religion or association he or she was appointed to represent.
2.4. The SACRE may co-opt members as necessary so long as the membership does not exceed thirty.
3. Duties and powers
3.1. The SACRE shall advise the Authority on such matters concerned with religious worship in Authority schools and the religious education to be given with an agreed syllabus as the Authority may refer to it or as it may see fit.
3.2. The SACRE shall advise on methods of teaching, the choice of materials and the provision of training for teachers.
3.3. The SACRE shall, on application made by a head teacher of any Local Authority school after consultation with the governing body, consider whether it is appropriate for the requirement for Christian collective worship to apply in case of that school. The SACRE shall arrive at its decision and communicate it to the Head teacher in accordance with the provisions of Section 394 of the Education Act of 1996.
3.4. The representative groups on the SACRE, other than that representing the Authority, may at any time require a review on any Agreed Syllabus for the time being adopted by the Authority.
3.5. The SACRE shall, each year, publish a report on its proceedings and those of its representative groups. The report shall specify any matters on which the SACRE has given advice to the Authority and the reasons for offering the advice.
3.6. The SACRE shall take any action assigned to it by the Authority in relation to the consideration and disposal of any complaint concerning collective worship or religious education in compliance with the Education Act of 1996.
4. Procedure
4.1. The SACRE shall elect annually at its first meeting in the Council year, a Chair and Vice-Chair from among its members by voting in accordance with point 4.2
4.2. On any question to be decided by the SACRE, only the representative groups shall be entitled to vote and each group shall have a single vote. In the event of a tie, the Chair will have the casting vote.
4.3. The SACRE shall regulate its own proceedings and may establish committees for specified purposes. Such committees may include persons who are not themselves members of the SACRE. In any matter which fails to be decided by the members of any particular group, the members of that group may regulate their own proceedings.
4.4. The SACRE shall determine the frequency of its own meetings so long as it meets on no fewer than three occasions in any academic year.
4.5. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair, or in the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, as necessary, or on the request of 3 Members representing different Groups.
4.6. Meetings will be held in public.
4.7. Five working days’ notice of meetings (not including the day of despatch of the Agenda, or the day of the meeting) will normally be given. Any Member of SACRE may request that an item is included on the Agenda
4.8. The Clerk to the SACRE shall be the Head of Democratic Services or his/her representative.
4.9. The Head of Democratic Services or his/her representative(s) shall be entitled to attend all meetings of the SACRE and of any committees it may establish and to speak but not to vote. 4.10 The costs of operating the SACRE and any committees it may establish shall be met by the Authority.