Following on from the successful SACRE 2021 conference, Telford and Wrekin’s SACRE held its very first conference for pupils - 23 March 2022. We had 13 participating schools and over 400 delegates from primary and secondary schools, who met on Teams.

The theme of the conference, which was free to all participating schools (from Years 5 and 6 up to Year 12) was to look at the Climate Crisis through the lens of Faith, and give pupils a sense of hope - because in the words of Greta Thunberg, “You are never too small to make a difference.”

Before the conference all schools received a pre-teach pack, linked to David Attenborough’s Climate Change - the Facts, (BBC iPlayer), with questions to support them in developing some secure knowledge before they joined the key note speaker session.

Our key note speaker, Dr John Reade (Principal Lecturer for Agriculture and Environment from Harper Adams University) engaged delegates with ideas about how they could reduce their carbon usage and why it is important for us all to take action, an urgency stressed in light of current scientific research and shared at the recent United Nations Cop 26 global conference.

Following this, delegates were divided by their schools into one of six faith workshops, covering Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism.

All Faith leaders were asked to talk about:

  • how different faiths describe the moral imperative to act to meet the challenges posed 
  • what the difference is between needs and wants.

Delegates then returned to their school groups to brief each other and come up with pledges and actions they could all undertake. They then nominated a delegate to report back to the whole conference on behalf of their school. Delegates’ ideas were amazing and included:

  • ‘We would like to write to our MPs to ask for more help from the government’
  • ‘We will try to stop wasting food – maybe I can eat that spotty banana’
  • ‘We will turn off taps when we brush our teeth’.
  • ‘We will try and look at labels in supermarkets to see where our food comes from and pick the most local. We could also encourage our parents to shop at markets instead of the big stores’.

Delegates also came up with some catchy and thought provoking slogans:

  • ‘Save the Earth, Save Yourselves’ (Ercall Wood Academy)
  • ‘Turn off before our planet does’ (Holy Trinity Academy)
  • ‘Foot Friday’ (i.e. walking to school) (John Fletcher of Madeley)
  • ‘We may only be small but together we can make a big difference’ (Lawley Primary)
  • ‘Green is more than just a colour’ (Lilleshall Primary)
  • ‘If we don’t make a change today we won’t have tomorrow’ (Tibberton C of E Primary).

Delegates have been asked to feedback to their governing board on their pledges and we are planning a follow up conference on the morning of 7 July 2022, where we hope all delegates will be able to share their progress to date.

Last updated : 23 August 2024

SACRE Annual conference 2021

RE: 'it does what it says on the tin!'

World views and interfaith perspectives, modern British values, diversity, respect and tolerance.

This two day virtual conference is aimed at RE subject leads, headteachers and senior leaders in Telford & Wrekin primary, secondary and special schools.

  • Day one: Thursday 29 April 2021 - 4pm to 6.30pm.
  • Day two: Thursday 27 May 2021 - 9.30am to 3.15pm.

The conference will feature a number of key note speakers and workshops across the two days and will explore and develop the main issues covered in the new Telford & Wrekin RE Agreed Syllabus. Delegates will have the opportunity to consider in greater depth a range of faiths, as well as reviewing new exemplar units of work from Key Stages 1 to 3 that support the Agreed Syllabus.

Day one:

Day two:

To book your place/s, please complete and return a CPD booking form to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk quoting ‘RE Conference’.

The conference will:

  • provide an opportunity for teachers and leaders to understand the aims of the new Telford and Wrekin RE Agreed Syllabus
  • re-inforce the importance of ‘protected characteristics’ as defined in the Equality Act 2010, and referred to in the current Ofsted inspection framework (September 2019), and their importance in the teaching of RE
  • raise awareness of the importance of pupils being well-informed, respectful members of society who value diversity and strive to understand others
  • support teachers to develop pupils’ knowledge of the beliefs and practices of religions and worldviews and enable pupils to consider their own responses to questions about the meaning and purpose of life
  • ensure that colleagues have access to an up to date directory for visits and current resources to support the teaching of RE.

Key note speakers:

  • Day one
    • Dr Richard Kueh HMI and Ofsted Subject Lead for RE.
    • Naila Missous, BAMEed Network.
    • Dr James Holt, Assistant Professor for RE, University of Chester.
       
  • Day two
    • Dr James Holt, Assistant Professor for RE, University of Chester.
    • Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, MBE, Associate Professor of Sikh Studies and Director of the Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies.
    • Cllr Rajash Mehta, Chair of the Telford & Wrekin Interfaith Council.

By the end of the conference colleagues will:

  • understand the key concepts that pupils will explore from EYFS to the end of KS5 in terms of their knowledge, skills and attitudes
  • gain an overview of the key questions that are considered at each key stage and which underpin pupils’ knowledge and skills
  • be able to provide pupils with a toolbox which they can use to explore moral and ethical issues that face our society.

  • £40 per school for up to three delegates, including a governor.

Following attendance across the two days of the conference, schools will receive:

  • the new Telford & Wrekin RE Agreed Syllabus
  • sample units of work
  • a link to the directory and the resources.

Last updated : 23 August 2024