Every local council must have a Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE). The main job of SACRE is to give advice to the local authority about how schools teach religious education (RE) and run collective worship (CW).
A SACRE also acts as a group called an Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) to make the official plan for teaching RE in schools.
The advice given by SACRE is not a legal ruling. However, local authorities and schools should always think carefully about this advice. We work very closely with SACRE.
What does SACRE do?
Religious education (RE)
SACRE makes sure that RE is taught following an agreed plan in council schools. In Harrow, SACRE also helps teachers deliver good RE lessons by offering regular training for subject leaders.
Preparing an agreed syllabus for religious education
To make a new plan for teaching RE, a local council must set up an ASC. This conference is a separate legal group from SACRE, even though many of the same people may be in both groups.
The job of the ASC is to make and suggest a new plan for teaching RE. This plan must meet all legal rules and be good for learning. Only an ASC can suggest a new plan. All of the different teams in the conference must fully agree on the recommendation.
See the Harrow SACRE Agreed Syllabus.
Collective worship (CW)
Every school must provide a daily time for children to gather and worship together. This daily worship should mainly follow Christian traditions.
A headteacher may feel that Christian worship is not right for all the pupils in their school. If so, they can ask SACRE to change this rule by writing to the clerk to SACRE.
Before asking SACRE, the headteacher must speak to the school governors. The governors might also want to ask parents for their views. SACRE then decides if the change is fair and needed. Any change that SACRE grants must be checked again after five years.
Support from SACRE
SACRE also offers extra help, guidance, and training opportunities for schools. Helpful guides include:
- Religious Observance Absence Guidance 2025-26
- Faith matters in physical education
- The A to Z of School Collective Worship Revised 2021
- Support Services for Education : Harrow
Reports and meeting notes
SACRE must publish a report every year to show what work it has done. You can read the newest reports and meeting notes below: