Agenda item

To receive an update and feedback RE Awards Event in June 2025, via a PowerPoint presentation.

This item provided an update and feedback on the RE Awards Event which took place in June 2025, during which the following was noted:

·       PowerPoint slides were included within the agenda pack for this item.

·       The positivises of the Rewards Ceremony were as follows-

§  Students loved the ceremony and responded well to it. They were very appreciative of the Mayor’s attendance and the chance to have a photograph with the Mayor.

§  Certificates and recognition were great, and the tour of the Town Hall was very well received. Town Hall employees were very helpful, and refreshments were provided to the pupils, at this point the Mayor spoke to all of the children in groups.

§  Overall, the afternoon was a lovely celebration of RE.

·       Suggested areas for development for next year’s Rewards Ceremony were as follows-

§  The preparation before was felt to be time consuming, it was felt that there was too much ‘red tape’, an example was provided of completing the Mayors Visit Form.

§  There was a misunderstanding in which the Town Hall Team thought that the school were hosting the event.

§  It was felt that certificates should be checked beforehand as there were some still missing.

·       Future considerations should be as follows-

§  A more structured approach was required.

§  Funding for the event needed to be agreed in advance by SACRE members, at a SACRE meeting beforehand.

§  Consideration should be given as to whether to invite parents.

§  Next year’s RE Awards should include multiple schools and consideration should be given to how this could be managed.

§  SACRE should provide the certificates or award.

·      Given the timescales for arranging the event last minute, the event was viewed as a huge success.

·      It was felt that a SACRE working group should be created to arrange the RE Awards for summer 2026.

·      The Cabinet Member would like to develop a link between Neighbourhood Working, Ward Councillors and their local schools. Each ward was provided two and a half days a week support via a Neighbourhood Co-ordinator. The Cabinet Member would explore this link and report back at the next SACRE meeting on any updates relating to this.

·      Before the pandemic the RE Awards Ceremony was delivered in conjunction with the Children’s Culture Event. The Ceremony was held during the evening, teachers were also nominated for RE Awards as well as pupils, and there were guest speakers that attended the event. Applications for the awards were assessed by the Chair of SACRE and the RE Specialist Advisor to SACRE.

·      Members felt that it was important to publicise the RE Awards Ceremony for 2026 to ensure attendance and that the Ceremony should be held as an evening event so that parents could also attend.

·      Consideration would be given to aligning the RE Awards Ceremony in 2026 with the Together for Tomorrow Project Celebration Event. The CYPS Officer present would be visiting Arc Cinema in the upcoming weeks to view their venue as a potential venue option for the Ceremony.

Agreed Actions:-

1)    That a working group be developed to plan and organise the 2026 RE Awards Ceremony, in conjunction with the Together for Tomorrow Project.

2)    That the following SACRE members form the working group and provided an update to SACRE members at the December meeting:

§  V. Gregory

§  L. Melvin

§  S. Yasseen

§  F. Radford.