Agenda item

National Recommendations on SACRE funding

Verbal report of the Head of 16 – 19 Learning and Skills.

Minutes:

The Head of Skills and Employability advised SACRE Members of the results of a recent survey on how the Central Services School Block (CSSB) was being used by Local Authorities on SACRE business and that many SACRE’s are allocated far less than 1 per cent. 

 

It was reported that these figures had been discussed with the Department for Education and the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (NASACRE) are setting out a national recommendation on what can reasonably be expected to be funded from the CSSB.

 

The Head of Skills and Employability advised SACRE Members that the national recommendation is that a Local Authority should allocate at least two per cent of the CSSB to SACRE in order that SACRE can carry out its statutory duties and that Darlington’s CSSB allocation was £1,454.00.

 

However, £972,000 of the CSSB is tied up in historic commitments such as PFI.  The Department for Education has stated that historic commitments within the CSSB cannot be added to and in fact they are looking for them to decrease.    The remainder of the CSSB is fully committed and currently there was no dedicated SACRE budget.  It was also reported however, that the Local Authority is meeting the duties identified by NASACRE and any costs incurred, such as providing a clerk and a lead officer is absorbed within the main Council budget.

 

IT WAS AGREED – That the report be noted.