Lewisham's Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education (SACRE) convened on 25 November 2025, to address concerns surrounding religious education (RE) teaching hours in the borough's schools. The council reviewed data derived from the school workforce census to assess the current state of RE provision.
The data included the percentage of year 7-13 hours dedicated to RE, Key Stage 4 figures, Ofsted ratings, the local MP and their political party. The role of the local MP and their party on the issue of RE teaching hours is not detailed in the meeting information. The data also included the 'Percentage9-4FC' figure, the meaning of which was not defined in the meeting information, but is listed for each school in the Public reports pack.
It is not possible to compare the RE teaching hours in Lewisham schools to any national standard using the provided text, as the meeting information does not contain any information about national averages or recommended guidelines for RE teaching hours.
RE Teaching Hours Under the Microscope
The SACRE meeting included an analysis of RE teaching hours across several Lewisham schools. The data, sourced from the school workforce census, included information from:
- Trinity Church of England School
- Bonus Pastor Catholic College
- Haberdashers' Knights Academy
- Sedgehill Academy
- Haberdashers' Hatcham College
- St Matthew Academy
- Sydenham School
- Forest Hill School
Key metrics analysed included the percentage of year 7-13 hours dedicated to RE, Key Stage 4 figures, Ofsted ratings, the local MP, their political party, and the 'Percentage9-4FC' figure.
