Hillingdon Council is set to review its Religious Education (RE) curriculum, with discussions scheduled at the Hillingdon Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (HSACRE) meeting on 25 June 2025 at William Byrd Primary School.
The review comes as the council acknowledges the need to update the current syllabus, which is reviewed every five years. According to the meeting summary, options under consideration include adopting a syllabus from another borough, creating a bespoke syllabus for Hillingdon, or revising the existing one. A bespoke syllabus drafted by the HSACRE Advisor in consultation with teachers is considered the best option.
The agenda also includes discussions on defining 'Meaningful RE' and agreeing on recommendations to the SACRE. The council will also receive local updates on the school art competition and RE calendar, RE in schools (including primary and secondary e-surveys), and the Interfaith Dialogue Event (HMD+) planned for January 2026.
National updates on assessment and curriculum review, as well as feedback from the NASACRE National Conference held on 19 May 2025, will also be presented. The HSACRE Action Plan for 2024-2025, the budget, and self-evaluation arrangements are also on the agenda. The council is also scheduled to conduct an audit of its members.
Attendees at the meeting include Ria Searle (Group C - Secondary RE Teacher), Tim Wright (Group B - Church of England), Sumen Starr (Group C - Headteacher), Alice Vahdat (Group A - Bahai), Balmukund Prasad Joshi (Group A - Hindu), Alavari Jeevathol (Group A - Humanists UK), Dorothy Sadlik (Group A - Jewish), Angela Lount (Group A - Methodist), Naseem Bint Amir (Group A - Muslim), Ninette Fernandes-Viana (Group A - Roman Catholic), Pauline Byles (Group B - Church of England), Melanie Dring MA BA PGCE (Group B - Church of England), Keith Lunn (Group B - Church of England), Hedson De Castro (Group C - SEND Secondary School Teacher), Councillor Kishan Bhatt, Councillor June Nelson ( Chief Whip (Labour)), Councillor Jagjit Singh (Group D - Local Authority), Michael Hawkins, Councillor Shehryar Ahmad-Wallana (Group D - Local Authority), Jenna Naulls (Group C - Primary Teacher), Waheeda Rehmanji (Group C - Primary Teacher), David Beeston (Group C - Primary Teacher), and Liz Penny.