Every council must have a Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) by law. This is responsible for advising the council on religious education (RE) and collective worship in its schools.

Although RE is not a national curriculum subject, the Education Reform Act 1988 confirmed that it is a compulsory part of the curriculum for all students.

What SACRE does

• Requires Barnsley Council to review the RE agreed syllabus every five years.

• Monitors the provision of RE and collective worship in Barnsley schools.

• Produces an annual report including the work of SACRE and Barnsley schools.

• Considers applications from headteachers for their school to be released from the requirement for collective worship to be 'wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character'. This is known as a determination.

• Supports RE teachers.

• Supports governors with a responsibility for RE.

How SACRE works

The Barnsley SACRE meets once every school term. It has four main committees:

• Christian and other religious denominations reflecting the principal religious traditions in the area (Group A)

• Church of England (Group B)

• Teaching associations (Group C)

• Council representatives (Group D)