Agenda item

The group manager for school effectiveness provided an update on SACRE finance. Oxford Diocese had been requested to submit an invoice for the remaining £450 from the 2021-22 contributions. There would also be an under spend of approximately £3,000 of the 2021-22 SACRE budget, which would be required to be spent by the end of March 2022.

Members discussed various ways that the surplus budget could be spent including:

• Purchasing artefact to support teachers when teaching RE and drafting support guidance materials. Schools in Slough that taught RE would be invited to place an order from the RE Online Catalogue for the sum of approximately £80 to purchase support materials of relevance to their teaching. Invoices to be made to the Council for payment to be made from the SACRE budget. The professional adviser would explore the proposal to see how it could be progressed before the end of March 2022, and the group manager for school effectiveness confirmed that the RE Online Catalogue would be sent by email to headteachers in Slough.
• Begin preparation for written materials the proposed RE Teachers’ conference.

It was stressed that any sum over £2,000 would require approval by the Finance Committee.

Also discussed was the suggestion that given the Council’s current financial situation, any surplus money could perhaps be given back. It was noted that the SACRE budget was derived from the education and the DSG budget, all of which were closely being monitored as part of the financial management control.

Resolved:

i)  That schools in Slough be invited to order up to approximately £80 worth of RE artefacts from the RE Online Catalogue before the end of March 2022

ii)  That any unspent surplus remaining by the end March 2022 be absorbed by the Council.