REC Board Meeting:  5th December 2019

By Professor Trevor Cooling: Chair of REC

The Board met at the REC offices from noon to 5pm on 5th December 2019

Apologies were received from Sushma Sahajpal and Sandra Teacher. The other nine Directors were present, including Sarah Lane Cawte who was present by video link from the USA where she is on study leave.

The Board welcomed Derek Holloway to his first meeting as a Board member.

The initial formalities were to note potential conflicts of interest and loyalty, to formally record changes to the Board and to receive, correct and then accept the minutes and to review matters arising from the meeting of 15thOctober 2019.

The Chair reported that Rosemary Rivett had agreed to serve as Acting Treasurer until 31st August 2019 and was expecting to stand in the election for Treasurer that will take place at the May AGM. She was proposed , seconded and appointed to serve as Acting Treasurer and an Officer by an unanimous vote

The Chair gave a brief report in which he reported his attendance at the AGM of the Association of Christian Teachers and his intention to write about worldviews in RE as part of his academic work at Canterbury Christ Church University. He again emphasised the hard work of the executive staff and the continuing pressure on them.

Main Items:

  1. Discussion Items
  1. The Board reviewed the grant application for the proposed project on developing shared understandings of the Commission on RE’s recommendation that worldview should be a main focus of RE in the future.
  2. The Board made minor modifications to and then accepted the new REQM criteria. Then it discussed the draft development plan tabled at the meeting and asked the CEO to report back to the REQM manager. Finally the question of the DBS status of REQM assessors was discussed.

 

  1. CEO’s Report

The CEO went through his previously circulated report, during the course of which there was discussion of the follow up to the SRGM, the consultation on the Welsh curriculum, the LAN Pilot Project, the text for funders, and the appointment of a safeguarding trustee.

 

  1. Treasurer’s Report and 2019/2020 Budget

The financial report for the first two months of the 2019-2020 financial year was reviewed. The major discussion was of the 2019-2020 budget. The Board voted to accept the budget on the condition that the Officers kept it under review and that a final decision will be made at the next meeting.

  1. Company Secretary’s Report

The membership application from the Christian Schools Trust was approved unanimously for presenting to the Council at the AGM.

  1. Committee Minutes

The minutes from the Policy Unit, Governance Committee, Finance and Fundraising and Education Committees were reviewed. The CEO tabled one correction to the Governance Committee minutes.

The next meeting of the Board is 5th March 2020.