Stratford School Academy pupils have had great involvement in Student RE Matters/Student SACRE.
Student SACRE consists of a group of young people who are interested in moral and religious issues from different backgrounds and cultures who get together each half term from different Newham secondary schools.
The group is run by Mrs Clinton, Newham’s Religious Education Advisor, with help from secondary schools and heads of RE.
Meetings take place once every half term at different secondary schools. A conference is also held annually. Lunch is also shared so that pupils can get to know one another.
The group consists of students from the year 9 cohort who are involved in the group for two years.
At present, pupils in the Student SACRE group are working on a project looking at beliefs about the purpose of life and creating art pieces around this. The group have already visited a Gurdwara, a Mosque and a Buddhist temple. This year the group hope to go on to visit a Hindu temple, a Church and the British Museum. All of this aids in improving our knowledge and experience of different religions and world beliefs.
Student SACRE provides opportunities for pupils at Stratford School Academy to meet a wide range of people from different faiths. The Student SACRE group allows pupils from different faiths and secular world views to come together to discuss and seek to understand moral and ethical subjects.
Along with RE, Student SACRE aims to promote the  spiritual, moral, social, emotional, cultural and intellectual development of pupils.
The photo taken above was from a Buddhist temple that our pupils visited in June 2015. The Buddhist temple is the second to open in London. Pupils had the opportunity to meet with the Buddhist Chaplin who served in the British army.
January 2016
Student SACRE pupils have visited Manor Primary School and are concentrating their efforts on an art project titled: Religious Legacy.
Pupils have also visited the ‘Faith after Pharaohs’ exhibition held at London’s iconic British Museum. Pupils were encouraged to think about  people’s views of life after death and the purpose of human life. They also worked with other pupils from schools in the borough to identify and discuss objects in the British Museum that have been important to people of faith. This work has helped to inspire them in their art project (Religious Legacy) creating their canvases.
If pupils are interested in becoming a student representative on Newham’s Student SACRE they should speak to their teacher or Head of Humanities, Ms Sawer.
