School Scripture (SRE)
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
Enabling children to explore faith, life and values
Special Religious Education (SRE) plays a vital role in the holistic education of NSW public school students, helping them form personal moral and ethical frameworks and nurture their faith at school. For many children, SRE is the only opportunity they get to explore God’s word and have their spiritual questions answered from the Bible.
It is our privilege to be an approved provider of SRE in many of our local public Primary and High Schools, under the guidelines set by the NSW Department of Education and with the cooperation of our local principals. In partnership with other local churches, we belong to the Tuggerah Lakes High School SRE Board and our local Primary SRE Board.
Curriculum
Our primary school curriculum is primarily Connect published by Christian Education Publications (CEP) with some schools using the Godspace curriculum. Our junior high school curriculum is Think Faith and our senior high school curriculum is outlined here.
Teacher training
Our teachers receive accreditation and classroom management training through Youthworks. All teachers are also required to obtain a Working With Children Check number and participate in regular and ongoing curriculum and child protection training.
Thinking about SRE for your child?
How is SRE funded?
Scripture in schools is made possible by the generous support of our local churches. Funds received for primary school SRE go to student resources while high school funds go to the employment of two part time SRE teachers at Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College.
Formal processes for SRE teachers
Click the tabs to read the processes our teachers abide by:
Process for authorisation of an SRE teacher
1. Applicants for SRE teaching need to be deemed suitable by the SRE Coordinator and approved by a Lakes staff member. They should:
a. have a personal faith in Jesus;
b. be actively growing in their faith through regular attendance at church and a Growth Group;
c. understand and have the ability to communicate the basic tenets of the Christian faith;
d. display character traits necessary to engage children and/or teens in lessons from the Bible;
e. be committed to ongoing review, training and development.
2. Submit their Working With Children Check number (including name and date of birth) and have it cleared by the church office.
3. Have completed the Safe Ministry Leader Training at The Lakes within the last three years.
4. Meet with the church SRE Coordinator to cover initial training (Department of Education Code of Conduct, social media policy, child protection, knowledge and age appropriate delivery of the curriculum and use of classroom technology) and a plan to complete yearly ongoing training (up to date child protection, classroom management strategies and implementation of the curriculum).
Process for renewing teacher authorisation
1. The Church SRE Coordinator will confirm that the WWC clearance is still valid.
2. Meet with the Church SRE Coordinator to review their plan for yearly ongoing training.
Complaints process
1. If a parent has a concern or question about SRE they are best to approach their child’s classroom teacher.
2. The classroom teacher will then contact the SRE teacher or Combined SRE Coordinator to discuss the complaint:
a. If the complaint can be easily resolved the classroom teacher will inform the parent of the resolution. The SRE teacher informs The Lakes SRE Coordinator of the complaint and its resolution. If possible this should be done within seven days.
b. If the complaint cannot be easily resolved, the SRE teacher will contact the School Combined SRE Coordinator and The Lakes SRE Coordinator to seek advice. This must be done within 48 hours. It is expected that steps be taken towards resolving the complaint within seven days.
This information is reviewed annually
Last reviewed: May 2024
