The Diocese of Southwark

THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK Director of Education

Information for Applicants

The Diocese

The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 43 Dioceses of the Church of England. It is a large, complex diocese comprising inner and greater London south of the Thames together with the eastern third of the County of Surrey. It has over 300 parishes with nearly 400 churches, served by 500 clergy ministering to approximately 2,200,000 people. It is one of the largest dioceses in terms of population and parishes and one of the most diverse. Approximately one third of its parishes qualify as Urban Priority Areas (i.e. in the most deprived 10% of parishes in England) mainly in a crescent from Deptford through Peckham, Camberwell, Brixton and Clapham to Battersea, although there are some in the Croydon area. One half of its parishes are suburban, ranging from Woolwich and Lewisham to Wimbledon, Surbiton and Purley. The remaining sixth of parishes may be described as rural but include some of the most affluent 'stockbroker belt' in England.

The Bishop of Southwark, in overall charge of the Diocese, is based at Bishop's House in Streatham. The Diocese has three Boards: Finance, Education and Church in Society. For most parochial matters the Diocese operates as three Episcopal Areas. The Kingston and Croydon Areas have Episcopal Area Offices, the Woolwich Area at present operates from Trinity House, a pleasant modern office building just off Borough High Street within a quarter of a mile of Southwark Cathedral. Trinity House is the Diocesan Office where most of the administrative staff of the Diocese are based. Each Area Bishop is supported by an Area Mission Team, at present two Archdeacons and two full time equivalent staff per area, each of whom has specialist expertise in one of the areas of responsibility of the Board for Church in Society.

The Board of Education

As stated above the Diocese of Southwark serves both urban and rural communities reflecting a rich cultural and religious diversity. The Church of England currently has 93 primary schools, 88 of which are voluntary aided (VA) and one foundation school. There are 14 secondary schools, all of which are VA except the City Technology College, which has a Church of England foundation. The office works with 12 local education authorities (LEAs) within the diocesan boundaries (See map).

The Board of Education supports the development of educational provision in the church schools of the Diocese and to seeks to expand that provision where appropriate. It seeks to establish partnerships with education providers and to have active involvement with the opportunities created through the London Challenge etc. It has particular responsibilities in the area of religious education and collective worship, the development of school buildings and the promotion of the Christian distinctiveness of its schools. In order to fulfil these roles effectively the Board receives an annual grant from the Diocese, complemented by direct subscriptions from its schools. The Board is both a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It therefore has to present an annual report to its members on the work of the Board and its use of funds.

The Board is made up of members representing a wide range of Diocesan organisations, including representatives from each Deanery Synod. There is one appointee from each of the Board’s three committees (Schools, Finance and General Purposes, Further and Higher Education) as well as the Chairs of these committees. The three major committees are each serviced by the officers and advisers of the Board. The Schools Committee has a significant representation from headteachers of Diocesan schools.

SOUTHWARK DIOCESAN BOARD OF EDUCATION'S MISSION STATEMENT

SUPPORTING CHRISTIAN EDUCATION BY:

 Providing professional, expert advice and assistance to support schools, colleges and universities in their endeavours to promote education and an understanding of the Christian gospel;  Promoting equal opportunities, valuing cultural diversity and addressing racism;  Working in partnership with LEAs, parishes and organisations at diocesan, national and international levels.