Religious Education

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION THE PURPOSE OF CHURCH SCHOOLS

The syllabus for the teaching of religious education in a Church of ‘ When the National Society was founded in 1811, schools in union England school is determined by the Governors and may vary from with the Society were to provide education in accordance with the school to school. The Southwark Diocesan Board of Education has rites, practices and doctrines of the Church of England. The Trust produced guidance material for the teaching of Christianity, Judaism Deeds of Church of England schools continue to make the same and Islam at Key Stages 1 and 2. Many schools have based their RE requirement’. teaching on these documents, which should be available in your school. Most schools have a multi-faith element in their RE, but in all schools the majority of teaching is about Christianity.

RE of a high quality should be a feature of every church school. THE PURPOSE WORKED OUT IN PRACTICE Good RE teaching and learning involve: ‘The purpose of Church schools is clear, a purpose which should be 1. detailed planning undertaken with the same rigour as other fulfilled in voluntary aided schools and elements of which will be curriculum areas; possible in voluntary controlled schools as well. Fundamentally, all 2. having clear and appropriate objectives which are shared so Church schools should provide a high quality education based on that pupils know what they are doing and why they are doing it; Christian values, enabling pupils to achieve their full God-given 3. well-paced lessons; potential as human beings for the benefit of God’s world. In addition, 4. deploying a range of strategies and activities; Church schools should nurture the children of Christian families in the 5. creating a classroom ethos where pupils feel safe and secure faith of their homes so that it might become for them a living personal and therefore able to share important aspects of their own lives faith. And they should offer children of other faiths and none such a without fear of embarrassment or ridicule; positive experience of Christ in his Body the Church that the faith of 6. celebrating pupils’ successes and achievements; the Christian community might be respected and understood by them. 7. effectively balancing the ‘implicit’ aspects of RE with the By God’s good grace children with no faith background might also find ‘explicit’ aspects; the seeds planted in them growing into a living personal faith’. 8. creating a learning environment which supports the pupils’ learning through effective display work. (Canon John Hall in ‘A Christian Voice in Education: Distinctiveness of Church Schools’) The Diocese is eager to promote and support good practice and the Diocesan RE Adviser is always willing to assist individual teachers, RE co-ordinators, key stage groups of teachers, etc in order that the best provision of RE is available to all pupils.

VARIETY WITHIN CHURCH SCHOOL EDUCATION LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITIES IN THE DIOCESE OF 'There is a wide variety of types of Church schools offering witness to SOUTHWARK Christ through their work with children and parents according to their particular circumstances. Some schools serve a geographically defined community and offer education to all children within the area. Southwark

Other Church schools offer a Church of England education mainly to Lambeth

s s e m ha T r r e iv

the children of parents who can claim membership of the Church of R England. Most Church schools fall somewhere in between these two Greenwich Richmond different positions and it is for each individual school to identify where Wandsworth between these points it is actually placed. Both these two apparently Lewisham opposite approaches to being a Church school have a long tradition Bexley and governors will need to determine the policy for the school in the Merton context of their mission statement. This implies that there will be Kingston many different models for a good Church school and that these will Sutton depend on interaction between the school's theological and Croydon philosophical understanding of its role, and many factors within the community that it serves'.

(David Lankshear in 'Looking for Quality in a Church School')

Surrey A church school will therefore fall somewhere between two ends of (South-east) the spectrum.

1 2 3 4 5 6 serving members serving the of the church local community 92 Primary Schools (including 4 controlled) 91 Primary Schools (including 4 controlled) 15 Secondary schools (including 1 CTC) This will be reflected in a school’s admissions policy. SCHOOLS IN THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK

There are 91 primary schools. There are 15 secondary schools. The Diocese covers 12 local education authorities (see map). CHURCH SCHOOLS: THE NATIONAL PICTURE

Most schools are voluntary aided. Four primary schools, however, 'The Church of England has a substantial stake in the English are ‘controlled’, which means that, unlike aided schools, the educational system, but development has been largely haphazard foundation governors are in the minority and the school follows the and unplanned. The Church of England educates one in eight pupils Agreed Syllabus for RE drawn up by the LA (rather than its own). in maintained schools, more than 900,000 altogether. But there is a Collective worship still must reflect the church status of the school. disparity between provision at primary and secondary level. One primary school in four is Church of England, but only one secondary Two primary schools in Surrey have special units – one for pupils with school in twenty. Only one primary school in ten is voluntary aided physical disabilities and one for pupils with visual impairment. Church of England. Voluntary schools of all kinds represent more than one primary school in three and one secondary school in five. the overwhelming majority of those not provided by the Church of SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE DIOCESAN BOARD England are Roman Catholic, with a few Methodist or Jewish schools, and now two Muslim schools and one Seventh Day Adventist school, 1. The Board operates a service agreement with its schools which with a handful provided by secular trusts'. entitles them to a comprehensive level of support and advice. 2. Officers and advisers give advice on personnel and curriculum (Canon John Hall) issues. 3. The RE Adviser provides training in RE and collective worship. Children in Church of England Schools [1998] 4. Advisers offer support and training on curriculum and teaching issues. 5. Training is made available to governing bodies. Primary: 17.8% 6. Advisers provide support before and, where appropriate, after (758,191) inspection on request. 7. Officers and advisers liaise and collaborate with LAs. Secondary: 4.8% 8. The Board organises opportunities for schools to meet across (145,857) LA boundaries to share practice. 9. The Board organises conferences on topical issues in The Number of Church of England Schools [1998] education. Primary: 4575 schools 24.8%

Secondary: 199 schools 5.6%

APPLICATION FORMS

Application forms can be completed on line. Please visit our website www.southwark.anglican.org/education and click on NQT Pack 2006- 2007

Please email your completed form to [email protected]

Closing date for applications: 23 February 2007 Interview dates: 20 and 21 March 2007

Enclosed advert appearing in the Times Education Supplement on 19 January 2007

If you have any queries, please ring Anne White on 020 7234 9207

Southwark Diocesan Board of Education 48 Union Street London SE1 1TD

ETHOS STATEMENT

The following statement is now included in the Instruments of Government of all voluntary aided Church of England schools:

Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in Partnership with the Church at parish and diocesan level.

The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils. PRACTICAL ISSUES WHAT IS DISTINCTIVE ABOUT CHURCH OF ENGLAND 1. Trustees own the building and usually the site (not the LA - SCHOOLS? Local Authority ). 2. Governors have the financial responsibility for the external THE DEARING REPORT maintenance of the school and its insurance. 3. Foundation (church representing) governors have the majority A review of Church of England schools (2001) chaired by on the governing body and have responsibility for ensuring the Lord Dearing identified the following key features in its report: school’s Christian ethos. 4. Governors have the right to formulate and administer the 1. A Christian headteacher committed to maintaining the Christian admissions policy. character of the school in the curriculum and day-to-day 5. The governors are the employers and may employ a Christian activities. headteacher and staff. 6. The RE and worship are in accordance with the Trust Deed (not 2. Meaningful Christian worship every day. the LA agreed syllabus) and determined by the governors.

3. The observation of major Christian festivals and the marking of HOW DOES THIS IMPACT ON TEACHERS IN CHURCH other faiths’ festivals with integrity. SCHOOLS? 4. The incorporation of Christian values in school life. 1. Induction procedures are the same as in community schools. ‘ Christian values and principles will run through every area of 2. Teachers are employed by the governors and on a governors’ school life as the writing runs through a stick of rock’. contract. 3. Teachers are required to participate in the RE and worship of 5. RE given at least 5% of school time and seen as a particular the school. concern of the headteacher and governors. 4. Teachers are required to support the Church school ethos. 5. Teachers have access to support from the Diocesan Board as 6. Have an active relationship with the parish church. well as the LA. 7. Proclaim that they are church schools on stationery and signs. As part of their induction teachers should become acquainted with the school’s RE and scheme of work and the worship policy. The induction tutor will discuss any particular support that may be helpful or necessary. SOUTHWARK DIOCESAN BOARD OF EDUCATION

NEWLY QUALIFIED TEACHER RECRUITMENT

INFORMATION BOOKLET

2006-2007 Contact: Anne White (020 7234 9207)