Schools Bulletin No
7 15th December 2004
December 15th 2004 Contents:
* New Inter-Church VA School at Cambourne
* Education Sunday 23rd January 2005
* Diocesan Website
* Ely Ensign
* Section 23 Inspection Framework
* National RE Framework
* Links with Vellore
* Instruments of Government
* 2005 Headteachers' Conference
New Inter-Church VA School at Cambourne
We are delighted to announce that on Friday 10th December, Cambridgeshire's Schools
Organisation Committee approved the establishment of the 83rd church school in
the Diocese of Ely. 'The Vine Inter-Church Primary School" will be the neighbourhood
school for the establishing community of Upper Cambourne and will open in September
2005. Initially it will offer 120 places: with 210 planned for Sept 2006 and 420
for Sept 2007. The school is also the first collaborative project in the diocese
between the Church of England and Methodist church. The Temporary Governing Body
will be advertising for the headship early in the New Year.
Education Sunday 23rd January
- "Teaching as Vocation" Ely Cathedral 3.45pm
You are warmly invited to Ely Cathedral for a special service of Choral Evensong
in Celebration and Thanksgiving for all who Teach and Work in Education to mark
Education Sunday this year. Invitations have been sent to every parish and school
and we will welcome as our Preacher, Anthea Kenna who is headteacher of St Anne's
CE Primary school, Godmanchester.
- Local Celebrations
Many parishes like to mark Education Sunday in collaboration with their local
schools and especially their Church School. It provides a great opportunity for
school and church community to come together for worship and celebration. Every
parish has been sent a copy of worship planning material using this year's theme:
"A More Excellent Way". You can download copies of the material from
http://www.natsoc.org.uk/parishes/education_sunday.php.
Diocesan Website
The Schools Team have recently made new arrangements for updating the diocesan
website more frequently than was previously possible. In particular there is now
updated material on:
- Collective Worship and teaching Christian Festivals
- R.E. Liaison Groups - teaching about the Church
From the end of January there will also be:
- Booking details for the October 2005 Cathedral Schools Days (Music Festival)
- Information about Vellore schools helped by Bishop Anthony's Harvest Appeal
http://www.ely.anglican.org/education/schools.
Ely Ensign
Hard copies of Ely Ensign are now sent to school each term when it carries the
education supplement 'RED Ensign. Ensign is a very good way to keep in touch with
the life of the diocese and its churches and a school could consider a direct
monthly subscription or obtaining a number of copies via the parish: speak to
your priest or foundation governors.
Ensign is also an excellent way of spreading news about church schools widely
across the parishes of the diocese and the Editor is always delighted to receive
news and photographs for inclusion any month. The editor, Canon Owen Spencer-Thomas,
can be contacted on 01223 358448 or by e-mail at owenst@btinternet.com.
The News deadline for the March edition (which will be the Easter edition) is
7th February.
Section 23 Framework
The new inspection framework has been launched by the National Society and is
being piloted across England and Wales this academic year. This Inspection Framework
covers the same areas of church school distinctiveness as the previous one, but
in a way which will be more evaluative than previously. Work is also progressing
to incorporate a church school element in the single online Self Evaluation Form
and to develop a means to integrate the revised S23 inspection with the forthcoming
changes to Ofsted procedures.
In Ely Diocese we are continuing to inspecting under the old framework for this
academic year, whilst also running several simultaneous 'shadow' inspections using
the new framework. This will allow the monitoring group to place the two styles
of report side by side, and evaluate of the new framework.
It is the intention of the National Society to launch the new framework in September
2005.
National RE Framework
Some worried RE co-ordinators have been asking “What should I be doing about
the National Framework for RE?” The answer is “Nothing!”
The Framework has been launched by QCA and has been widely welcomed, but is not
to be sent directly to schools. It is designed to support the work of LEAs producing
Agreed Syllabuses, and schools will see its effects only when the county syllabus
is next reviewed. The Norfolk Syllabus is currently being reviewed, and the working
group is making good use of the national materials.
Links with Vellore
Bishop Anthony has asked that the 2005 Diocesan Lent Appeal will be used to raise
funding to assist church sponsored medical facilities in Vellore Diocese. We shall
be producing Lent materials for schools to support this appeal and these will
be with you next term. The church runs a number of projects particularly for children,
such as a cerebral palsy home, eye camps, and much under-funded premature baby
units, and we hope that schools will feel able to remember these needs when undertaking
Lent and Easter activities. In addition you will already have received a letter
regarding an emergency appeal for help towards re-roofing church schools in the
diocese. This is to prevent the schools from having to close due to new regulations
following a fatal fire.
It is important to stress, however, that our Vellore link is not just about raising
money! The bonds of friendship and commitment to learn from each other are at
the heart of the link and we encourage you to use freely the materials and resources
from Vellore as you find most helpful. A group, led by Bishop John and including
Dr Shirley Hall, next visits Vellore in the New Year and will be returning with
more news and resources.
Instruments of Government
Chairs of Governors and Clerks should read carefully the attached Updated Advice:
December 2004 on New Arrangements for the Constitution of Governing Bodies. The
document may apply to your school even though a new Instrument may have been recently
agreed. It looks likely that some technical amendments may be necessary in the
New Year arising from changes to the names of Archdeaconries and the need to incorporate
a clause making possible the removal of an ex-officio governor. Schools affected
by this will be contacted by their LEA in the New Year and it will not be necessary
for governing bodies to undertake a major re-consideration of the whole matter.
Headteachers’ Conference 2005
The Bishop of Ely will be a speaker at the 2005 Conference and full details of
other speakers and theme will be sent in the Spring. However, headteachers may
want now to pencil the Conference in their diaries. It will be held on Tuesday
14th June 2005 in Ely.
THE SCHOOLS TEAM SEND YOU BEST WISHES FOR THE
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR SEASON!!