School News
Global Advocacy at St Margaret’s
Siân Atkins, Assistant Headteacher at St Margaret’s CofE Junior School in Leamington Spa writes:
“You may remember that St Margaret’s CE Junior School is linked to a school in Bo, Sierra Leone. I was lucky enough to visit the school in 2018 and it has stuck with me ever since how many children didn’t have suitable stationery to write with, and two Year 6 girls in particular who spent a Maths lesson sharing the inside cartridge of a biro. We often talk to children about just how lucky we are here in the UK to be so well resourced at school and have taken part in events like ‘Share a Pencil Day‘.
We were recently able to support the pupils in the school by sending some money fundraised by St Margaret’s families to buy a pen and pencil for every child in the school.
One of the teachers sent me this (2 min) video which I thought you might be interested to see. The faces of the children receiving their pens and pencils is heart-warming.”
Congratulations…
Congratulations to Sybil Hanson, who many of you may know as a long standing board member and friend to the DBE. Sybil is one of six people to be honoured with The Coventry Award of Merit for showing dedication and passion to support the city of Coventry and its residents.
Sybil Hanson has spent over 50 years making a significant contribution to education in Coventry, including 25 years in Leadership at Blue Coat CofE School. In her retirement, Sybil has served on the Board of Directors for the Inspire Education Trust, the Diocesan Board of Education, and the Schools Forum. At the age of 85, she continues to play a role in education in Coventry and is hugely valued.
Here is Sybil alongside Lois Whitehouse, CEO of Inspire Education MAT and Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin at the opening of Blue Coat’s latest sixth form building last year.
Headteacher Termly Briefing – Thurs 22 May – Live Event
Please do join us for the Summer Term Heads’ Briefing on Thursday 22 May 14.00-15.30 on Zoom. This is a live event but will also be recorded. The recording will be sent to those who book a place.
A richer encounter with Parables of Jesus – RE Subject Knowledge CPD – Coming up in June
Two sessions- Tues 10 June and Weds 25 June – 16.00-17.00
Live and Recorded. (Community Schools can attend at a cost of £30 and will also receive the recordings).
Session 1 – 10 June
In this CPD session Jen Jenkins will share some helpful teacher subject knowledge around the parables of Jesus that are included in the new Coventry and Warwickshire RE Agreed Syllabus. This will support teachers in understanding the historical-social context of the parables, as well as some important points regarding theology and hermeneutics for anybody teaching these as part of their RE lessons
Session 2 – 25 June
Too often when exploring the parables, primary pupils are directed to a single, incontestable ‘correct’ meaning. In this session Dr Ryan Parker will share principles and an exemplification of a richer, more scholarly approach to teaching the parables which helped students grapple with diverse interpretations of a parable and consider why different people, including themselves, interpret these texts in different ways. This session will give time to consider how we might use these principles to inform high-quality engagement with sacred texts in primary RE.
Ryan Parker is a Diocesan RE adviser, following a number of years in primary and middle school settings. He recently completed a PhD at the University of Birmingham, focussing on knowledge-rich textual enquiry in primary RE. He also hosts the ‘Flourishing Together’ podcast series which has a focus on high-quality RE.
Book here to attend live or just receive the recordings (or both).
For the full Headlines newsletter contact joanne.evans@coventrydbe.org
