Easter Message from Revd April Gold, Diocesan Director of EducationDear friends, I hope this finds you well and enjoying the longer days of Eastertide. I’m sure it’s been a busy time with Easter services, activities, and excited children and staff looking forward to a well-deserved break. In our weekly huddle, the DBE team reflected on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18, which I believe encapsulates our shared vision as Christian communities in today’s world:
I’ve been re-reading Stephen Covey’s ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ to remind me of his concept of the circle of concern. Covey encourages us to focus on what we can control, and let go of what we can’t. Before you head off for Easter, consider making a list of your worries and sorting them into “circles” of control and influence. Trust that what’s outside your circle will be inside another’s leaving them in God’s hands through prayer. Leave your list of what you can do to equip the next generation for their future roles in the world at school knowing that it will be there neatly curated when you have recharged. I wish you a joyful and restful Easter, with many prayers and blessings, April.
Message to the Diocese from Bishop Sophie Read it on the Diocesan website here.
iSingPOP – Summer Term Classroom Worship The iSingPOP summer term classroom worship episodes were emailed to Heads and RE leads yesterday. Do let us know if you need it again.
Recently Recorded CPD Now Available on the DBE Website Introductition to SIAMS part 1 and 2 Spirituality Short Part 4 – Nature and the World Spirituality Short Part 5 – God and Beyond Find them on resources page of the DBE website and accessible with the usual password. Your governors should also have received information about eight short (10 mins) CPD recordings they can access called ‘Governor Bites’. They are:
They can be found on the resources section of DBE website under governance.
Message from Jen Jenkins… We are saddened to share the passing of Dawn Cox. Dawn was a shining light in the RE world and will be very much missed by all who champion the subject, as well as count her as a friend and beloved colleague. Dawn’s work is peppered through the local RE syllabus, most noticeably in her DIALOG model for looking at sacred texts and her use of the magnifying glass when exploring personal worldviews. We are grateful for her generosity of spirit in sharing her RE resources with us. Thoughts and prayers are with Dawn’s partner Roy and her whole family at this sad time. Read a further memorial to Dawn on the Culham St Gabrilel’s website here
For the full Headlines newsleter contact joanne.evans@coventrydbe.org
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Month: April 2025
This week, I had the chance to sing the “World Changers” song with the children of St Gabriel’s CofE Academy as part of their iSingPOP Easter project. It reminded me that changing the world starts with helping our young people think beyond themselves and work together for the common good. As I visit schools and read SIAMS and OFSTED reports, I’m inspired by the passion of our school communities to both help children succeed academically and prepare them to be part of a generation of World Changers.Headlines – 04.04.25
School News
Laura Newell, Headteacher at St Nicholas CofE Primary, Alcester writes:
“We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our school has been awarded the Platinum OPAL Award for outstanding play opportunities! Putting us in the top 2% of the country!
This incredible achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our staff, children and wider school community. Through teamwork and commitment, we have transformed playtimes, ensuring our children enjoy high-quality, inclusive, and imaginative play every day.”
Spring Term Pupil Voice – What Pupils Told Us…
A big thank you to the schools that contributed to the DBE pupil voice exercise using the easy ‘smart school council’ link. Back in January the DBE asked the question:
The Bible says Jesus came to give us ‘life in all its fullness’ – what does ‘living your best life’ mean to you?
These were the voting results from both primary and secondary groups:
- Being rich and famous – 0 votes
- Health and happiness – 3 votes
- Having nice family, friends and pets – 5 votes
- Having God in your life – 9 votes – the winning vote
- Being happy with who you are – 5 votes
Additional longer answers from pupil groups were:
For RE Leads…
A Good News Story for RE and the New Syllabus!
Jen Jenkins writes, “I love this email I received from an RE lead in one of our schools on Monday. There was a child in Year 6 that was poorly and was sent home just before lunch (something unheard of at this time of year – as I’m sure you know!) just after lunch his teacher was surprised to see that he had insisted that he return to school after having some calpol because he ‘couldn’t miss RE’ that afternoon!”
Response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report on RE
Jen Jenkins has written a reflective response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report in terms of Religious Education and the very recent implementation of the new Religion and Worldviews syllabus.
Mapping Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills in your RE Curriculum
You may have noticed Jen mentioned a new set of resources to help you in mapping disciplinary knowledge and skills as pupils develop these throughout the syllabus. The resources are designed to help you with assessment. There is an overview plus the mapping document, as well as a template for creating unit overviews for units in your RE curriculum (plus an example). We hope you find these helpful.
You can find both of these items on the resources section of the DBE website under ‘New Agreed Syllabus – CofE School Specific’ with the usual password
For the full Headlines newsletter contact joanne.evans@coventrydbe.org