School News
Lucy Bosley, Headteacher at Harbury CofE Primary writes about their fantastic ‘Faith and Art Week’:
“During our faith and art week, we focused on the Big Frieze by Artist Emma Yarlett. The purpose of the week was for staff and pupils to become familiar with the eight core concepts of the Big Frieze. Each class took on one of the concepts and our art leader incorporated an artist which each class was to focus on to bring the eight core concepts to life. We also spent lots of time discussing what pupils noticed about the Big Frieze and how we interpreted the drawings, which we acknowledged may be different for different people. Time was spent in RE using drama, poetry, writing and prayers to explore the Big Frieze.
The artists we focused on were:
Creation-Kurt Schwitters and Megan Coyle
The Fall – Svitlana Lee Mark and Paul Cezanne
People of God- L. S Lowry
Incarnation-Henri Matisse and Piet Mondrain
Gospel-Hokusai and Rembrandt – Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee, Monet
Salvation-Georges Seurat (Creator of Pointillism) and Paul Signac
Kingdom of God-Kandinsky and George Seurat. Year one also used Mixed: An Inspiring Story About Colour by Arree Chung.
Each class then worked together to produce a final canvas piece. We were delighted to then have an exhibition for all families to attend.”
Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership – National Conference ‘Growing Faith – Sustaining Hope’
The National Conference took place yesterday in London with a further day for leaders from the Flourishing Trusts Network today. The Archbishop of Canterbury launched the secondary school resource ‘Difference’ which has been piloted in our diocese. The primary resources are expected early next year.
April Gold spoke about Alive 2023 in one of the afternoon workshops showcasing Growing Faith. There were inspiring keynotes from Laura McInerny, founder of TeacherTapp and Krish Kandiah, Author and Broadcaster as well as inspiring primary school worship lead by iSingPOP with local pupils and secondary school pupils from Nottingham.
Launch of the New RE Agreed Syllabus – Monday April 22
You are invited to the launch of the new Coventry and Warwickshire Agreed RE Syllabus on Monday 22 April 2024 – 14.00-17.00
In-person at Coventry Council House or online via Microsoft Teams. The rooms (in-person and online) will open 30 minutes before the start to facilitate networking and will remain open for the same amount of time at the end also.
Complete this form to register your means of attendance.
New Agreed Syllabus Resource List
Following requests for a resource list for the new syllabus, Jen has provided one here.
A request from Jen for mixed-age class teachers…
Jen Jenkins is appealing for teachers with mixed-age classes who are willing to join a remote meeting with her to talk about the implications of this for the new syllabus. If you have staff who would be able to do this, contact Jen on jennifer.jenkins@coventrydbe.org
Do You or Any of Your Colleagues Lead on RE Beyond Your School?
Culham St Gabriel’s are now taking applications for their two year Leadership Scholarship Programme. The aim of the programme is to provide opportunities for emerging Religion and Worldviews leaders to expand and deepen their reflections on educational leadership in the subject, through receiving mentoring, structured challenges, research insights, inspirational networking events, and experience of professional development delivery. Find out more on the Culham website here. Do feel free to pass on the link to colleagues.
Introducing Religion and Worldviews
Dr Tim Hutchings, Associate Professor of Religious Ethics at the University of Nottingham has developed ‘Introducing Religion and Worldviews’ which is a free, accessible video series for primary and secondary teachers of RE who want to find out more about this exciting new approach.
There are eight short videos, each featuring academic experts and real teachers and a helpful infographic.
No Place Like Home – Art and Poetry Competition for Schools
The Sanctuary Foundation has launched an exciting new art and poetry competition that invites all students age 7-18 to reflect on what life is like for the 43.3 million children around the world who are displaced.
Students can create either a piece of artwork or a piece of poetry illustrating their empathy with or experience of being separated from the place they call home. These creations will be judged by a fantastic panel of celebrities, refugees, and journalists with the top 30 entries going on display in The British Library during National Refugee Week (17th-21st June 2024). They will also be featured in a special national online assembly, in the press and elsewhere. The prize ceremony will be at the British Library on World Refugee Day (20th June 2024)
Deadline for submissions: 20th May 2024 (free entry if submitted before 20th March)
Find out more on the Sanctuary Foundation website here.
Free Peace Week Teaching Pack
These free resources from the Quaker Peace Education Team will enable you to deliver a week of peace education in your primary or secondary school.
The Peace Week can be run at any time. It can be an exciting way to start a new term, or a positive way to celebrate the end of the school year. The sessions will help your staff and pupils explore the kind of society you want to live in. You can then develop the attitudes, values and skills needed to create it.
The Peace Week pack includes tools to help you organise:
- lesson plans
- resources
- staff training materials
- tips
Peace Week was created by the Peace Education Programme with help from schools. It is part of Quakers’ ongoing work for peace. You can find this, and other teaching and worship resources related to peace and social justice on their website here.
Last Minute Resources for Children’s Mental Health Week and Empathy Week
Children’s mental health week starts next week, with Empathy Week following shortly from 26 Feb – 1 March. The Children and Young People’s Mental Health coalition have collated some resources which you may find helpful with your plans to support the awareness events or to start vital conversations with children and young people about mental health.
The Learning Team at Forestry England have also got some great resources such as an adaptable tree of life wellbeing activity which provides a handy structure to help young people pause and think about the positive things in their lives. Find this and their other fantastic teaching and wellbeing resources here.
How Can Student Councils Improve School Mental Health and Wellbeing?
As the leaders of their school community, student council members can set the tone for peer interactions. By creating an inclusive environment where all students feel welcome and valued, and that they belong student council members can help create a culture of care and support that extends beyond the classroom. This culture of trust, belonging and connection is the foundation for any approach to mental health you may be developing to support pupils. Check out this (5 min read) article from Worth-it Positive Education to find out more.
‘Fair Begins Here’ – Show Your Heart for Refugees this Valentine’s Day
Together With Refugees has collaborated with Schools of Sanctuary to produce an activity pack specially aimed at schools organising a Valentine’s Day action on 14 February for its ‘Fair Begins Here’ campaign – you can download a campaign toolkit with suggested activities here.
You can find further supporting resources from City of Sanctuary here.
Vacancy for Your Parents’ Newsletter…
Growing Faith Families Worker – Coventry All Saints
Coventry All Saints are keen to recruit a Growing Faith Families Worker to enable and facilitate the growth of faith in young parents, their children and young people, to have life-enhancing encounters with Jesus. You would be building on the excellent relationships our church has in this parish through services, outreach events, groups, local schools and community organisations.
Up to £13,000 gross per annum for 20 hours per week + pension (including some evening and weekend work, three-year position).
For an informal conversation about this role please contact Rev Pam Howell on 07413391870. To find out more and apply see the Diocesan website: https://www.coventry.anglican.org/current-vacancies.php
Closing date for applications 5pm on Tuesday 12 March 2024 with interviews to be held shortly after Easter 2024 with the position to begin as soon as the successful candidate is available.
Wellbeing – ‘The Rule of Life’
One thing that many people find beneficial to leading a healthy life is developing their own ‘Rule of Life’. The idea of a Rule of Life developed in Christian monastic communities, the most famous of which is the Benedictine community which date from the 6th century. St Benedict described a Rule of Life as “a handbook to make the very radical demands of the gospel a practical reality in daily life.”
Bishop John Stroyan, former Bishop of Warwick, commended developing a Rule of Life – “The discipline of a Rule of Life, freely chosen, can help us in our relationship with God, with ourselves and with others and be an important anchor in our Christian life and discipleship. There are a few parishes in the diocese where a Rule of Life has become an integral dimension of the corporate life of the people and a foundation for the ministry and mission of the church. In addition to this, there are many individuals who observe a Rule of Life, a number of whom are oblates or tertiaries of Christian monastic or missional communities.”
The Revd Craig Groocock, Vicar of St Andrew’s, Shottery, has had a lot of experience in developing Rules of Life. He has written a short paper entitled ‘Developing your own Rule of Life’ which is designed to help people design a Rule of Life that works for them. You can view it here.
Alive 2023 Legacy Fund
Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership New Programme – ‘Leadership for Renewal’
Headteacher Update Podcast: A School Leadership Survival Guide
Free Tree Top Trumps from Forestry England
Jaz Ampaw-Farr – a 60 Second Short on Imposter Syndrome
A Prayer for Holocaust Memorial Day – Saturday 27 January 
Don’t Forget to Book Your FREE iSingPOP Event 
Thrive Training with The Stour Federation Trust 
New FREE Assembly Pack for Children’s Mental Health Week
New Resource for Effective Targeted Mental Wellbeing Support in your School 
Getting Ready for Shakespeare Week March 2024
Courageous Advocacy – The Goals Project
Empowering All to Succeed
We are excited to share with you our Diocesan Partnership with iSingPOP for 2024 to make sure we are Stayin’ Alive in 2024!
The Stour Federation MAT will be running two NPQ qualifications in association with The Church of England. The cohort will start in the spring.
Picture News – 4-week trial for 2024!
n recent years, the impact of mental health difficulties and trauma on our children and young people has been highlighted as never before – bringing into focus the critical need for churches to be informed about the sorts of trauma that impede children from flourishing. For some, trauma has resulted from their earliest childhood experiences, others have been impacted by a singular traumatic incident; we also know that for a large number of children, challenges such as COVID19 and other personal, local, national and international situations have heavily impacted upon their wellbeing, through isolation, instability and bereavement.
AYLA Free Online Information Sessions 
Lindsay Eardley, Headteacher of St. Paul’s CofE Primary in Nuneaton writes:
Their free and confidential helpline is there for you throughout the Christmas break. And they have resources to prioritise your wellbeing and mental health available on their 
See on the Postive News website 
Revelation 21:1-5 
The children at Barford St Peter’s CofE Primary have all written prayers of peace which now decorate the school Christmas tree. Their Christingle service last week at St. Peter’s church raised money for the Children’s society.
Advent Prayer Stations 
‘Growing Faith, Sustaining Hope’ – CEFEL National Conference – 1 February 2024 – Still Time to Book
Understanding Christianity CPD Available in January from RE Today
Religion and Worldviews Leadership Scholarship Programme with Culham St Gabriel’s 
Free New Year Staff Wellbeing Workshop 
For Your Parents’ Newsletter – Supporting Children’s Wellbeing over the Christmas Holiday
It’s funny to be talking about the January blues when we are still this side of all the Christmas excitement and anticipation. But in 4 weeks’ time it will all be over for another year, so have you considered a 
The festive season is usually associated with joy, happiness and celebration, but for some it may not always be a positive time. The shorter days, colder temperatures and the pressures associated with this time of year can negatively impact our wellbeing, and it can be easy to forget to look after ourselves. 
Christmas is a wonderful time to encourage children to think about what they can do to spread kindness. Thinking of others not only helps to take the focus off material goods, but it will also bring the child a great deal of joy as well! Kindness benefits everyone – the giver and receiver. 52 Lives School of Kindness have a range of 
The UK Trauma Council have just published new free evidence-based resources to help children and young people affected by war, migration and asylum. There are also resources for the professionals supporting them in both educational and community settings. The resources have been co-produced with young people with lived experience of seeking asylum and those who support them. 
As a celebration of the diversity of the church in the UK, the Bible Society have published a special Christmas book called ‘Festive Fred Finds the Greatest Gift of All’ written by Dai Woolridge and illustrated by Patrick Laurent. They have published it in the following languages: English, Welsh, Ukrainian, Russian, Chinese (simplified) and Chinese (traditional) which means that the Navity can be shared even more widely than before. Do ask your church if they are also using this book in their children’s ministry and you can watch a delightful 10 min reading the book (in English) on the 
‘Tales from the Miracle Book’ is a collection of fun and engaging short films, collective worship or lesson plans designed to bring Bible stories and their meanings to life in a fun and unforgettable way. Accredited by Understanding Christianity and perfect for SIAMS, Tales From The Miracle Book enables theology to be easily taught by non-specialist staff. It is ideal for for the teaching of RE and PSHE in Primary Schools. Their Christmas book ‘Angel’s Delight’ was Amazon Christian Fantasy #1 last December and the Audio Recording of it was short-listed along side BBC programmes by the Sandford St Martin’s awards for Religious and Ethical Broadcasting children’s category. 
experience of Scripture. Many of the activities and illustrations, and even the cover design, were chosen with the input of children. It is accessible for all children and designed to be used by 7–11-year-olds in faith schools across the country. Bev Smith, the Head of Schools Work at Christian online resource site RE:QUEST, worked to make the interactions in the Bible complementary to children’s home lives as well as their educational environments. ‘We wanted it to work for a child connecting with God by themselves at home and when learning in school,’ she said. It is even accessible even for children without faith backgrounds. With articles that answer questions like, ‘Who is the Holy Spirit?’ and ‘What’s the meaning of Christmas?’ it’s an invitation for all young people to discover the truth of the gospel. You can download some sample pages from the Good News Bible – Children’s Rainbow Edition, hear more of what the pupils and others thought, and get a copy for yourself at the 
SAPERE is the Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education, The UK’s national charity for Philosophy for Children (P4C). Watch this great 4 minute film as Stephen Fry honours the work of SAPERE and champions the immense need for philosophical enquiry in the classroom — and in society at large.
Learn about COP28, where leaders discuss important ways to tackle climate change. Perfect for ages 3-11, 
Top Education Books to Put on Your Christmas List This Year
Tips for a Greener Christmas