11th October 2024
School News
Diocesan Director of Education, Revd April Gold, visited St Oswald’s CofE Primary Academy in Rugby to open the school’s new prayer garden. The weather meant that the ceremony happened indoors, with pictures of the prayer garden as a backdrop, but the ribbon was duly cut!
The prayer garden has been a collaborative project between St Oswald’s church and school and consists of eleven interactive prayer stations. Children can explore issues including forgiveness, love, thankfulness, trust, and the beauty of creation in a peaceful wooded area of the school grounds.
Project leader, Revd Jane Hulme, said, “Our hope for the prayer garden is that children will enjoy exploring the activities and encounter God as they do so.”
Book Now with Your Parish Partner for the DBE’s Upcoming Conference- Journeying Together for Inclusion – ‘The Last will be First’
Join us at Ardencote Hotel on Thursday, 14th November 9.15am – 2.30pm for a day of inspiration and joint working/visioning with your parish partners.
- How can school and parish work together to enhance community, belonging and inclusion?
- How might resources be shared to the benefit of both communities?
- How can we make sure everyone feels included and that they are valued in our communities?
- How can churches meaningfully and generously support their church school for ‘life in all its fullness’?
- How can schools lean into church support in innovative ways you may have not tried or thought about previously?
Speakers include:
- Sir John Timpson – Keynote on the Timpson approach to ‘Upside Down Management’.
- Elizabeth Olulari – Church of England Education Racial Justice Lead, discussing ‘Cultural Competency, Sensitivity & Humility’.
- Anna Shaw – CPAS, faciliting joint working on ‘Journeying Together – Power in Community’.
- The Bishop of Coventry – Leading us in worship and reflection.
Flourishing for All: Anti-Bullying Guidance (2024)
Following the consultation on a draft publication in July 2024, Flourishing for All has been updated and this final version of the document is the new recommended guidance for Church of England schools.
Please find the guidance here: Anti-bullying guidance for Church of England schools | The Church of England
Parts C to G will follow over the course of the next year. These parts will address bullying on the basis of: race, SEND, faith and belief, sexism and socio-economic disadvantage.
Leaders and governors need to be aware of this as it forms part of the responsibilites for dignity and respect in the life of church schools and in the impact of this will be inspected as part of the SIAMS framework.
Spirituality Short – Recording and Resources Now Available
Jen Jenkins started the first of the ‘Spritiuality Shorts’ this week. These are one-hour sessions designed to support you in embedding a holistic and authentic whole school approach to spiritual development.
This session introduced two models for spirituality and explored how to link these with your vision and to consider how the curriculum offers opportunities for spiritual development.
You can find the recording, slides and accompanying resources on the DBE website resources page under course resources. Access them with passcode you have alredy been given.
If you wish to book a place for the upcoming sessions click here.
For the full Headlines newsletter contact joanne.evans@coventrydbe.org