SCHOOL LINKS WITH CHURCH CHURCH LINKS WITH SCHOOL Working Together as School and Parish Lizzie Whitbread, Adviser for Work with Young People

THE CHALLENGE: To creatively offer children and young people encounters with the Christian faith and the person of Jesus Christ Going for Growth

Pray A vision that every school in the UK is a prayed-for school!

Foundation Governors A Christian presence on the governing body Ensure that the school's ethos, distinctiveness and effectiveness as a Church School is maintained and developed Monitor collective worship

Curriculum Visits Church visits could be linked to Art, History, DT, Community Studies as well as RE

Using the Church for Worship, Celebrations and Concerts Leavers service Festivals End of Term Services The Reception class could join an under 5’s service Music Concerts Staff, Governor and PCC Eucharist

An imaginative approach to help children experience the Easter Story 6 easy to assemble interactive stations in different parts of the church, Everything you need to know is included. Invite classes from your local schools to take part Are there other opportunities at Pentecost, Harvest or Christmas Easter Experience

Let the Children Come children-come Explores eight of the UNCRC articles from a Christian perspective Detailed instructions and pictures to help you set up the eight stations Based on Jesus’ teachings and links well to RE, values and citizenship education

Church Goes to School Collective Worship: Present the beliefs of the Christian faith Relate those beliefs to the children’s own experiences Stimulus for reflection and opportunity for a response Encourage your local church to look at training for and providing Open the Book to deliver Bible Stories in an engaging way to your school

Other Ideas for Collective Worship The Year in Colour Rachel Nicholls Bible Storybags

Church Goes to School Volunteers from the Church: Listen to children read Help on school trips Help at or run a lunchtime or afterschool club Make costumes for a school play Help the school to make a banner or altar frontal that can be used in both the church and school Offer other skills from your congregation eg Gardening, craft etc Course on Running After School and Lunch time Clubs 20 th September 1-4 pm venue tbc

Church Goes to School Other Ideas Support Staff – occasionally provide cakes for the staff room, send or even better drop off congratulation cards after particular events or good inspections etc Provide a box of artefacts for the school Buy books with a Christian theme for the library Buy starter and Leavers books e.g. ‘Get Ready Go’ and ‘It’s Your Move’ from Scripture Union Help to develop a link between the school and the Sudan as part of the link that the diocese has with the Sudan Produce a newsletter about what is going on in the church for children, young people and families and send this out through the school

What can you do? Spend a few moments quietly offering this to God. Reflection and Action