Vision, Values and Virtues Church School Leaders 19 th November 2015

What’s the narrative for education? Tony Blair: “Best Economic Policy we’ve got: Education, Education, Education”

What’s the narrative? ● Economic? ● Employability? ● Productivity? ● Potential income? ● Need something broader, richer, deeper

What is our Vision for Education? ● Why? not What? ● Why education and why Church of England education? ● Discuss and feedback

Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham Joining together in the Transforming Mission of God we seek for Church of England Schools and Academies to be: Distinctive Inclusive Effective Rooted

Why are we involved in Education? Education in whole not in part I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly John 10:10 The flourishing of every child. Going for Growth: Every child and young person having a life-enhancing encounter with the Christian faith and the person of Jesus Christ Spiritual, intellectual, physical & emotional well-being – human flourishing

No such thing as ‘neutral’ Our ethos not an ‘add on’ Needs to run through like writing in a stick of rock Transparent about the narrative

Faith and Education Role of religion in society? Role of faith in education? Part of the problem, or a vital part of the solution? Religious literacy Theological enquiry The Christianity Project

Identity Who am I? Why am I here? How then shall I live? How would you answer those questions for yourself? How would you want pupils leaving your school to answer them?

Character Values? Virtues? Not a list of character traits but an unfolding relationship “When we think about our calling as a church, or as a school, or as an individual responding to Christ, we always have to look at the bigger picture. You can’t just tick one narrow set of boxes and think you’re done. God can see through that kind of thing quite easily.” Archbishop Justin

Character Needs to be more than ‘character traits’ and become something embedded in a deep vision about the place of human beings in the world, with the ultimate purpose of expressing an unfolding relationship with God. Knowing what it is to love and be loved. How can you enable this to happen in your school? What gets in the way or prevents it? What is the role of collective worship in developing character in this way?

Coffee and Market Place

Character Formation Flourishing

Why are we involved in Education? The formation of people for the transformation of the world. An education that bears the fruit of transformed lives, (children and young people who know what a life lived well really means), has the power to transform society.

Our Vision for Education 10 Marks of a High Performing DBE A Focus on effectiveness Ofsted and SIAMS But what is high performance?

What do we mean by effectiveness? Danger if focus on effectiveness and performance sees a good education purely in terms of what can be measured by other people’s metrics Need vision for education which promotes the social, moral, spiritual, physical, cultiral and emotional development of children as the underpinning essentials on which strong academic performance is built.

What do we mean by effectiveness? Combine Christian ethos, character and distinctiveness with high standards of achievement Driven by teaching and learning that sees the wider purpose of education as being much more important than those things which can be measured by very limited categories of data.

Promoting the Vision What’s stopping you? What gets in the way or side-tracks? How can you overcome this?

Promoting the Vision ● High stakes accountability system ● Confidence and courage

From Network to Movement 41 4,7001 million 135, ,500 1 million

Context (challenges) ● Increasing withdrawal and fragmentation of support for schools ● A ‘school-led’ system for professional development ● Inequality of access to professional development ● Tightened school budgets

Context (opportunities) ● Strong relationships built within the diocesan family ● Significant existing capacity (Universities and Teaching Schools) ● Digital Innovation ● Changes to the NCTL ● National appetite for a different kind of education

What we propose “Whatever your role in education, if you want your students to truly flourish, you turn first to the Church of England for professional development and support.” What that means in practice: The Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership: ● A vibrant professional learning community ● A suite of world-class training ● Research and thought-leadership on education for flourishing

The Proposal ● Professional Learning Community: ○ National/Regional Conferences ○ Networking Opportunities ○ Highlighted case studies ○ Online platform ● Comprehensive self-evaluation training framework ● Flagship school leadership training programme

Questions: ● What would you want from such a movement? ● How should such a national movement enable and equip you in your role? ● How might current and future leaders be better equipped to promote the Church’s vision for education? ● How should the Foundation ensure its work both enhances school/diocesan relationships and capitalises on the national network?

Comments and Questions