Paul Dunning, Diocesan Director of Education tells us more:
All our 108 Church of England schools were invited to put forward someone who had enabled others to live ‘life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10) and thereby demonstrated our Diocesan vision, Transformed by Christ: prayerful, pastoral, prophetic. We received a breadth of nominations covering teaching and support staff, governors, children, and adults.
Bishop Graham presented the certificates and was delighted to hear about the wonderful acts of service being lived out daily in our church schools. Examples include:
- A 10-year-old pupil who is always on hand to help with anything that is needed, helps with breakfast, lunchtime and after-school clubs, going above and beyond helping his peers
- A pupil who ‘is a ray of sunshine that never fails to bring joy to everyone in the school’ embodying the school’s values of kindness, honesty and respect
- A pupil who is a young carer for her big sister who has complex needs, and is also an incredibly kind big sister to her little brother who is at nursery
- A member of support staff who has created an allotment on the school grounds for the children and runs gardening clubs in her own time to allow children to see the awe and wonder of new life growing
- A pastoral manager supporting an NHS pilot scheme to help parents support their children who have worries and anxieties, and also enabling placements at school for trainee Occupational Therapists and Educational Psychologist
- A member of teaching staff enabling the school to raise £3,000 for Ukrainian refugees by embarking on a running project where pupils and staff ran every day for 26 days
- A member of support staff who for 15 years has been a life coach/mentor to vulnerable children at risk of exclusion or crime, supporting their well-being and aspirations
- A governor who helped secure a Nursery that has grown to 26 pupils in one year and is ensuring that pupils have an excellent start in a rural location.
Nominees and their guests enjoyed a lovely lunch in the Bishop’s garden and valued this opportunity to come together to celebrate all that is good in our church schools.
We were also able to celebrate the success of the recipient of the Bishop Norwich’s new bursary to support a UKME trainee teacher through their PGCE studies (Postgraduate Certificate in Education). Millie Lamai studied at the UEA and completed one of her placements at Worstead VA Church of England primary school. She has secured fulltime employment at a primary school in North Walsham and was able to tell us of the benefit the bursary was to her. Millie is in the pictures talking to the children.