In 2016, The Church of England published a vision for education based on John 10:10, with the aim for Church Schools to be ‘Deeply Christian, whilst serving the common good’
Vision For Education pdf download
This vision for education is based on 4 strands:
- Wisdom, knowledge and skills
- Hope and aspiration
- Dignity and respect
- Community and living well together
All of our schools are required to have a distinctively Christian vision that has deep theological roots. It should reflect the Church of England vision for education but most importantly identify and provide for the needs of the community the school stands to serve.
These resources can help support the development and implementation of a distinctively Christian vision:
- A vision theologically underpinned
- Bringing the vision alive – Publications from The Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership
Distinctiveness
‘The enabling of every child to flourish in their potential as a child of God is a sign and expression of the Kingdom and is at the heart of the Church’s distinctive mission’.
(The Church School of the Future review 2012)
Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, said that ‘church schools embody the truth that a context of firm principles suffused by faith and love is the best and right basis for learning and growing’; our mission is to support schools in their desire to nurture and develop their Christian character and to provide the best possible education for every child in their care.
Our schools aim to be both excellent and distinctive, celebrating their Anglican heritage to make them special places of teaching and learning. A truly distinctive church school is built on the centrality of the Christian faith in the life of the school, not as an additional or incidental feature, but as a fundamental and guiding principle. The quality and distinctiveness of all Church of England schools is monitored through regular denominational inspections focusing on the schools’ Christian values and their impact on the education of the children in their care.
Valuing all God’s Children
The Church of England Education office have updated their document “Valuing All Gods Children”. This document is a guide for Church of England schools on challenging homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying. The document is available below: