Valuing children, parents and faith in our schools

Finding the right school for your child is one of the most difficult choices a parent has to make. Church of England schools are enormously popular, and in many areas there are several children chasing every place. A quick glance at the school league tables gives one indication why – church school often rank among the top schools academically. But this isn’t the only reason so many parents want their children to go to church schools. As the new Director of Education for the diocese, Leslie Stephen, explains, the distinctive ethos which church schools offer is one that puts building nurturing and loving relationships at the top of the curriculum.

YES, the league tables show that church schools have an excellent record, but I don’t want to focus on the league tables. They show only one aspect of our schools. What they can’t show is the value we place on every single child, every single family, regardless of their faith tradition or their background. Nor do they show the value we place on being a central part of the Church’s life.

We have 278 schools in the Diocese. They range from small, rural primary schools, larger urban primaries, through to large secondary schools. Unlike many other faith schools, most of them do not try to limit their intake on the basis of the faith of the parents. Even our aided schools, where the governors set the admissions policy, try to keep a balance between church and community intake. Sadly, because they are so often oversubscribed, choices need to be made. But like the Parish Church, our schools are there for everyone. That is one of the essential facts of Anglican mission; we value everyone, regardless of race, creed or position. That is one of our core values, and we try to ensure that it is a central part of the Christian ethos of our schools.

Our schools are an essential part of the ministry of the Church. We don’t set out to convert people, but we do want to set an example of Christian living. It is much more than the way we teach Religious Education: it is expressed as much in the playground as it is in the classroom. It is about valuing each other, about setting a clear vision matched to each child’s ability, and about surrounding the whole school in love and prayer. The local church has a role to play in praying for its school, its teachers and its students. It can bring all kinds of resources into play, releasing creativity in all sorts of ways. Part of my vision is to increase the number of Church secondary schools in the Diocese. There is huge demand for places that we cannot currently meet, and parents don’t want the Christian ethos to disappear once a child has reached eleven and has to change schools. We need to do more to celebrate the work of our schools – the parish school partnership, the work of governing bodies and the professionalism and commitment of our head teachers and teachers. Many of whom are working in areas where the school provides just about the only framework for stability in many young people’s lives.
We have a great deal to thank God for in our schools. Above all, let’s pray for them, for their children, parents, teachers and governors, asking that they can bring each child, no matter what his or her background, to their fullest potential under God.