Headteachers’ and
Governors’ Newsletter
www.southwell.anglican.org
Autumn Term 2015
From the Diocesan
Director of Education
I
hope that the summer holiday gave you all a chance for
good rest and refreshment . Since I wrote at the beginning of
last term we have had a change of government and we are
now clearer about the direction of travel in terms of education
policy. It is clear that we will be continuing to operate in a
rapidly changing educational landscape, that levels of
accountability will continue to rise and also that the levels of
resourcing are unlikely to increase. Such a climate is
undoubtedly challenging.
For us as leaders, to operate within these changing landscapes
requires firm foundations of hope. Certainly, the children and
young people in our schools need access to hope if they are to be
capable of dealing with all the changing pressures of the modern
world. Hope should not be just a synonym for optimism. Whilst,
optimism is about confident expectation that things will turn
out alright in the end and can see you through many leadership
situations, hope is what is required in the more challenging times
of severe organizational difficulties, acute personnel problems
or school tragedies.
Hope is linked to our personal spirituality which helps sustain
our leadership. It stands on faith and is intertwined with moral
values. It carries with it a commitment to action. As leaders of
church schools we stand on foundations of faith based on the
hope which comes from Christ’s cross and resurrection. It can
offer us assurance that we will not be put to the test beyond our
capacity to bear. It gives us the resilience to maintain a vision of
hope in a better future as well as strength to cope with present
pressures.
I pray that your leadership will be infused with this hope over
the coming term. Do remember that the diocesan education team
are here to support you and will be praying for your school in
the term ahead.
Claire Meese
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order
that you may know the hope to which he has called you……and
his incomparably great power for us who believe..
Eph. 1 v 18
Staffing Update
This term we welcome three
new headteachers.: Derek
Hobbs as Principal of
Nottingham Emmanuel
School, Amanda Williams
as Headteacher at Skegby St
Andrew’s Primary School
and Dan Goddard as
Headteacher at Trowell
Church of England Primary
School. We wish them all
well in their new roles.
New member of
the Diocesan
Education Team
We welcome Samantha
Dennis, as our new Deputy
Director (Schools).
Sam replaces Liz Youngman.
Her main role is to oversee
our training offer, coordinate school improvement
and work directly with
schools causing concern.
She will be keen to visit and
build relationships with
headteachers and deliver
support as part of our Service
Level Agreement.
Samantha.dennis@
southwell.anglican.org
Tel;: 01636 817247
Headteachers’ and Governors Newsletter
School Admissions
S
chools who are their own admissions authorities, i.e. VA
schools and single trust academies, are reminded that
they must consult on any changes to their admissions
arrangements (including supplementary information forms) that
apply to the admission year September 2017. The consultation
period has now changed from a minimum of 8 weeks to a
minimum of 6 weeks. The consultation must take place
between 1st October 2015 and 31st January 2016. We remind
you that the diocese must be consulted as your religious
authority and regard must be taken of our advice.
Please send any proposed changes to Sheila Barker Assistant
Director (Schools) [email protected] for
checking before sending out for further consultation. Please
ensure that you build in sufficient time for Diocesan scrutiny.
Schools are required to consult at least once every seven years,
even if there have been no changes. (Where schools do not
intend to change their arrangements, we still require them to be
sent to the diocese annually for information, also letting us know
the year of the last consultation undertaken). Please also note
that you MUST publish a copy of your full proposed admissions
arrangements – including the proposed PAN – on your website
throughout the consultation period, together with details of the
person at the school/academy to whom comments may be sent
and the areas on which comments are sought. For details of who
to consult with, please see page 18 of the admissions code
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions
-code--2
All admissions authorities must determine their
arrangements by 28th February 2016, so please have regard to
this date and the processes to go through if changes are being
made, so that you can meet the required timetable.
Where schools are members of multi academy trusts (including
the diocesan MAT), the MAT is your admissions authority. If
governors feel that changes would be beneficial, they should
contact the MAT, giving sufficient time for the Board to meet to
discuss and organise consultation if necessary.
The diocese is the religious authority for all church schools and
academies in the diocese so should always be consulted about
any proposed changes, and regard should be taken of our advice.
Similarly, in the very few instances where VC schools do not
simply adopt the LA admissions criteria but have religious
affiliation in their policies, we need to be consulted on changes
and sent copies of determined arrangements.
Contact Sheila on 01636 817235 if you have further queries.
Autumn Term 2015
Admissions
appeals panels
We will be organising a
training day for new appeals
panel members & update
training for current appeals
panel members next year.
We are always looking out
for new volunteers to serve
on admissions panels, so
please ask around your
schools and governing
bodies for anyone who may
be interested in doing this
work. Please forward any
names and contact emails to
Sheila
sheila.barker@southwell.
anglican.org
Calling all Retford
schools
The Retford Centre for
Freedom of Religion offers
tailored one day courses for
younger or older primary or
secondary school groups
focused on religious
tolerance and freedom.
Their aim is to help young
people understand how the
Christian Church contains
many different ‘traditions’
who respect and work with
each other, and to understand
how they should respect and
tolerate others with whom
they may not agree on
everything. Activities link
very clearly to some of our
key national priorities in
SMSC and ‘British values’
as well as RE, history etc.
For more information contact
mail@pilgrimsandprophets.
co.uk
Tel: +44(0)7586732462
Headteachers’ and Governors Newsletter
Bishop Paul’s Inauguration and
Enthronement
S
aturday 27th June saw our new Bishop, The Right Revd
Paul Williams enthroned in Southwell Minster.
At the beginning of the service,
Bishop Paul walked to the west
door of the Minster, accompanied
by children from the local schools
and, as tradition dictates, knocked
three times to be admitted.
As he was welcomed into the
Minster, the children shouted out “Bishop Paul in the name of
the Lord, we welcome you” before leading him along the nave.
As the moment of enthronement
approached, pupils from the
Minster School handed the
Ridding Cope and Mitre to the
Bishop.
The service also featured
musicians Nick and Becky Drake
working with a combined choir of students from most of our
secondary schools, which was co-ordinated by Andy Wolfe of
Nottingham Emmanuel School .
Bishop Paul said “The sense of praise in worship was truly
inspiring and a special encouragement to me as I set out on this
new adventure as Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham. We’ve
received so many messages over the past week or so
expressing appreciation of the ‘youth choir’ – you really were
brilliant!”
Autumn Term 2015
Foundation
Governor
Vacancies
As part of the recent
reconstitution process we
have changed our procedures
for the appointment of
foundation governors. Just a
reminder that all those
nominated for foundation
governor vacancies (new
appointments or
reappointments) must
complete a form detailing
their skills, experience and
willingness to uphold the
Christian foundation of the
school. The Chair of
Governors, or training
governor, is also required to
provide information about
the skill sets currently
required on the governing
body following the latest
skills audit. These should be
updated regularly.
Our Foundation Governor
application form and our
Church School Governing
Body Skills Audit are
available at http://
southwell.anglican.org/
education/schoolsacademies/
governance-buildings/
Please also remember that
the first governing body
meeting of the new academic
year is a good opportunity to
revisit your governing body
code of conduct and ensure
that it is agreed by all
members. A copy of the
code of conduct for church
school governing bodies in
this diocese is also available
to download from our
website http://
southwell.anglican.org/
education/schoolsacademies/
governance-buildings/
Headteachers’ and Governors’ Newsletter
Dates for the Diary
At Jubilee House unless
indicated otherwise.
SEPTEMBER
16 Headteacher Induction
0930-1230
16 Deputy Headteacher
Induction
1300-1600
24 New to Working in Church
Schools aimed at NQTs and
those new to Church schools
0930-1530
29 Implementing the new RE
Agreed Syllabus in Church
Schools
0930-1530
OCTOBER
2 Church School Leaders 3
Day delegates welcome to
hear input from Tony Billings,
successful leader of a
secondary church academy
0930-1530
8 Secondary Heads /Principals
Network Meeting at The
Minster School, Southwell
1030-1230
15 Maintaining a High
Performing School—How to
Avoid Going Down!
0930-1530
21 Primary Heads Network
Meeting
1330-1530
22 RE Assessment Group
Meeting
1615-1700
NOVEMBER
3 Valuing all God’s Children
looking at C of E report on
challenging homophobic
bullying
1330-1530
NOVEMBER (cont)
4 Primary RE Co-ordinators
Network Meeting (This
meeting is aimed at colleagues
across the middle of the
diocese. It will be repeated in
other locations later in the
year.
1615-1800
Autumn Term 2015
Book now for the annual
School Leaders’ Conference
Thursday 19th November
10 Exploring the Trinity in
Primary Schools
0930-1530
19 Church School Leaders’
Conference at The Derbyshire
Hotel
0915-1530
24 Secondary Heads of RE
Network Meeting
0930-1200
23 Being a Foundation
Governor
1900-2100
Calling all headteachers,
governors & senior
leaders
May we please draw your
attention to the full day
course on 15th October,
Maintaining a High
Performing School—How to
Avoid Going Down!
Led by Adrian Gray former
HMI who until recently led on
analysis and investigation for
OFSTED.
With all the changes
happening in Ofsted and new
accountability measures, it is
easy for slippage to creep in.
This course uses the latest
research to look at why some
primary schools have
experienced sharp dips in
their inspection grade and
offers school leaders and
governors ways of preventing
this and maintaining high
performance.
Guest Speaker: Revd Nigel
Genders, C of E Chief
Education Officer
Eucharist celebrated by
our new Bishop, The Right
Revd Paul Williams
This conference aims to be
an informative, enjoyable
and inspirational
professional
development day for all
those involved in the life
and work of our church
schools and is particularly
suitable for Headteachers,
Senior Leaders, Chairs of
Governors, Clergy with a
church school and School
Chaplains.
Places for this year’s
conference are being booked
up faster than usual, so
please ensure that you send
in your booking form
without delay to avoid
disappointment.
For further information , or
to obtain a booking form,
please contact Ally Horne
on
[email protected].
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