The Church of England Vision for Education Deeply Christian Serving the Common Good

‘We are confident that our vision for ‘fullness of life’ is one that fully deserves its place in twenty-first century Britain.’

Why should the Church of England be committed to education ? Theological basis and biblical roots Reaching out to our communities Responding to massive change and opportunity The shaping of our society Traditions and current practice of the Church of England Addressing questions of meaning A relevant twenty-first century voice

A Christian motivation ‘The God of all creation is concerned with everything related to education – wisdom, truth and knowledge; the learning and teaching of understanding, virtues, and habits that shape individuals, families and communities; the worth of each person; what is passed on from one generation to another; in whom and what people trust; what people hope for; and more…..’

Why a fresh articulation of vision ? The Church needs to be confident in its vision for education as the education system continues to develop and reform Responding to challenges and opportunities It is vital to sustain and develop the long term educational ecosystem for the benefit of our whole society Response to increasing religious and ethnic diversity Response to the State having to expand its partners in welfare, health and education

Our educational ‘eco-system’ Rich and complex Long term elements and newer developments interacting with each other Long term perspectives not just he pressures of the democratic cycle For a good society to flourish we need a good quality education The C of E is embedded within this system and is committed to ‘sustaining the health of the system and supporting improvement and innovation’

What is this renewed vision ? Educating for Life in all its Fullness It sets out the sort of education the Church of England advocates and seeks to enable A vision which combines the wisdom of the Bible and the best of our Christian history with wise and experienced educational understanding Seeks to serve whole communities A framework within which the daily business of schools can operate Not just for Church schools and not just for schools

Life in all its fullness Educating the whole person Our own diocesan educational vision is at the heart of this renewed vision Intellectual and physical development united with spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellence defined as a broad horizon It is hospitable to diversity, respects freedom of religion and belief It invites collaboration It seeks to serve the flourishing of a healthily plural society and democracy Schools are signs of fullness of life for all

4 basic elements Educating for Wisdom, knowledge and skills Educating for Hope and Aspiration Educating for community and living well together Educating for dignity and respect These run through the whole approach

Combining continuity and innovation wisely – a balance An enduring historical commitment to the common good Allows for considerable diversity of opinion and freedom of expression ‘ an education that is at once deeply Christian in its inspiration and healthily plural in its operation is consistent with the best in our history’ Staying true to our roots whilst also being hospitably open & having a deep respect for the integrity of other traditions and beliefs Engage and collaborate across divisions

Our Christian inspiration Making sense of ‘Deeply Christian, serving the common good’ Unpicking of the Biblical rootedness of the elements A depth of explanation about how the elements relate to deep traditions of faith and practice Relates to deep thinking and learning within current educational contexts Jesus and abundant life Jesus as a teacher with a community of learners – his disciples

Educating for Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills The Bible is passionate about both wisdom-seeking and teaching and learning Wisdom literature – a ‘wise’ education Knowledge of and relationship to creation, culture, the environment, learning from history, legal, artistic, political and other dimensions Not about a ‘packaged’ faith Radical questioning, imaginative and daring exploration

Educating for Hope and Aspiration Hope in God’s future for the world, in His ongoing love and compassion for all people To encourage each person to stretch themselves spiritually, morally, intellectually, imaginatively and actively – to aspire to be well educated Grasping how our own fulfilment cannot be separated from that of other people or our own families and communities Jesus inspires a realism about how flawed and fallible we are and a confidence in transformation for the better

Educating for Community and Living well together Jesus embodies the centrality of relationships in love, compassion, generosity, truth-telling, forgiveness and gathering a community His Sermon on the Mount gives us a vision of life as part of the family of God Every school can be a ‘hospitable community’ that seeks to embody an ethos of living well together Character education

Educating for Dignity and Respect Our commitment to the ultimate worth of each person is informed by the belief that each person is created in the image of God, is loved by God and is shaped by the person, teaching and example of Jesus Jesus paid special attention to the disadvantaged and excluded Educational perspectives in safeguarding, the prevention of bullying, special educational needs and disabilities, Valuing all God’s children work

Further elements which are especially relevant and inspirational Blessing Creativity Joy Reconciling Glory

Conclusion Next Steps / Pause for thought It is upon us to share and shape this vision for education in this diocese How do we make its practical out-workings a reality ? What does it mean for us in our respective settings, whether school, MAT, parish or deanery ? What elements are already in place ? What elements can we aspire to achieve together ? How can we use it to enrich the lives of our children and young people, and our communities ?