[Ely Announce] From the Schools Team

Thu Dec 16 15:22:01 GMT 2004

Schools Bulletin No 7 15th December 2004

Welcome to the sixth Diocese of Ely Church School electronic bulletin.
The main bulletin is sent in plain text. Attachments are used only for
supplementary material. You may, however, prefer to read the Bulletin as a
MS Word Document, and it is attached as such.
We are anxious that the Bulletin is sent as widely as is helpful.
This edition is being sent to school addresses and the addresses of those
who have indicated to us they wish to receive a copy. Please notify us of
the e-mail addresses of anyone in your school community who would value a
copy sent directly.

These could include:
· Headteachers
· Chairs of Governors
· Governing Body members
· Local Clergy
· RE Co-ordinators

Canon Tim Elbourne Director of Education and Training

Dr Shirley Hall Religious Education Adviser

Cath Conlon School (Buildings and Finance) Officer

Sarah Sheffield PA/ Administrative Assistant

Ros Wright Resources Centre Administrator

Diocesan Office, Bishop Woodford House, Barton Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire
CB7 4DX
Tel: 01353 65224 or 652701 Resources Centre: 01353 652725
Website: http://www.ely.anglican.org/education/schools.html
e-mail: forneame.surname at ely.anglican.org
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December 15th 2004 Contents:

* New Inter-Church VA School at Cambourne
* Education Sunday 23rd January 2005
* Diocesan Website
* Ely Ensign
* Section 23 Inspection Framework
* National RE Framework
* Links with Vellore
* Instruments of Government
* 2005 Headteachers' Conference

New Inter-Church VA School at Cambourne

We are delighted to announce that on Friday 10th December, Cambridgeshire's
Schools Organisation Committee approved the establishment of the 83rd church
school in the Diocese of Ely. 'The Vine Inter-Church Primary School" will be
the neighbourhood school for the establishing community of Upper Cambourne
and will open in September 2005. Initially it will offer 120 places: with
210 planned for Sept 2006 and 420 for Sept 2007. The school is also the
first collaborative project in the diocese between the Church of England and
Methodist church. The Temporary Governing Body will be advertising for the
headship early in the New Year.

Education Sunday 23rd January

- "Teaching as Vocation" Ely Cathedral 3.45pm
You are warmly invited to Ely Cathedral for a special service of Choral
Evensong in Celebration and Thanksgiving for all who Teach and Work in
Education to mark Education Sunday this year. Invitations have been sent to
every parish and school and we will welcome as our Preacher, Anthea Kenna
who is headteacher of St Anne's CE Primary school, Godmanchester.

- Local Celebrations
Many parishes like to mark Education Sunday in collaboration with their
local schools and especially their Church School. It provides a great
opportunity for school and church community to come together for worship and
celebration. Every parish has been sent a copy of worship planning material
using this year's theme: "A More Excellent Way". You can download copies of
the material from
http://www.natsoc.org.uk/parishes/education_sunday.php.

Diocesan Website

The Schools Team have recently made new arrangements for updating the
diocesan website more frequently than was previously possible. In particular
there is now updated material on:
- Collective Worship and teaching Christian Festivals
- R.E. Liaison Groups - teaching about the Church
>From the end of January there will also be:
- Booking details for the October 2005 Cathedral Schools Days (Music
Festival)
- Information about Vellore schools helped by Bishop Anthony's Harvest
Appeal
http://www.ely.anglican.org/education/schools.

Ely Ensign

Hard copies of Ely Ensign are now sent to school each term when it carries
the education supplement 'RED Ensign. Ensign is a very good way to keep in
touch with the life of the diocese and its churches and a school could
consider a direct monthly subscription or obtaining a number of copies via
the parish: speak to your priest or foundation governors.
Ensign is also an excellent way of spreading news about church schools
widely across the parishes of the diocese and the Editor is always delighted
to receive news and photographs for inclusion any month. The editor, Canon
Owen Spencer-Thomas, can be contacted on 01223 358448 or by e-mail at
owenst at btinternet.com. <mailto:owenst at btinternet.com.>
The News deadline for the March edition (which will be the Easter edition)
is 7th February.

Section 23 Framework

The new inspection framework has been launched by the National Society and
is being piloted across England and Wales this academic year. This
Inspection Framework covers the same areas of church school distinctiveness
as the previous one, but in a way which will be more evaluative than
previously. Work is also progressing to incorporate a church school element
in the single online Self Evaluation Form and to develop a means to
integrate the revised S23 inspection with the forthcoming changes to Ofsted
procedures.
In Ely Diocese we are continuing to inspecting under the old framework for
this academic year, whilst also running several simultaneous 'shadow'
inspections using the new framework. This will allow the monitoring group to
place the two styles of report side by side, and evaluate of the new
framework.
It is the intention of the National Society to launch the new framework in
September 2005.

National RE Framework

Some worried RE co-ordinators have been asking “What should I be doing about
the National Framework for RE?” The answer is “Nothing!”
The Framework has been launched by QCA and has been widely welcomed, but is
not to be sent directly to schools. It is designed to support the work of
LEAs producing Agreed Syllabuses, and schools will see its effects only when
the county syllabus is next reviewed. The Norfolk Syllabus is currently
being reviewed, and the working group is making good use of the national
materials.

Links with Vellore

Bishop Anthony has asked that the 2005 Diocesan Lent Appeal will be used to
raise funding to assist church sponsored medical facilities in Vellore
Diocese. We shall be producing Lent materials for schools to support this
appeal and these will be with you next term. The church runs a number of
projects particularly for children, such as a cerebral palsy home, eye
camps, and much under-funded premature baby units, and we hope that schools
will feel able to remember these needs when undertaking Lent and Easter
activities. In addition you will already have received a letter regarding an
emergency appeal for help towards re-roofing church schools in the diocese.
This is to prevent the schools from having to close due to new regulations
following a fatal fire.
It is important to stress, however, that our Vellore link is not just about
raising money! The bonds of friendship and commitment to learn from each
other are at the heart of the link and we encourage you to use freely the
materials and resources from Vellore as you find most helpful. A group, led
by Bishop John and including Dr Shirley Hall, next visits Vellore in the New
Year and will be returning with more news and resources.

Instruments of Government

Chairs of Governors and Clerks should read carefully the attached Updated
Advice: December 2004 on New Arrangements for the Constitution of Governing
Bodies. The document may apply to your school even though a new Instrument
may have been recently agreed. It looks likely that some technical
amendments may be necessary in the New Year arising from changes to the
names of Archdeaconries and the need to incorporate a clause making possible
the removal of an ex-officio governor. Schools affected by this will be
contacted by their LEA in the New Year and it will not be necessary for
governing bodies to undertake a major re-consideration of the whole matter.

Headteachers’ Conference 2005

The Bishop of Ely will be a speaker at the 2005 Conference and full details
of other speakers and theme will be sent in the Spring. However,
headteachers may want now to pencil the Conference in their diaries. It will
be held on Tuesday 14th June 2005 in Ely.

THE SCHOOLS TEAM SEND YOU BEST WISHES FOR THE
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR SEASON!!

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