Church school
Character
Church school
Character
Church schools have a Christian character.
SIAMS inspections consider the way that the Christian character of the school, summed up in the school’s theologically-rooted Christian vision, has an impact on all aspects of school life.
Inspection question 1 (IQ1) considers how the vison enables pupils and adults to flourish.
Inspection question 4 (IQ4) considers mental health and wellbeing and the extent to which the vision creates a culture in which pupils and adults are treated well.
Inspection question 5 (IQ5) considers justice and responsibility and the extent to which the vision creates an active culture of justice and responsibility.
“What a privilege Church schools have, as places where ‘deeply Christian, serving the common good’ comes alive and children can flourish.”
LDBS helps schools to develop the Christian character through our core offer which includes:
Vision workshops for schools wanting to review their Christian vision
Online briefings to support Collective Worship, RSE, Courageous Advocacy
School Chaplains
School chaplaincy is a distinctive and vital ministry in our secondary schools. Chaplains seek to minister to varied and diverse communities of students, their families and staff. Many chaplains are ordained. Some of our schools employ lay chaplains or are supported by chaplaincy teams. Anglican ministers also provide chaplaincy support to their local schools.
The role of the chaplain is varied but their job consists of the following elements:
Pastoral:
Caring for the needs of the whole school community. The chaplain is available for everyone, not just Christian staff or pupils.
Spiritual:
Leading the spiritual life of the community and upholding the school’s Christian ethos.
Prophetic:
Speaking truth and promoting Christian values.
Liturgical:
Leading prayer and worship, preparing resources for collective worship.
Pedagogic:
Teaching about the Christian faith (some chaplains also teach RE lessons).
Missional:
Commending the Christian faith, supporting faith development and working with the local church and other faith communities.
Further reading:
School Chaplaincy – The Church of England has been providing and supporting schools for centuries through the work of school chaplains.
Get in touch
If you would like to find out more about becoming a school chaplain, please contact Jo Jones who will send you more information.
Email: joanna.jones@london.anglican.org
Anti-Racism in Church Schools
Church schools should be a place where all pupils and staff feel a sense of belonging. The Bible teaches us, through compassion, we will teach, learn and model how to show love and respect to others, as we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God, Psalm 139.
The Diocese of London outlined Racial Justice as one of their top priorities in their 2030 vision, and this is reflected in the LDBS’s commitment to anti-racism, both within our organisation and our schools. As part of this commitment, an Anti-Racism Charter has been developed, which we would encourage schools to adopt.