14th October 2022
Warwickshire Schools
April Gold is arranging a meeting with Chris Baird from Warwickshire LA to discuss the support offered to Warwickshire schools. If you have any feedback you would like to share with April about the services received from Warwickshire concerning admissions, school improvement, finance, SEND, buildings, place planning, governor services, or any other support, it would help her to provide a holistic view. Contributions will be treated confidentially and names of schools will not be shared unless you give permission for April to do so.
ALIVE 2023
A letter and information for booking your slot at the ALIVE 2023 praise party will be sent out to all schools early next week. We are excited about the event and look forward to sharing more information with you.
SIAMS 2023 – A National Update – Reminder for your Diary
Just a reminder that all staff, governors, and clergy of Church of England and Methodist schools are invited to attend this national online (Teams) session on 3 November. No need to book – just click on the links below to join. Dr Margaret James, the National Director of SIAMS, will set out the ways in which SIAMS will develop from September 2023, explaining what the developments will mean for schools. Here are the links to attend whichever session is more convenient for you. Please feel free to forward them to your staff, governors and clergy.
- Thursday 3 November 10am-11.30am Click here to join 10am meeting
- Thursday 3 November 6pm-7.30pm Click here to join the 6pm meeting
CPD Coming Up After Half Term…
Click on the links below for more info or to book.
Christian Distinctiveness Deep Dive Short – Accountability
Monday 07 November – 16.30 to 17.30 on Zoom
How do you hold people to account and have difficult but necessary conversations within a flourishing environment? Led by Jen Jenkins, this session will look at ensuring ‘speaking the truth in love’ is at the heart of flourishing and impacting on standards.
Christian Distinctiveness Deep Dive Short – Behaviour
Monday 14 November (re-arranged from 03 Oct) – 16.30 to 17.30 on Zoom
What roles do dignity, respect and reconciliation play in managing behaviour in your church school? Led by Jen Jenkins, this session will explore behaviour management systems that focus on relationships and not just rules.
Understanding Christianity Refresher Training – Free for DSA Subscribers
Dates: 15 November 2022 / 14 March 2023
Time: 16.00 to 17.30 – online via Zoom
This two-part course has been designed for schools that are not currently making the most of their Understanding Christianity resource. This might be because those that originally undertook the training have left, or that current teachers are unsure how it fits into the wider curriculum or that the scope of the resource is overwhelming. Whatever the reason, these sessions will consolidate and clarify the best use of this rich and exciting resource. Delegates will go away feeling more confident in their RE teaching and practice. This course assumes that the school has previously engaged with Understanding Christianity and has access to the full resource.
The training will be led by Hester Meacock, an experienced Understanding Christianity trainer with a specialism in RE.
RE:Search Group with Jen Jenkins
Tuesday 29 November – 16.30 to 17.30 on Zoom
This group looks at how educational research can positively impact RE teaching in our schools. In this session the group will be joined by Kate Christopher co-author of ‘Teaching Islam as a Worldview’ by Kate Christopher and Lynn Revell. If you would like to join the group please contact Alison Watson to book a place and receive the required pre-reading.
Diwali – Free Resources from NATRE
Diwali marks the festival of light, celebrated on 24 October 2022. NATRE are offering a bank of free resources and classroom activities to mark the occasion to use with your pupils. Find them here.
World’s Largest Lesson – Free Resources to Support Courageous Advocacy
World’s Largest Lesson promotes use of the Sustainable Development Goals in learning so that children can contribute to a better future for all. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2015, the 17 ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ aim to achieve a better and more sustainable world for all by 2030. These goals are a call for action to address a series of global challenges, such as: poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, and justice. Their website contains a bank of resources and lesson plans for all age groups which could support your courageous advocacy work.
Anti-Bullying Week Resources – 14-18 November
The Anti-Bullying Alliance have produced school resources for both primary and secondary ages, around the theme for this year: ‘Reach Out.’ These packs include cross-curricular activities and lesson and assembly plans. In addition, your school; can register for a whole-school anti-bullying programme which supports schools to reduce bullying and improve wellbeing: The United Against Bullying programme.
Ten Good Value Fairtrade Choices from the High Street
With the prices of essentials going up, it’s those earning the least suffering most. That’s true here in the UK, and it’s true for the people overseas growing so much of what we eat and drink. These 10 good value Fairtrade choices show Fairtrade doesn’t have to cost us more. But each one of these choices means a fairer deal for the farmers and workers behind that product.
Something to Uplift You…
This 4 minute video of ‘Oh Maria’ sung by the choir led by Sister Mary Clarence (played by the fabulous Whoopi Goldberg) in the 1992 film Sister Act is such a joyous reminder of how worship music – and old films – can lift us. Click here to play. Enjoy!