On 12th July 2018 Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, answered questions from MPs on ordination numbers, church schools, modern slavery, metal theft, inter-faith relations and growth of the church in London. A full transcript is below:
Continue reading “Church Commissioner Questions: ordinations, church schools, modern slavery, metal theft, inter-faith relations, London churches”
Tag: schools
Bishop of Carlisle asks about SEN funding for small schools
On 4th June 2018 Lord Storey asked Her Majesty’s Government “what assessment they have made of the impact of education, health and care plans on children with special educational needs.” The Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Revd James Newcome, asked a follow up question:
The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, in Cumbria where I live, a huge proportion of schools are classified as small and are often very small. Their funding, especially for children with special educational needs, is greatly limited by their ability to access economies of scale. Does the Minister agree that in smaller schools educational outcomes can at present be disproportionately affected by current funding models? Continue reading “Bishop of Carlisle asks about SEN funding for small schools”
Church Commissioner questions: religious freedom, schools, recycling, thefts from churches
On 26th April 2018, questions were put in the House of Commons to Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, representing the Church Commissioners. Dame Caroline was asked by MPs about freedom of religion in the Commonwealth, recycling, rural schools, out of school education settings and thefts from churches. A full transcript is below.
The right hon Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked— Continue reading “Church Commissioner questions: religious freedom, schools, recycling, thefts from churches”
Bishop of Ely questions Government about teacher recruitment in rural areas
On the 12th April the Bishop of Ely, the Rt Revd Stephen Conway received a written answer to his question about teacher recruitment in rural areas.
Continue reading “Bishop of Ely questions Government about teacher recruitment in rural areas”
Bishop of Durham – all children in poverty should have free school meals
On 26nd February 2018, Baroness Benjamin asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘what plans they have for publicising a detailed evaluation of stage one of the National Child Obesity Strategy; and when a publication timetable for stage two will be produced’. The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a follow up question about free school meals.
The Lord Bishop of Durham:
My Lords, the relationship between childhood obesity and poverty is well evidenced. In the light of warnings by the Children’s Society and others that 1 million children in poverty will miss out on a free school meal under the current proposals for changes to entitlement under universal credit, does the Minister agree that all children in poverty should receive a free school meal to combat child malnutrition by ensuring that they receive a healthy meal at lunchtime? Continue reading “Bishop of Durham – all children in poverty should have free school meals”
Education debate – Bishop of Gloucester on early needs, children’s mental and physical health and self-esteem
On 8th December 2017 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, led a debate in the House of Lords, ‘That the House takes note of the role of education in building a flourishing and skilled society.’ The Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, spoke in the debate and her speech is below. The Archbishop’s opening and closing speeches can be seen here.
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: I too thank the most reverend Primate for bringing forward today’s debate, and indeed for naming the recently established Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership, of which I am privileged to be a trustee.
In my own diocese, I am delighted that we have 116 Church of England schools—not single-faith schools but centres of community cohesion in urban and rural areas, committed to offering each child the opportunity to discover life in all its fullness, as spoken about by Jesus Christ. The Church of England’s vision for education highlights the ideas of wisdom, hope, dignity and community, and we aim to make our schools places where fulfilling academic potential is not separated from our children’s spiritual, physical, emotional, moral and social development. Continue reading “Education debate – Bishop of Gloucester on early needs, children’s mental and physical health and self-esteem”
Archbishop leads Lords debate on the role of education in building a flourishing and skilled society.
On 8th December 2017 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, led a debate in the House of Lords, ‘That the House takes note of the role of education in building a flourishing and skilled society.’ The Archbishops’ opening and closing speeches are below in full:
The Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I am grateful to the usual channels for making time once again for me to lead a debate in your Lordships’ House. It is now something of a tradition for an Archbishop’s debate to be held in early December. Though a little later and less well established than the John Lewis advert, the appearance of an Archbishop on the order paper is a sure sign that Christmas is just around the comer.
Last year, I led a debate on shared national values, which featured some extremely impressive and thoughtful speeches. I am sure that today’s debate will be equally impressive, and I am grateful to so many of your Lordships for making time to attend. I look forward to your contributions, and it will be an especial pleasure to hear the first speech from the noble, reincarnated and right reverend Lord, Lord Chartres. I am also delighted that the noble Lord, Lord Sacks, will be speaking today. He has told me—and obviously we all understand—that he will have to leave before the wind-up to get home in time for the Sabbath. But it is very good that he has come here at all.
There is a link between today’s debate on education and the previous one on shared values. What I hope to give today is an outline of the sort of values that we suggest, from these Benches especially, should underpin our education system, and the structures that might support them, so that we might create a society where individual and mutual flourishing become the norm.
Church Commissioners’ Written Answer: Transphobic Bullying
On 7th December 2017 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question from Ranil Jayawardena MP about guidance to schools on transphobic bullying.
Mr Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment has been made of the merits of the Church of England’s recent guidance to nursery and primary school teachers on transphobic bullying. Continue reading “Church Commissioners’ Written Answer: Transphobic Bullying”
Bishop of Coventry asks about role of schools in helping disadvantaged families
On 22nd November 2017 Lord Lennie asked Her Majesty’s Government “what action they have taken to address the concerns raised in the Social Mobility Commission’s State of the Nation report published in November 2016.” The Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, asked a follow up question:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, on my visits to primary schools in Coventry in Warwickshire, I am often struck by head teachers in poorer areas telling me that they cannot help their children without also helping the families, who often face very complex issues. The Minister referred to the opportunity areas. Can he confirm that there is a plan to involve parents and guardians in that work of uplift and that there will be help for head teachers in that task? Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about role of schools in helping disadvantaged families”
Bishop of Ely on the need for schools to tackle deprivation and disadvantage
On Thursday 16th November 2017 Lord Bird led a debate in the House of Lords, “to ask Her Majesty’s Government what new resources and strategies they will implement to ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend a good school and that all schools are fairly funded, as announced in the Queen’s Speech.” The Bishop of Ely, Rt Revd Stephen Conway, spoke in the debate, focusing on church schools:
The Lord Bishop of Ely: Follow that! My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Bird, for having made this debate possible and for providing the opportunity for us to focus not only on a fair distribution of funding for our schools and the children in their care but on fair access to good teaching in good and imaginative schools.
The Church has, down the centuries, provided a constant yet adaptable force in education. The Church of England recently produced a new vision for education, two pillars of which are dignity and hope. As the ultimate aim of our schools is to promote human flourishing, we are particularly concerned—particularly in our emphasis on supporting schools in areas of disadvantage—to enable every child to fulfil his or her aspirations, and indeed to be given the opportunity to have any aspirations in the first place. Continue reading “Bishop of Ely on the need for schools to tackle deprivation and disadvantage”
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