Welcome Back from Director of Education
As we start the new school year, we extend a warm welcome to pupils and staff who have joined our schools this September. We especially welcome our new headteacher colleagues who have taken up post at the start of the autumn term; we look forward to working with you as part of our church school family and wish to reassure you of our support as you start this incredible journey.
The DBE greatly values the special partnership that we have with each of our schools, and it is why this year we have further enhanced the support and engagement offered through the Family of Schools. Building on the annual Family of Schools visit, we seek to maintain a level of direct contact with you throughout the year through your designated DBE Officer, with many of our schools retaining the same officer from last year. This will enable an even closer, more personal relationship, with periodic contact throughout the year and a key point of contact for the DBE. Additional information regarding this will be sent out shortly.
A further development and key change this year, is that we have incorporated all of our networks into the Family of School package, making them available to all schools at no additional charge. This further exemplifies our commitment to bring our schools closer together, working together in sharing good practice and providing collective support.
The DBE have a lot coming up this term and we are already communicating with you with what’s coming up. We are also excited to be launching our new website later this term, offering easier access to information from the DBE, support, guidance and resources. As part of this there is a new events booking page. Your school will need to register for an account and will enable a view of all courses and events you and your school have booked onto throughout the year. Information around registering has been sent to your administration team by our DBE colleagues.
A key event in our calendar is the DBE’s Senior Leaders’ Conference, on the 19th November at the Daresbury Park Hotel. This year our theme is Belonging for All: Championing Inclusion and SEND in Church Schools. We have significantly reduced and subsidised the cost, with delegate rates starting at £125, aimed at making it more accessible for schools to attend. This will be an informative, inspiring and enlightening day, exploring effective and practical ways to nurture belonging for every pupil. Bookings are now open.
The DBE has determined an inspiring vision for its church schools that is rooted in Christian values and enables children, young people and adults to flourish within their communities. We seek to achieve this through our engagement and partnership with each of our schools. This work being underpinned by the DBE’s three core pillars of being loving in relationships, ambitious in aspiration and bold in action.
We hope you and your team have a positive start to the year and look forward to journeying alongside you and your schools over the coming year. As always, the DBE team are here to support you in anyway, so do reach out and get in touch.
Every Blessing for the year ahead,
Canon Chris Penn
Director of Education