catholic education in 2012 friday 23 rd november 2012 at the apollo hotel, basingstoke diocese of...

Catholic Education in 2012

Friday 23rd November 2012 At the Apollo Hotel, Basingstoke

Diocese of Portsmouth: Schools' Department

Catholic Education in 2012


Programme for morning:Introduction: Rosemary Olivier;Diocesan Strategy: Catherine Hobbs & Robert Dare;Practical examples: Tony Corish & Graham Wilson; Trisha Phelan & Ursula ClarkSurvey of schools’ strengths: Oaklands School, Matt Quinn & Dervla McConn-FinchPCP SCITT: Paul Haslam, DirectorDiscussion & feedback

Catholic Education in the Year of Faith


Education in 2012


Change in local government role and impact: a carrot?Teaching Schools: route for training/CPD funds & for school improvementInitial teacher training/ School Direct: school-sponsoredNearly half of all maintained secondary schools are now academies,1148 converters & 354 sponsored: impact on LA capacityCentral grant cut, LACSEG reduced, 300 staff lost in Children’s Services in Hampshire in 2 years; further reductions from 2013Commissioning services, not providing services: variation between 13 LA’s in our diocese

Education in 2012


A stick?New Ofsted frameworkSchools below the floor standards/at risk: duty of LA to interveneUnder-performance & Brokerage team at the Academies DivisionOffice of the Schools’ CommissionerIncreased expectation on diocesan commissioners to broker school improvement, to intervene: this is not all new!

Education in 2012


Decision-making about education to parents and to schools:

parental choice and preference: Free Schools & Academy schools: flash mob, twitter, downing street website petitions, direct action;

& to the Ministers/ elected representatives:

centralised powers to Secretary of State, e.g. TDA, GTC

400 more academy sponsorships announced this week

National Catholic picture on academies


“We should make conversion to Academies a ready possibility for Catholic schools, subject to the wishes of their Bishop, Trustees and Governing Body.”The Right Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP, Chairman of the CES

148 Catholic voluntary academies are open, of which 140 are convertor academies and 8 are sponsored academies.

Co-sponsors:PortsmouthWinchesterOxfordColleagues:Guildford

and in Anglican Dioceses


Catholic Academies in Portsmouth Diocese


5 Pathfinder Catholic Academies in Portsmouth Diocese (+ 1)

Protection of Catholic ethosThe common good/ mutual benefitBuilding on existing clusters & partnershipsProfessional developmentProcurement & facilities

Diocesan view on academies


What now for Catholic Education in our Diocese in the

Year of Faith?


Distinctive Catholic education, with commitment to the common good: counter-cultural

Sharing good practice & learning from each other Supporting schools in difficulties Schools in both phases, both sectors, pooling

resources

WHY?

In this 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, we remember:

“The Church’s role is especially evident in Catholic schools. These are no less zealous than other schools in the formation of culture and in the human formation of young people. It is, however, the special function of the Catholic school to develop in the school community an atmosphere animated by a spirit of liberty and charity based on the Gospel. It enables young people, while developing their own personality, to grow at the same time in that new life which has been given them in baptism…..

Because:


Thus the Catholic school, taking into consideration as it should the conditions of an age of progress, prepares its pupils to contribute effectively to the welfare of the world of men and to work for the extension of the kingdom of God, so that by living and exemplary and apostolic life they may be, as it were, a saving leaven in the community. “

Documents of Vatican II vol.1: Christian Education: Gravissimum Educationis pp.

732-733, § 8


So, then…in this time of change & challenge, what do we do?


An alliance of all Catholic Schools in the diocese?

Discussion in March 2012 led to: “Catholic Schools supporting Catholic Schools”- a diocesan frameworkKey actions:1. Teaching School status to act as conduit to provide funding for school improvement, training and CPD2. Hallam Diocese: Notre Dame School and the Teaching Alliance

What does it need?


Partners:

PCP SCITT: teacher trainingSt. Mary’s University College

And: A Teaching School…what’s that?

Catholic education in the second decade of the 21st

century


In a time of change, so the “Catholic Schools supporting Catholic Schools” (March 2012) morphed into the “Catholic Teaching Alliance” (CTA) (July 2012) but change happens, so:

Diocesan Education AllianceDEA

An alliance for Catholic Education


What does it mean? How does it work? What does it mean for my school? Can we fix it?“If you think you're too small to have an impact, try

going to bed with a mosquito in the room.” Anita Roddick

Catherine Hobbs & Robert Dare will explain…