At the end of the summer term, we said a fond farewell to three members of the diocesan Education team. School Effectiveness Advisors, Pauline Dodds, Karen Sancto and David Williams between them had 40 years of service with the diocese to our 181 schools, for whom they had lead training for staff and governors, delivered material for Inset days, helped with SIAMS preparation and provided pastoral support.
As the result of their retirements the Education team is undergoing some changes. To make the most efficient use of resources, and to better serve schools the team will focus on collaborating closely with networks of schools, whether in Trusts or viable groups of schools. Additionally, they will introduce some online training resources, designed to be more accessible and flexible, allowing users to access them at any time.
Director of Education, Ed Gregory says, “As we move forward our new team structure has been carefully shaped to continue to provide outstanding support to our schools. We are here to SERVE (Support, Equip, Resource, Value, Encourage) our schools. This is a new beginning, and we look forward to shaping our ways of working with schools as we look to the future and the flourishing of every church school across our diocese.”
In the new structure, Cheryl Govier and Claire Hudson will join Tony Cook as Assistant Directors for Education and we welcome Paul Marvin, a trained SIAMS Inspector, who will be joining on secondment from the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, for three days each week. Paul will be key contact for local authority-maintained schools. He will work alongside Louise Jenkins, Lead Schools Advisor, who will be key contact for academies and Trusts.
In addition, Suzanne MacDonald will be working two days a week, supported by Tina Wilkes as a lead advisor for academies and academisation.
The Go Team, led by Tony Cook, is adapting to support youth and children’s work across churches, households and schools. Tony will be key contact for Bath Archdeaconry, Andy Levett for Taunton with Cesca Priestley in Wells.
The whole department will continue to be supported by Felicity Cobley and Josie Halla.
As the team take on their new roles at the start of the new school year, Ed shares a reflection from the Iona Community:
“There is nowhere the beloved is not. Perhaps that is the product of pilgrimage, an evolution of consciousness, a realisation that it’s not about where we are in place and time but our awareness of the divine in the here and now…”