LDBE Support and Training
A range of high-quality, sustained professional development opportunities can be accessed by visiting the LDBE website. The website will be updated as further development opportunities are added over the year.
Coming this month...
Ensuring High Quality RE: Developing subject knowledge of Abrahamic Religions and World Views (Jewish, Christianity and Islam faiths) 21st September 9:30 - 15:00
SIAMS Training for School Leaders
There will be three SIAMS Training days for school leaders this term. Responding to feedback from school leaders, LDBE officers will deliver these sessions in three locations across the diocese :
- Stoke: 19th October 9:30 - 15:30
- Stafford: 16th November 9:30 - 15:30
- Shropshire: 7th December: 9:30 - 15:30
NATRE NEW2RE Monthly Webinars
Are you an Early Career Teacher (ECT) in religious education seeking to enhance your skills and subject knowledge? Or perhaps you're an experienced teacher new to teaching Religious Education including Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE), Religious and moral education (RME), and Religious Studies?
NATRE offers an incredible opportunity for you! Join our FREE monthly webinars, designed specifically to support you in developing your teaching abilities and knowledge in both Religious Education and Religious Studies, all while providing valuable evidence to meet the ECT standards.
Healing Classrooms
The Healing Classrooms programme aims to support schools and educators to develop inclusive and nurturing learning spaces where refugee and asylum-seeking students can gain the necessary academic, social and emotional skills to develop their full potential.
The links to the website provide a range of FREE training and CPD opportunities. For more information please click here
The Leadership Networks 2023 - 2024
Over the last two years, LDBE officers have worked in partnership with the CEFEL team to offer the Trauma-Informed Peer Support Network and the Leadership of SEND Network.
Being part of one of these networks provides each school with:
- Access to 6 expert input sessions over the academic year
- The interim sessions: Opportunities to come together with colleagues from across the diocese to unpack the implications and actions associated with the expert input to see clear impact in your own setting, with opportunites for collaboration and practice exchange.
In this coming year there is an opportunity to be part of up to 4 leadership networks (please see below) Leaders are asked to sign up to each of these by the end of September 2023. If there are over 10 schools who wish to be part of this network, the sessions will run with LDBE officers. If there are fewer schools, an option to join a national network may be offered.
The cost of joining each network will be no more than £100. The times and dates of the expert sessions and interim sessions (peer support networks) for each leadership network will be circulated after the 21st July. Find out more here.
NPQ Small Schools in Lichfield Diocese
The Church of England as a provider of National Professional Qualifications have been strongly encouraging the DFE to ensure that this training is accessible to small schools. The good news is the DFE have listened!
The DFE will now pay schools with between 1 -150 pupils £800 per member of staff participating in an NPQ (paid directly as a grant). What is better news is that the Church of England has the NPQSmall route, which is specifically tailored for small schools – in both content and delivery.
We have an NPQSmall course for all of the NPQs we offer -
- Leadership NPQs – Executive Leadership, Headship and Senior Leadership
- Specialist NPQs – Leading Teaching, Leading Teacher Development and Leading Behaviour and Culture.
The Diocese of Lichfield is working with the Education Office to encourage our schools to access this training.
A short overview of the NPQ Small can be found here.
Growing Faith
Putting children at the heart of mission and ministry through churches, schools and housholds working together is the core focus of Growing Faith. It is when we all come together that we flourish. This really hit home personally a few nights ago, when my daughter asked me this question. I am a teacher, I am a Christian, and I am a dad (Church, School and Household). However, this question from my 4 year old daughter really made me think... how do I respond best here. If you have any great wisdom here - do email me (matthew.welton@lichfield.anglican.org).
There is a Zulu word called ubuntu. It means "I am because you are." We are people together. No one really flourishes unless we flourish togther. We are all God's children.
I can't do it alone. If my daughter is to grow in her own faith, I need those from the church, her school and her family all to help her to talk about her own faith journey (because questions from a 4 year old are hard!). Hopefully the resources and opportunites to grow together will all help us to flourish together.
Open the Book: Everything you need for a Bible Story, well told.
Open the Book (OtB) is an exciting storytelling project where Bible stories are shared with children in a way that is fun, interactive and memorable. As invited guests in school, storytelling teams use the Open the Book programme to prepare and present a 10–15-minute scripted Bible story to a school assembly, involving the children as much as possible. Please talk to your CDA to find out more about how the LDBE team can support your school or church to deliver OtB!