WESTMINSTER DIOCESE EDUCATION SERVICE
Registered Charity Number 233699
To: Chairmen of Governing Bodies of Roman Catholic Schools in the
Diocese of Westminster. Cc: Headteachers
16 March 2001
The Education Board has received notification from Tony Mackersie, Director of the Department of Schools, of his intention to retire from the service on 31 December 2001. The Cardinal, advised by the Board, is actively considering the nature of his replacement and it is likely that a national advertisement will be published early in the summer term.
The Education Board is pleased to announce that the post of Property Development Officer in the Department of Schools has been filled by the appointment of Mrs Sally Livesey. Mrs Livesey is currently an education planning officer with Hertfordshire LEA. It is hoped that she will be able to take up her new post early in the summer term.
2 Senior Appointments: Reminder.
Please note that when a vacancy arises in ANY Catholic school for a head or deputy head teacher, there is an expectation that the Archbishop will be invited to send a representative to the appointment meetings. This fulfils the requirements of canon law and is therefore a legal requirement in most schools. The WDES is, in any case, always pleased to advise on procedures.
When such a vacancy arises in a maintained school, there is an additional requirement in civil law that both the chief education officer of the maintaining authority and the diocesan director must be informed in writing before any further action is taken. The subsequent procedure to be followed for the Archbishop to be represented depends on whether the governing body has accorded advisory rights to the CEO. Further detailed advice is contained in The Appointment of Staff in Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Westminster circulated to all schools in June 2000.
In the case of headteacher vacancies only, the WDES issues additional guidance to the chairman of the governing body when the vacancy is notified. This includes draft documentation on floppy disk which can be customised for the school. For deputy headteacher appointments, the school will need to produce its own documentation, but should take careful account of the published guidance on job descriptions, application forms and contracts.
The Director of the Department of Schools decides who will represent the Archbishop, taking into account availability, workload and local factors. The area RE adviser normally represents him at proceedings in primary schools and it is therefore sensible to make early contact by telephone with the adviser to discuss dates. If the adviser is not available, she will contact the Director so that an alternative can be found. Please note, however, that making contact with the adviser is an additional measure and does not relieve the governing body of the duty to write to the Director.
(Contact Ian Beck on 0207 798 9005)
Further to Mgr. Barltrop’s recent letter, it has been agreed that a working party of serving primary and secondary headteachers will be convened to agree a draft service level agreement for recommendation to all schools. It is anticipated that the working party will meet before the end of this term. Please be assured that invoices for professional services will not be issued to schools before a service level agreement has been agreed.
(Contact Tony Mackersie on 0207 798 9005)
You may be aware that
there is currently no centrally held record of the exact geographical
boundaries of parishes within the diocese.
Where no records exist, difficulties may arise for school governing
bodies considering admissions where the policy gives priority to residents of
the parish.
Some parishes and schools
hold records locally. In some cases,
these have emerged as a result of co-operative work between schools and
parishes. The WDES is now attempting to
compile a central record of parish boundaries which will be offered to the
vicars general as the basis for an agreed map of the diocese. If your school or parish has such a map,
please send a good quality copy of it to Paul Barber at Vaughan House together
with a note indicating the parties to its agreement. This will ensure that it
is not necessary for others to duplicate such work in the future.
(Please contact Paul Barber on 0207 798 9005)
The new Annex 5 of the DfEE Guide to the Law for School Governors, which deals with the Human Rights Act states that schools should check that their insurance cover covers all aspects of HRA litigation. Consequently a number of schools have enquired about the diocesan insurance.
As chapter 5 of the Guide rightly points out, in maintained schools it is the LEA which has the financial responsibility for these matters. Most LEAs pay for this insurance centrally or stand the risk themselves. They may instead delegate funding for governing bodies to make their own insurance arrangements, in which case the school should check that its own insurance is adequate (as should independent schools). The diocesan insurance is a reserve provision which is only used when an LEA refuses to accept its legal responsibilities. However, in those circumstances, our insurers have confirmed that all aspects of HRA litigation would be covered.
(For further information,
please contact Paul Barber on 020 7798 9005)
The DfEE have extended the deadline for this consultation until 14 March. A copy of the diocesan response can be found on the WDES website at: http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ianbeck/govconsult.html
(For further information, please contact Paul Barber on 020 7798 9005)
It has been customary in the past for some maintained schools to use the registered charity number of the diocese or their religious order on their headed notepaper. Recent legislation, which clarified the charitable status of governing bodies of maintained schools, means that this practice is now unlawful. All such governing bodies were made exempt charities under the School Standards and Framework Act. The statement “An exempt charity in the trusteeship of the Archdiocese of Westminster / Congregation of… / Society of … / etc.” is sufficient to comply with current legislation. When replacing headed notepaper, schools should also check that the name of the school is exactly as set out in its instrument of government, as the law does not now allow any other name to be used.
Independent schools which are registered charities should use their own registered number. Those which are not should seek their own legal advice, which is available from this office.
(For further information,
please contact Paul Barber on 020 7798 9005)
Enclosed are Spirit of the Season leaflets, one entitled Lent 2001 and the other Easter 2001. Each leaflet gives ideas and themes for use in school relevant to the liturgical season. You are free to photocopy them and pass them on.
9 Annual holocaust memorial day –
Catholic leaflet
Catholic schools
and parishes across England and Wales have received a leaflet helping them to
mark the first Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January 2001. The leaflet is
available on the website of the Bishops' Conference, at www.catholic-ew.org.uk
in the Documents section, and from the Catholic Media Office. The Government
has established the annual Holocaust Memorial Day as 27 January. A special
Government website, which sets out the Day's aims and projects, may be found at
www.holocaustmemorialday.gov.uk
(For further information contact Peter Keenan, Secretary of the Committee for Catholic-Jewish Relations, 020 8422 8084.)
A national conference, free to those going for the first time, is offered on the weekend of 23/24 June at Wokefield Park, Reading. National RE figures such as Angela Wright, Trevor Cooling, John Keast, Barbara Wintersgill, Lat Blaylock, Jane Brooke and Stephen Orchard are invited leaders at it. The focus is mainly on RE in county schools.
(Further
details from your RE Adviser or go to http://www.culham.ac.uk/sg/conf_fs.html
)
The dates of the Study Days for RE coordinators are Thursday 21 May at Maria Assumpta and Tuesday 26 May at All Saints, London Colney. The theme of the identical days is The Use of Story in Primary RE and will be led by Maurice Lynch. Further details and application forms will be circulated after Easter.
St Mary’s College is now recruiting for the next cohort for the Religious Education PGCE full time course. Trainees are given a salary of £6,000 for the course.
(For further details contact the department
secretary on 020 8240 4160. )
Catholic Evangelisation Services based at the All Saints Pastoral Centre are continuing to produce Catholic Teaching video resources. Following on from Fr. Cantalamessa's series "Drink From the Wells of the Church" and Dr. D'Ambrosio's "Exploring the Catholic Church", a new series entitled "Catholics Listening to God" is now available. It consists of seven talks given by Mgr Mark Coleridge, a Biblical scholar now working in the Secretariat of State at the Vatican. In an engaging way he looks at how God speaks to us through Scripture, Tradition and the Teaching of the Church. This series is also available on audio and has an accompanying course manual which gives Scripture / Catechism quotes and small group questions etc. The series can be used very flexibly – it can be used with teachers as INSET, with sixth formers, and with parents. For more details and a sample video please call Catholic Evangelisation Services 01727 823803, Fax 822837.
The Annual Conference for those in Youth Ministry
which was postponed from Sat. 3rd February 2001 will now take place on Saturday
9 June 2001 at All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney. The theme is 'REACH OUT; Mind - Body - Spirit OUTREACH '.
(For
further information please contact Moira Wilson at Vaughan House on 020 7798
9006 or Sandra Satchell at SPEC on 01727 828888.)
15 CCRS Study Day – Jesus
Christ
The next CCRS study day is on Saturday 12 May 2001 at Vaughan House. The topic is Jesus Christ, and the day will begin at 10am. Prior registration is preferable, but registrations - from 9.30 a.m. - are welcome on the day. The module fee is £15 (£6.50 study day only). Poster enclosed.
(For further information contact Moira Wilson on 020 7798 9006.)
16 Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Inuente
The link ‘Holy Year’ on the Diocesan webpage is to the text of the Apostolic Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II ‘At the beginning of the New Millennium’, which is posted on the Vatican website. The letter and its access is commended. The address of the diocesan webpage is http://www.westminsterdiocese.org.uk
(For further information contact Anthony
Clark on 020 7798 9006.)
17 SACRE Representatives needed
We are looking for suitable volunteers to be on the SACRE’s in three boroughs, Enfield, Islington and Westminster. It involves three twilight meetings a year.
(If anybody would like more information,
please contact Anthony Clark 020 7798 9006.)
The committee of the World of Work of the Bishops Conference has published a booklet A Spirituality of Work. Schools will find this useful on two fronts. Passages may be used in meetings and prayer with staff to help develop a spirituality of vocation to their calling in the school community, and with the pupils, especially in the context of citizenship, to see the dignity of work.
(Copies cost £2.50 and may be ordered from
the Catholic Media Office tel 020 7828 8709.)
19 Catholic Schools and the Common Good: What This Means in Educational Practice.
Please find enclosed an order
form for this publication produced by Professor Grace at the Institute of
Education. This has been described by
Archbishop Nichols as ‘A very useful document’.
(Orders to the Education Bookshop at the Institute, please, not the WDES.)
End.