Education Service
Bulletin
2/03 Easter 2003
Admissions: Consultation on Diocesan Priest’s
Reference Form
As part
of the on-going consultation on changes to the school admissions framework, enclosed
is a consultation document on proposed improvements to the Diocesan Priest’s
Reference Form, first introduced in the diocese in 1999. This has been used successfully in many parts of
the diocese since then, but in other parts of the diocese the form is not used
widely.
The
purpose of the form is to allow governing bodies, in those parts of the diocese
where there are insufficient places for all Catholics, to give higher
preference to practising Catholics, based on a consistent Priest’s Reference. Many
schools have asked us to try to increase the consistency of these references.
We are working with the dioceses of Southwark and Brentwood to achieve this.
Please help us by letting us know your views by Monday 12th May 2003.
Head teachers will find enclosed with this bulletin the second
edition of the list of potential recruits for our Catholic schools. The first
edition for 2003 was sent with the February Bulletin. Any queries
please contact Maureen Roe on 0207 798
9005 or e-mail maureenroe@rcdow.org.uk.
Religious Education Teachers -
Secondary Schools
Do you have a potential Religious Education
Teacher vacancy for September? If so, you may wish to register this in the
first instance with Maureen Roe or the school’s Secondary Adviser. The Mater ei
Institute in Dublin, which trains Religious Education teachers for second level
(Secondary), has approached the diocese about the possible recruitment of their
students to vacancies in the UK. (Contact Maureen Roe on 0207 798 9005, or
e-mail maureenroe@rcdow.org.uk)
Some
changes to employment law come into effect this month (April). A summary of the
changes and some guidance for their application accompany this bulletin.
Many
thanks to all those who returned the questionnaire about the possible content
of revised guidance on the appointment processes for senior staff. Almost all
of these replies were from heads. If any more colleagues, especially governors,
would like to feed back their opinions, please do so, to Liz Duffy, by May 9th.
All responses will be incorporated into the new guidance, which is being
drafted at the moment. (Contact Liz Duffy on 0207 798 9005 or email
elizabethduffy@rcdow.org.uk)
Calling
all Watford Schools
We understand that Watford postcodes have changed. Could all Watford schools
please email their new codes to greenylongville@rcdow.org.uk
The module on Catechesis, one of the specialist modules of the CCRS,
is offered on two Saturdays - 17th May and 7th June - starting at 10am at
Vaughan House. Each study day lasts five hours so the unit is completed without
further tutorials. (Contact Moira Wilson on 020 8202 3611 or by e-mail moirawilson@rcdow.org.uk)
Lent is a time when we naturally think of others in difficulty or need
and ask how we can help. The Christians in the Holy Land are suffering and
their young people's education is being disrupted and under threat. There is a
Trust which offers help and prayer by linking with nominated schools. Their website - www.CambridgeNazarethTrust.org
- contains information about the Christian Schools and the work of the Latin
Patriarchate in sustaining the Christian community. If this is of interest,
please get in contact with the Trust through the website or write to The
Secretary, 8 Nursery Drive, Wellingborough, Northants. NN8 4HE for support
material - posters, CDs, Newsletters - to help with group work.
Good News Slot
Congratulations to St Michael’s Grammar School, North Finchley,
whose ‘Value Added’ scores in the recent tables put the school first
among Catholic secondary schools in the country and in the top 5% of
schools nationally in both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Congratulations, too,
to Mount Carmel Technology College, Islington and Sacred Heart High,
Hammersmith who appeared in the top 25% of schools nationally in
both Key Stages.
Finchley Catholic High School featured in the top 100 improved maintained schools. Well
done to them.
Special congratulations to St Anselm’s Primary School, Southall
and St Edmund’s Primary School, Tower Hamlets, both of which have
very recently come out of Special Measures. They are rightly
celebrating all the hard work and dedication that made this outcome possible.
Many thanks from both head teachers to their colleagues in the diocese, especially
fellow Catholic heads, for their support during some difficult days.
Please keep the good news rolling in to Liz Duffy (elizabethduffy@rcdow.org.uk)
Updated disciplinary (misconduct), capability and
grievance procedures – as well as a brand new sickness absence procedure – are
being prepared for schools by the Catholic Education Service (CES). They are in
draft form at the moment. We will alert schools to these new policies as soon
as they have been finalised and we will offer training in their use to head
teachers and governors. More on this when we receive the final version. In the
meantime, all queries or requests for support on such matters should be
addressed to Liz Duffy on 0207 798 9005 or email
elizabethduffy@rcdow.org.uk.
LSC 14-19 Strategic Area Reviews
Local Learning and Skills Councils are likely to
start the process of 14-19 Strategic Area Reviews in the very near future. The
diocese intends to work closely with each of them in this process, which will
affect every secondary school and sixth-form college. An early part of the
process will be a request that institutions review their educational character
and mission.
The diocese is concerned that the consultation proposals from the
National LSC did not sufficiently recognise the roles of the trustees and the
diocese in relation to the educational character and mission of voluntary
schools. (For a copy of our response to the consultation, see www.rcdow.org.uk/education.) For
clarity, a reminder that it is the trustees of Catholic schools and colleges
that determine its educational character and mission, which is then preserved
and developed by the governing body, under the supervision of the
local bishop. It is therefore essential that the trustees and the diocese are
involved from the outset in any discussions of this nature. Further guidance
will be issued in due course when the outcome of the consultation is known.
(Contact Paul Barber: 020 7798 9005, e-mail: paulbarber@rcdow.org.uk.)
Governors, please put this important training date in your diaries,
particularly those of you who are involved, or might wish to be involved, in
the performance management of head teachers. The training will be held at The
Niland Conference Centre, Rosary Priory, 93, Elstree Rd, Bushey Heath. The
training session will start at 10 00 am
and finish at 1 00 pm. A booking form, further details and directions to
The Niland Centre will be sent to schools shortly. (Contact Maureen Roe on 0207 798 9005 or e-mail maureenroe@rcdow.org.)
Appointment of Foundation Governors - 1st
Sept 2003
On 31st August 2003, the terms of
office for the majority of the foundation governors in schools in diocesan
trusteeship come to an end. This will be the first time that the new appointments
have been made centrally (they were previously administered by the Areas). The
Education Service will be sending full details of these procedures to clerks of
governing bodies early in the summer term. The information will also be sent to
chairmen of governing bodies and to head teachers at the same time. Associated
with these appointments, there will be a governor recruitment campaign across
the diocese. Schools and Parishes will be sent appropriate publicity materials
and are requested to assist with recruitment for these important positions.
Where a Governing Body has a current casual
vacancy, and no suitable potential foundation governor has submitted a Form
OS to Vaughan House before 1st June, the filling of the vacancy
will become part of the re-appointment process outlined above. (Contact
Maureen Roe on 0207 798 9005, or e-mail maureenroe@rcdow.org.uk)
The DfES has just completed a consultation on regulations
about governing body procedures. These regulations come into force on 1st
September 2003 and will replace the existing School Government Regulations
1999. If the proposals are accepted the new changes will mean more flexible
governing bodies. Full guidance will be issued over the summer.
A(nother ) New Framework for Governing Body
Constitution !*
Many governors will remember that all governing
bodies were reconstituted as recently as 1999. Well, here we go again!! The new
Education Act 2002 requires all governing bodies to be reconstituted in
accordance with the new framework between September 2003 and September 2006, so
there is no rush. The range of sizes of governing body available to Catholic
schools is more restricted than those available to community schools because of
the necessity to preserve the foundation majority. As was the case last time,
the diocese will provide full advice and model Instruments of Government to all
schools, and will liaise directly with all LEAs to ensure that the transition
goes smoothly. It is not anticipated that most schools will need to take any
action on this matter until next year at the earliest. We will, nevertheless,
be issuing briefing papers later this year. (Contact Paul Barber on 020 7798
9005 or e-mail: paulbarber@rcdow.org.uk)
Over the weekend of 11-13th July 2003 the diocese is offering a
conference on the RCIA Vision, both for those new to it as well as catechists
already involved with it. There is also a day conference for priests only on
Friday 11th. Both are led by
Fr Martin Jakubas, a priest from the Arundel and Brighton Diocese – he is a
member of the RCIA Network Executive. The weekend conference starts at 5pm on
Friday 11th and ends after lunch on Sunday 13th, at All Saints, London Colney.
For further details contact Maria Leondiou, Secretary of the Department of
Lifelong Learning and of the Education Service at Westminster House, Watford
Way, Hendon, London NW4 4TY Tel 020 8202 3611.
Regular maintenance and
testing of elements of the school premises is of vital importance. Under the arrangements for Fair Funding,
schools now carry the responsibilities of ensuring that maintenance and testing
of electrical and mechanical installations are carried out on a regular basis. Non
compliance with any of the statutory regulations made under the Health and
Safety at Work Act 1974, which give rise to a reportable incident, will result
in an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive and may lead to those
responsible being prosecuted. Many diocesan schools buy in to the LEA for
this service, but if your school does not do this, then you must arrange for
alternative providers to do so. If you
use one of our regular building consultants, they have agreed to provide advice
on this, but not necessarily to undertake the work themselves. If anyone needs evidence of tests having
taken place, then please send copies of the relevant documents – the
originals must be kept on site.
The ability to
demonstrate that regular maintenance has taken place will assist in any bids
put forward for upgrading or replacing such parts of the school premises, when
they are beyond economical repair.
Vaughan
House • 46 Francis Street • London • SW1P 1QN • Tel: 020 7798 9005 Fax: 020
7798 9013
E-mail:
greenylongville@rcdow.org.uk • Registered Charity
No. 233699