WESTMINSTER DIOCESE EDUCATION SERVICE
Cc Headteachers
12 July 2002
The Cathedral Mass to celebrate Catholic Education at
the start of the Academic Year is to be held on 9 September 2002 at 7.00 pm and
not as previously notified.
We have brought forward the date of the Cathedral Mass because of an unavoidable change in the Cardinal’s diary. This has meant a slight delay in sending out the invitations. There will be between 4 and 6 invitations for every school and college, depending on the school’s size. Heads are encouraged to bring a representative group from the school staff and governors.
A working group, with the help of different schools, has prepared the Mass. We hope that the theme, In Celebration of Catholic Education, provides a fitting start to the academic year. We are looking forward to seeing you there.
(Contact Rita Price on 020
7798 9006)
2 Self Evaluation and Catholic Schools and Colleges.
At our recent head teachers’
conference days on self-evaluation, the heads of schools agreed that
self-evaluation is an important means of support in the development of our work.
The three conferences were well attended.
To help this development several colleagues have agreed to meet to
review the materials and to propose a common direction for self evaluation. The work will build on what is being done
already in schools and colleges across the diocese. I am proposing three
meetings to achieve the task:
Thursday 18 July, 9–11 am Vaughan House all volunteers
Friday 6 September, 9-11 am Vaughan House primary group
Tuesday 17 September, 3–5 pm Vaughan House secondary group
(Contact Rita Price on 020
7798 9006)
3 Conferences set up by groups of schools.
A note of thanks to those schools who have funded conferences recently for other diocesan schools, notably, St Charles College for many post 16 theology students and The Douay Martyrs special conference for newly qualified staff. Also, several schools are looking forward to the schools day on 2 September organised by Kevin Gallagher with Gervase Phinn speaking at the Commonwealth Institute. Please note for your further information, Daniel Keane, headteacher of St Peter and St Paul’s Clerkenwell has booked the same speaker for the Spring Term for Friday 24 January. Daniel invites interested headteachers to contact him. The day would interest especially, deputy headteachers and English co-ordinators.
(Please contact Daniel Keane
directly on 0207 253 0839).
4 WDES Staffing.
Two colleagues from the Department of Schools are leaving at the end of the summer term:
Sister Doreen Casey. Sr Doreen joined the Diocesan Education Service 11 years ago after 20 years service as headteacher of Sion-Manning School in Kensington. She is leaving to establish a new community for her order in Oxford.
Ian Beck. After 8 years service as an Education Officer in the department, Ian is leaving to take up the position of School Place Planning Officer with Surrey LEA.
We wish both colleagues every success and happiness in their new roles.
Earlier this year head teachers were asked to encourage all teachers employed in Catholic education to complete a personnel questionnaire to be posted on the CES web-site.
The data from this return will assist diocesan and national planning for leadership and professional progress, for RE course provision and possibly for governor training. It will only be used for this purpose. To date there has only been just over a 5% return. In an endeavour to secure a comprehensive return the questionnaire will be available beyond the end of term to the end of July.
The questionnaire pages can be reached directly at the following web addresses www.cesw.org.uk/questionnaire or www.catholiceducation.org.uk/questionnaire
(Contact Maureen Roe on 020 7798 9005)
6 Professional Bursaries for teachers in
their fourth and fifth years of teaching
*
This professional bursaries national scheme from the DfES took effect from 1 April 2002.Through the scheme, teachers in their fourth and fifth years of service can apply for a bursary of £500 in each year to fund activities that will lead to their professional development. Teachers can obtain information packs and claim forms by telephoning the professional bursaries help line on 0845 039 0208 or by visiting http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/bursaries and downloading a claim form. The Aspiring Deputy Heads Course advertised on Bulletin 03.02 would be a legitimate way to spend part of this grant.
(Contact Maureen Roe on 020 7798 9005)
7 Towards
Leadership of a Catholic School
There may be staff in school who are considering promotion to Deputy Headship but feel that the Aspiring Deputy’s Course is not for them at the moment, yet they want to know more about Leadership in a Catholic School. Please draw their attention to the enclosed flier Leadership in a Catholic School.
(Responses/comments to Maureen Roe on 0207798 9005 or mroe@rcdow.org.uk )
8 Governor
Training
Please find enclosed a flier advertising Induction Training for new governors entitled The Governor’s Role in the Mission of the Church. Also included are some suggestions for further governor training / possible conferences etc.
(Responses /comments to Maureen Roe on 0207798 9005 or mroe@rcdow.org.uk )
The next study day
for the CCRS is on Saturday 21 September 2002 at Vaughan House, starting at
10am. The topic is the Old Testament and the main speaker is Fr Mark Langham.
This is an ideal point to start the CCRS, and extra tutorials centres are being
set up, one in East London and one in West London. Participants can register on
the day but prior registration is appreciated.
(Contact Moira
Wilson on 020 8202 3611 or by email mwilson@rcdow.org.uk
)
Moira Wilson is moving office to Westminster
House at Hendon. Her address is Westminster House, Watford Way, Hendon, London
NW4 4TY and her phone is 020 8202 3611.
Her email remains unchanged mwilson@rcdow.org.uk
The Westminster
Diocese Yearbook is now available online at www.westminsteryearbook.org.uk All schools are listed by borough.
(Contact
Anthony Clark on 020 8202 3611 or by email aclark@rcdow.org.uk)
12 14-19 Regional Conference. *
This conference, titled Practical Partnerships for Catholic Schools, will be held on Thursday 14 November at Vaughan House. The cost will be £25 per person (£20 per person for those attending from schools which contribute to the SLA). Please note the date: Further details will follow in September.
13 Good
News Slot.
q Paul Patrick (Cardinal Wiseman, Ealing) and Margaret Dixon (Our Lady’s Convent High School, Hackney) were recently amongst a group of headteachers of outstanding schools invited to Highgrove to share their experiences with HRH the Prince of Wales.
q Jacqueline Elliot, a governor at Holy Rood School in Watford, has been awarded the MBE in the recent honours list.
q St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Pottery Lane, has started work on its ‘classroom of the future’.
q Finchley Catholic High School, Barnet, has been awarded Business and Enterprise College status with effect from 1 September.
Congratulations to all these friends and colleagues.
We hope to make this a regular slot in the new look bulletin coming out in September. Please let us have your good news to share.
14 Enclosures:
Please find enclosed with this bulletin
q Model Public Interest Disclosure Policy: Some LEAs have recommended that governing bodies adopt these policies. This is not a legal requirement, but those considering doing so may find the enclosure helpful.
q Guidance for Catholic Maintained Schools on the Roles of Trustees, Governing Bodies and Head Teachers. This paper has been used for a year or so as support document for advice/training sessions. Participants on these sessions have suggested that it merits wider circulation for general guidance.
q Peace event sponsored by Pax Christi; A flier advertising an event on 21 September.
q
Leadership in a Catholic School.
q
The Governor’s Role in the Mission of the Church
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