Westminster Diocese Education Service

Bulletin 2 1998

5 March 1998.

Dear Chairman,

 Enclosed is a booking form for the Primary Headteachers' Conference on Tuesday 5 May - Wednesday 6 May. Also enclosed is a draft timetable. The theme is Celebrating our Christian Values. Could you return the booking form with your cheque by Monday 27 April.

2. Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) Study Day

The next study day for the CCRS is on Morality on Saturday 9 May 1998 at Vaughan House. The day will be led by Julie Clague from St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill. The day begins at 10am, ending 4pm. The subsequent module is on the Old Testament on 19 September 1998. It costs £15.00 for a module but £6.50 for the day only. Registration is possible on the day but booking in advance is preferable.

 At the beginning of March, the website of Westminster Cathedral was activated on the world wide web. It is a substantial site incorporating a history of the cathedral, an interactive floor plan, a liturgical diary for the coming months and details of the various works assisted by the Cathedral, including The Passage and the Cardinal Hume Centre. It may be a useful teaching resource in a variety of RE contexts. Do visit the site at the following address: http://www.westminstercathedral.org. uk

A copy of the programme being run jointly by the London Diocesan Board for Schools (LDBS) and the Westminster Diocese Education Service is enclosed. For any session on this programme, governors of Catholic and Church of England Schools must complete the appropriate application form and send it, together with a cheque for five pounds per person per course, made payable to LMC Ltd, to Mitch Gallacher, LDBS, 36 Causton Street, London SW1P 4AU.

 One new venture on the programme is the 'governors' question time', planned for Saturday, 9 May at St Joseph's, Hendon. This is not a planned session but rather an opportunity for governors (and others) to raise any issues of interest or concern.

The WDES continues to provide support for governors in Roman Catholic schools through bespoke sessions for individual governing bodies, deaneries and clusters of any kind. These are arranged by schools themselves and there is no charge.

 In the autumn term, the WDES will be offering sessions on religious education and worship; admissions and exclusions issues (including appeals); the governing body as employer; school buildings: maintenance and development and the effective governing body. These will be presented at Vaughan House, Hendon or Stevenage, unless any school volunteers to act as host.

Tony Mackersie wrote to all primary headteachers (with the exception of those in Hertfordshire) on 25 November, 1997 suggesting the means by which we could secure, at local level, representation on the Early Years Development Partnership and requesting nominations. To date, we have not yet received nominations from the following areas:

Camden, Hackney, Haringey,

Hounslow , Richmond , Tower Hamlets, Westminster.

May we ask that schools in these local authority areas respond to the invitation to nominate a representative, otherwise we will lose the opportunity afforded us by the Secretary of State for representation in the planning of early years provision. Please disregard this request if you have recently done so.

 We are pleased to announce the following appointments;

 Ealing, Our Lady of the Visitation

Bruno Grzegorzek, formerly deputy headteacher.

 Hackney, St Monica

John McKinley, formerly headteacher, St Joseph, Camden.

 Hertfordshire, John F. Kennedy

Bernadette Jenkins, formerly deputy headteacher, St James, Barnet. (w.e.f 1 Sep. 1998)

 Any school seeking to appoint a caretaker is invited to contact Eileen Mularkey, headteacher of St. Augustine, Hammersmith on 0171 385 4333.

Yours sincerely,

 Anthony Clark - Director Anthony Mackersie - Director

RE & Catechesis Dept Schools Administration Department