Registered Charity Number 233699

WDES Bulletin 3/98

 NB Items marked * do not apply to independent schools

24 April 1998.

Dear Chairman,

 We are delighted to able to announce the appointment of Mr David Squires to the post of Property Development Officer (Schools & Colleges). David currently holds a similar position in the Diocese of Brentwood and has long experience of working with Catholic schools on development and capital funding issues. He takes up his post on 1 June 1998 and will be located in the Schools Administration Department of the WDES. His appointment completes the changes announced by Bishop Nichols in his letter of 2 April. All enquiries concerning the physical development of diocesan schools should be addressed to him in the first instance. His telephone number will be the same as the other officers in the department, 0171 798 9005.

 2. Senior Appointment

 We are pleased to announce the following appointment:

Patricia McDonald, formerly deputy headteacher.

The study day, which begins the new cycle of the CCRS, is on the Old Testament on Saturday 19th September 1998 at Vaughan House. The day begins at 10am, ending 4pm. It costs £15.00 for a module but £6.50 for the day only. Registration is possible on the day but advance booking is preferable. (Contact Moira Wilson on 0171 798 9006 for further details and booking form.)

 4. Living Theology

 The annual Living Theology summer school is 1st to 7th August 1998 at Ushaw College.

 5. Training Courses for Catechists starting September 98

 Courses in theology and catechesis are offered in various centres in the diocese, including:-

 Education for Parish Service – Chelsea 0171 349 5613

Allen Hall Diploma Course – Allen Hall 0171 349 5624,

Allen Hall Diploma Course – London Colney 01727 826 014

Key Catechists Course – Hendon 0181 202 3611

 Through the good offices of a volunteer expert, an informative and visually rich WebPage has been created for the Cathedral. Its address is http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk (For further information contact Anthony Clark on 0171 798 9006.)

 7. Leaflets useful for Religious Education

Seasonal leaflets to promote discussion and action, produced jointly by WDES and the ecumenical group Christians Aware, are now available. The children’s sets are suitable for primary and middle school children, and the adult sets may be helpful for older secondary pupils as well as staff. The topics currently available are Pentecost, Trinity, Finding God in the Summer Holidays and Pilgrimage. A poster is enclosed. (For further details contact Margaret Sheldon on 0171 798 9006.)

 In August 1997 the Library, now under new management, moved to new premises in Lancing Street, just outside Euston Station. Its collection of books is both Catholic and ecumenical, and it is a great resource for adults taking degree/diploma courses in theology, religious studies and spirituality and for sixth-formers taking ‘A’ level theology. There is a wealth of information and inspiration to be found there for many areas of Catholic life. For the moment the Library is benefiting from funds obtained from several trusts, but its long-term future depends upon securing a steady income from subscribers – individuals, parishes, religious houses and schools. Details of membership are listed on the enclosed leaflet. (Leaflet enclosed for headteachers only.) (For further information contact Mrs Joan Bond on 0171 383 4333).

Two almost identical study days have been organised for Primary RE Co-ordinators. They are on Wednesday 17 June 1998 at Vaughan House and Friday 19 June at All Saints London Colney. They are entitled ‘Our Revealing God’ and look at the aims of RE in the Curriculum Directory and the area of study Revelation in relation to them. In this mailing an envelope is enclosed for the RE Co-ordinator which gives further information and an application form. They should be returned by the 5 June 1998 at the latest. (For further information contact Margaret Sheldon on 0171 798 9006.)

 Matthew James Publishing Ltd publishes a new resource for Heads and teachers to help with preparing prayer and worship in the school, in three parts. It is entitled Praying each day of the year and each day starts with either a story or the anniversary of an event or discovery. It is by Nicholas Hutchinson, a de la Salle brother who initially was doing the series together with Br Damien Lundy. Vol. 1 covers January to April, Vol. 2 May to August and Vol. 3 September to December. Each volume costs £5 or £12 for the set. (For further details contact Matthew James on 01245 347710.)

The offices at Vaughan House have had a computer network installed and all members of the Education Service now have an individual email address. The two general addresses continue i.e. wdes@dial.pipex.com for the RE and Catechesis Dept, and wdes2@rmplc.co.uk for the Schools Administration Dept.

 The format of the address is identical in every case, i.e. initial and surname in one word, followed by @westminsterdiocese.org.uk. e.g. amackersie@westminsterdiocese.org.uk. The other names are aclark, jleith, ptopp, ibeck, mwilson, msheldon, glongville, ccampbell, mfuller and ssisters for Sr Patrice and Sr Doreen.

 12. Performance and Assessment (PANDA) Reports *

OFSTED has already supplied each LEA, in confidence, a CD-ROM with PANDA reports on individual schools in their authority. LEAs are not allowed to make the information available to members. A hard copy is being sent to the headteacher of every school and the covering letter will encourage headteachers to share the PANDA with the governing body. The PANDA contains information which both OFSTED and LEAs expect the headteacher and senior staff to use to:

 Measure progress and identify areas for further improvement

1. Agree targets
2. Help the school’s own self-evaluation and inform the development plan.

You should know that:

1. Most of the information contained in PANDAs is already public. The significance of the PANDA reports is that they bring all the data together for the first time.
2. Given the widespread expectation that Headteachers will share all the data with the governing body, headteachers are advised that they should have cogent reasons for not doing so.
3. Headteachers and governors will need to agree their policy on making PANDA reports more widely available. Schools with good reports are likely to publish them. A refusal to publish might well be seen as a tacit admission of a school’s poor performance. Perhaps PANDA reports could be made available to those who specifically ask for a copy.

 1*. St Joan of Arc: Islington Mr Brian Archer (Dep)

 2*. Sacred Heart Junior: Hamm & Fulham Mrs S Cunningham (Dep)

 3*. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart: Islington Miss E Wright (secondment)

 4. St Paul: Cheshunt TBA

 5. Rosary: Camden (maternity leave) Mrs Suzy Harris (Dep)

 6. St Joseph: Highgate Miss Shirley Richards (Dep)

7. Holy Family: Poplar Mrs Veronica Wallace (Dep)

 8. Tyburn Infant: St John's Wood Mrs Eileen Weller (Secondment)

 9. St Vincent de Paul: Westminster Mrs Maureen Donnelly (Dep)

 10. SS Mary & Michael: Tower Hamlets Mrs Josephine Leamon (secondment)

Information and application forms were sent to all schools last term on the following;

The diocesan twilight course on leadership in Catholic education at Vaughan House in Sept/ Oct 1998

The Eastern region residential course for aspiring Catholic headteachers at London Colney in November 1998-04-22

The Eastern region residential course for aspiring Catholic deputy headteachers at London Colney in January 1999

It is recognised that potential leaders currently serving in small primary schools may find it difficult to gain access to the four-day residential courses since the overall cost of both the course and lesson cover may claim a significant percentage of the schools’ inset budget. It may be possible for the Eastern Region to pay the full cost for one primary teacher to attend either of the residential courses leaving the school to fund only the four day lesson cover. Where a primary headteacher feels that there is a candidate worthy of recommendation, but where the school cannot fund attendance, contact should be made with Joan Leith as early as possible so that the case can be considered.

 Formal invitations will be sent out in the next few weeks to headteachers who have taken up or left headship appointments in the present academic year and to their chairs of governors, to attend Mass in the cathedral crypt at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday 1 July.

 The following successful bids in Phase 2 of the NDS programme were announced on the 16 April by the DfEE.

 LEA SCHOOL PROJECT

 K&C Sion Manning Provision of fire alarm system

 Islington Mount Carmel Renewal of boilers

St John the Evangelist Installation of central heating

 Haringey St Martin of Porres Roof renewals

 Camden St Patrick’s Replacement of electrical installation

 Hertfordshire John F Kennedy Replacement of 4 mobile classrooms

 Hillingdon St Mary’s Replacement of heating system / new

reception area.

 Harrow St Joseph’s Renewal of boilers

 Barnet Our Lady of Lourdes Renewal of boilers

Sacred Heart Replacement of electrical installation

 Please note that you should now have to hand the Revised Teacher Capability Procedure, which has been produced by the CES following consultation with the DfEE and the Teacher Associations. It is the expectation of the Education Board that this procedure be adopted for use in maintained Catholic schools in the Diocese of Westminster with effect from 1 September 1998.

It appears that some LEAs are continuing to insist that their procedure be used in voluntary aided schools. This is not the case and we would be grateful if any difficulties of this kind were referred to the Schools Administration Department.

 Yours sincerely,

Anthony Mackersie - Director - Schools Administration Dept

Anthony Clark - Director - RE and Catechesis Dept