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St Mary & St John Church of England V.A. Primary School

North Luffenham, Rutland

Diocesan Board of Education

The Diocesan Board of Education supports over 100 Church of England schools in the Diocese of Peterborough. Its mission is to promote

“Christian Education, excelling in quality, distinctive in sharing God’s love.”

A Church School is held under trust by the Church but maintained either by the Local Authority or, if it is an Academy, by its Academy Trust.

There are particular expectations of a Church School that are inspected periodically under a process known as SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools). This inspection evaluates four aspects of the life of the school:

  • the Christian distinctiveness of the school;
  • the impact of Collective Worship for the pupils;
  • the teaching of Religious Education;
  • the leadership and management of the school as a Church School.

Please read the full 2019 SIAMS report here

Church Schools benefit from the support of the local church, the clergy and the worshipping congregation. The church is represented on the school governing body. In a Voluntary Aided School the church governors are in the majority.

Pupils attending Church Schools are expected to take part in collective worship. This will be  Christian (Church of England) in content, but all faiths are recognised with a particular emphasis on the impact of faith on the way individuals lead their lives.

Church Schools follow either the locally agreed syllabus for Religious Education or in VA schools, a syllabus set by the school's governing body, which concentrates on Christianity and other world religions. 

In Voluntary Aided Schools, the Governing Body can, to some extent, prioritise places at the school for those expressing a wish for an education in a Church of England School. However, the overriding concern is for Church Schools to serve their local communities.

The Diocesan Board of Education supports schools through a range of activities including:

  • Headteachers’ Conference
  • New Head Teachers’ Induction
  • Governor training courses
  • Individual school support through experienced consultants
  • Staff training
  • Attendance at Governing Body meetings
  • Pastoral support from local clergy
  • Bespoke packages for schools.

The offices of the Diocesan Board are in Northampton. The telephone number is 01604-887006 and the email is: education@peterborough-diocese.org.uk