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Welcome back!
Blazers slightly too big; pencil cases unusually shiny and well stocked; school bags still smelling fresh from the recent delivery.
Nervous parents walking a bit too close to the school gate, shedding a watershed tear or two as they leave their quickly adapting young to become learners.
Fearful, anxious children hoping to find a friend quickly – to fit in, to not stand out, to be accepted and secure for the first time.
Teachers becoming heroes in children’s eyes with a welcome, a smile, an assurance, and the joy of learning together.
Older students who have finally made it to the top of the tree – the Year 6s who seem like they only joined a moment ago – the Year 13s ready for their final year and preparing for departure.
The usual beautiful normal things of the return to school.
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While all of these things unfold across the country and some kind of normality begins to return, and communities begin to re-establish, it is a return to Autumn Term like no other. As we continue this journey together (for very few have had anything like the normal rest of the seasons), we continue to thank you for choosing to continuing to serve the families, children and adults of your community. You are making this beginning such a fulfilling one, a re-building one, a renewing one. Your leadership is enabling thousands of children for whom these months have been filled with questions, loneliness, hunger, fear, grief and loss – to re-start their school careers together in simple acts of love and service.
One day at a time. Building the attachment, finding the security, trusting the relationships, being drawn into the excitement and joy of learning.
Our ‘Called, Connected, Committed’ leadership mailouts will continue throughout this academic year, and explore a variety of the leadership practices from the resource, this week re-starting with ‘Encouraging Service’. In addition, as we continue to renew our vision for schools and communities, we will take a particular focus on celebrating diversity and inclusion through this term with a variety of resources coming up. For this week’s podcast, I was so privileged to sit down with Krish Kandiah, from the inspirational organisation ‘Home for Good’ to talk all things leadership, service and to find out more about their vision for fostering and adoption – an amazing vision for children and how schools and churches can play their part. I learnt so much from Krish and hope you’ll find it useful too.
As ever, take a listen, check out some of the resources we’ve gathered below and make space for yourselves as leaders this week. It will be complex, and there will be twists and turns no-one can anticipate yet – so what might be the rhythms and routines we could start together to shape the approach? And as we explore in this week’s issue – what might be the simple acts of service that could come to define the renewal of your community as it comes back together fully this week?
Thank you for all you’re doing and as we continue to embrace the challenges and opportunities of this unique season, may you and your teams continue to renew your vision for the children in your care and see each one through God’s eyes as they make this fresh start together.
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Andy Wolfe - Deputy Chief Education Officer (Leadership Development)
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Foundation Update September 2020
We really look forward to supporting and serving you this year. We will be delivering a wide range of programmes and networks, both online and in mixed-mode formats, which we hope you will find really helpful. Find out more at www.cefel.org.uk
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Programmes: The Church of England Professional Qualification for Headship (including NPQH) provides rigorous preparation for senior leaders preparing for their first headship, heads leading both primary and secondary schools for the first time, and heads who have not yet completed the NPQH.
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Completing your NPQH with the Church of England will enable you to gain the NPQH qualification whilst also reigniting your own vision and vocation, taking inspiration from the Church of England Vision for Education.
We are now recruiting for Cohort 4 which will begin in December 2020. More information and registration details for our ‘Find out More’ session on 24th September can be found at www.cefel.org.uk/cofepqh/. Application deadline is 5th November 2020.
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Networks: We will restart delivery of all our Diocesan Peer Support Networks, Rural Schools' Networks, MAT Networks and National Secondary Leaders' Network in the Autumn, beginning online.
In addition, our monthly Open Networks are free to anyone keen to explore the topics from our mailouts in more detail. Register at www.cefel.or.uk/networks We are also continuing half-termly virtual Faith at Home network sessions for school and church leaders (www.cefel.org.uk/faithathome/).
We hope you can join us!
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This week, Krish Kandiah, founder of Home for Good, reads Encouraging Service from Called, Connected, Committed, then discusses the reflection in conversation with Andy Wolfe.
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Encouraging Service Reflection (Extract)
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To lead in education is to give courage to teachers and children, rooted in energising memories and summoned by radical hopes. Leaders advocate for their people, noticing things going well, cheering on and never missing an opportunity to praise. Their encouragement and coaching nurtures leaders who go on to achieve even greater things than the leader themselves. They encourage generous acts of kindness, inspiring children to respect and serve others first.
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The upside-down economy of biblical leadership calls us to serve first, choosing generosity and preferring the other, loving them as ourselves. Jesus’ ministry shows this to be central to his calling and identity: “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27); “I have come not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45), offering a model for education leaders as they work with adults, children and communities. This service does whatever is called for, including practical help if needed.
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Suggested resources to reflect on Encouraging Service where you are
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'The upside-down economy of biblical leadership calls us to serve first..'
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Liz Theophille's TED talk encourages leaders to lead from the heart, to create 'psychological safety' by being open to feedback and showing compassion, and to be servant leaders.
The need for 'psychological safety' for our teams and our pupils has probably never been so acute. What have you needed to adjust or attend to so that your school community feels emotionally safe? How far has it meant an adjustment in your own leadership? Who has supported you with this?
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'Where service becomes a habit not simply a project...'
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Our friends at the Archbishop of York's Youth Trust (ABYYT) have released resources to support schools in enabling all pupils to discover their leadership potential. Considering different styles and modes of leadership during the pandemic, they quote Jacinda Adern (Prime Minister of New Zealand) in saying:
"It takes courage and strength to be empathetic, and I'm proud to be an empathetic and compassionate leader. I am trying to chart a different path, and that will alert criticism but I can only be true to myself and the form of leadership I believe in."
What kind of leader are you? What kind of leaders do you want your pupils to become? What habits might they need to develop in order to become those leaders?
Check out the new resources here.
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'The servant leader shapes their community not by force and power, but by grace and meekness; not by instruction and policy but by example and action.'
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Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, one of the martyrs carved into the front of Westminster Abbey, is an example of a servant leader - looking to the needs of the most vulnerable in his country before his own.
These prayer resources from CAFOD might encourage you in your own leadership, but can also be used with pupils.
They suggest using the hymn 'The Servant King' as a way to reflect.
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A Prayer for School Leaders
God our Father
Your heart is always to nurture and encourage us.
Right now, we need to know
Your love, protection and care.
As we begin this new term,
May we be people who
Put heart into those who feel unloved,
Confidence into those arriving at school anxious,
Praise into those afraid to fail.
God our Father - hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ
Your will is always to serve and to heal us.
Right now, we need to know
Your grace, mercy and peace.
As we begin this new term,
May we be people who
Seek to serve those who return weary,
Be an example to those looking for answers,
Heal and restore those who feel broken.
Lord Jesus Christ - hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit of God
Your desire is always to inspire and release us.
Right now we need to know
Your freedom, truth and justice.
As we begin this new term,
May we be people who
Choose courage in uncomfortable conversations,
Generosity even when resources are sparse,
Action which dignifies all in our community.
Holy Spirit of God - hear our prayer.
Amen
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'Service and sacrifice is grounded in the promises of a saviour who would come to suffer and to serve.'
This is love from New Wine worship speaks of this sacrifice and service - seen in the life of Jesus Christ.
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