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The latest CPD offers, inspiration and resources from the Schools Team at SDBE.

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The SDBE Monthly Brefing Paper
(Previously School Leader Monthly Briefing)
Re-invented and Reviewed

June 2021
Welcome to our revised monthly briefing paper
We will be looking at key strategic developments from The Church of England Education Office as well as sharing some of our own strategic work.  We hope you find this information helpful.   
CONTENTS
Spiritual reflection written by Clare Tunnicliffe – Trust Board member of the SDBE
For me, flowers are representative of God at work and his active presence in our lives. We use flowers to celebrate so many aspects of our lives – to congratulate, to remember, to say thank you, to say I love you; for weddings, for birthdays, for funerals. I am sure over the years you will remember the bunches you have received from children at the end of term and maybe different flowers evoke memories of the children’s lives you have touched.
Roses are some of my favourite flowers and I always look forward to this time of year when the roses start to bloom. I wait in anticipation for the old snarled yellow climbing rose on the wall of the house to come into flower. It’s over 50 years old and whilst we have had to cut some old bits out, train the new shoots to grow where we want them to be and sometimes treat the pests or help it along with some manure, each year the new buds come along. For me it’s a miracle that each tight bud opens and as it gradually opens the lovely layers of the petals unfold and the full beauty of the flower appears and the strong sweet smell emerges. It reminds me of how spiritual knowledge and wisdom unfolds in our individual lives as we journey through our faith journey with God.
Over the last few weeks I have been fascinated by the theft from Arundel Castle and in particular the  set of gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots at her execution in 1587. The thought of her touching each of the gold beads to support her in praying just before her death and yet those same beads are still in existence nearly 500 years later is amazing. The rosary means "crown of roses,"  and the tradition of using a rosary dates back to 1214 when Saint Dominic said that the Virgin Mary described it to him during an apparition in Toulouse, France. The rosary provides a focus  for an individual as they pray a set of five spiritual mysteries known as a spiritual bouquet. Contemplating how such a famous individual from so far back in history felt the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ reminds me that whoever we are and whatever our status in society we are all loved and that this love has been there for us for hundreds of years.
Whilst I am fascinated by history which is probably because I gave up studying it at quite an early stage, my real love inspired by a wonderful teacher is science. Rose Oil has the highest frequency of all essential oils on this planet, approximately 320 MHz. (Frequency is a measurable rate of electrical energy. Everything has an electrical frequency). In comparison, essential oil from Lavender (one of the next highest frequency flowers) vibrates at a rate of 118 Mhz. A healthy human brain usually vibrates between 71 and 90 MHz.  I think the concept and picture of energy is a challenging one but simply  this fact about Rose Oil reminds me of the strength of the energy  we can receive through the Holy Spirit. 
Interestingly Roses appear as a symbol appear in all the world's major religions as a symbol of miraculous love at work in the world. In ancient mythology, roses symbolised eternal love in stories of how gods interacted with each other and human beings. Pagans use roses as decorations to represent their hearts. Muslims view roses as symbols of the human soul, so smelling the scent of roses reminds them of their spirituality. Hindus and Buddhists see roses and other flowers as expressions of spiritual joy. Christians view roses as reminders of the Garden of Eden
Whilst I feel roses symbolise God's love at work in the world, the art of the different colours of roses also symbolise different spiritual concepts. White roses mean purity and holiness. Red roses mean passion and sacrifice. Yellow roses mean wisdom and joy. Pink roses mean gratitude and peace. Purple or lavender roses mean wonder, awe, and change for the better. What is your favourite colour?
As you all journey to the end of what has been a brutal academic year I ask you to reflect on yourself as a rose. Each of you faithfully start an  academic year as a new bud but as part of the strong and established and deeply rooted bush or tree or climber. You provide amazing layered leadership as the petals of the rose and create within your school a beautifully scented environment that enables wonderful memories. Your spiritual leadership within the foundation and history of Church of England schools provides structure and focus to the young people and enables individuality within a system as each of the rosary beads provide a focus, comfort and support regardless of an individual’s background and their history. Your energy is consistent and high as the electrical energy of Rose Oil providing  the passion for learning and development. Your approach continues the legacy of influencing young people for the rest of their lives and provides a shining example of love at work in the work as roses symbolise this across all religions. Your own style within your schools is like the individual colours of a rose – representing different concepts but oh how beautiful it is when lots of different colours come together as you do across the Diocese.
A love of roses led me to finding out about to St. Therese of Lisieux. She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers in God's garden. In her autobiography she described her life as a "little way of spiritual childhood." She lived each day with an unshakable confidence in God's love. "What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love." She lived and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well and with love. She believed that just as a child becomes enamoured with what is before them, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love. As school leaders, for me, you all attend to everyone and everything well and with love. The following prayer is attributed to St. Therese of Lisieux and I hope within your busy days you can find time to read and use it:

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
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Article 1 - #1Life1Voice
The DBE are working with a range of partners including schools, parishes, Salisbury Cathedral and The Clewer Institute (The Church of England), the Police and Mothers Union to name but a few, to deliver a large-scale project #1Life1Voice to raise awareness of the various forms of modern slavery that exists across the diocese.  There is a focus on County Lines which is a significant issue in both Dorset and Wiltshire.  Hundreds of our young people and their families have their lives destroyed as a result of this cruel form of slavery.  Our community needs to recognise that each life - 1Life, is precious and that by working together as 1Voice, we stand a chance of stamping out this form of slavery and making a positive difference to our communities.
 
We are asking for all pupils and students (Y4 – Y13) in schools across Dorset and Wiltshire (church, maintained and schools in the independent sector) to produce artwork based on the theme of modern slavery for a special art exhibition which will be featured in the cloister area of the Cathedral from 15th October to 25th October.  A separate letter has been sent to all schools and parishes outlining details of how to get involved. 

We can make a difference to the lives of our most vulnerable if we make a stand together and work as one.  Something has got to change and we cannot ignore what is happening. We need to work together and help our young people remain safe.  If you would like any further details please contact:
Debbie HeritageDebbie.heritage@salisbury.anglican.org
Or Emma WatersEmma.waters@salisbury.anglican.org
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Article 2 – Chaplaincy in schools
We at the DBE are committed to supporting schools to cultivate their Christian distinctiveness and culture. One of the ways we look to do this is through supporting schools and churches in developing Chaplaincy within the school community. Chaplains can cover a breadth of expressions, from working with an SLT to cultivate a deeply Christian community culture, to training and supporting local volunteers to support the pastoral team in your school. We’re really proud that in the last two years we’ve managed to support the creation of 4 new Chaplaincy expressions across our schools and academy trusts, and are always interested in conversations with you if it is something you’d like to find out more about.
Do drop our CYP adviser, Andy Malcolm, an email to find out more: andy.malcolm@salisbury.anglican.org
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Article 3 – Religious and Non-Religious Worldviews
What is your view of the world? What makes you who you are?  - This new animated film Nobody Stands Nowhere by Emily Downe, created in partnership with Culham St Gabriel’s Trust and Canterbury Christ Church University, unpacks the idea of worldviews and invites the viewer to consider how their own unique view of the world might co–exist with other, sometimes quite different, vantage points held by those around them. It brings a much–needed reflection on religious literacy in the UK and reminds us that in an increasingly pluralistic society, there is no neutral perspective and everyone sees the world through a certain lens. You can watch it here.
 
Ofsted’s research review on religious education is published – It is the second in a series of reviews into different subjects across the curriculum and highlights the importance that Ofsted place upon Good Quality RE Teaching. It is well set out with images that summarise key elements of the report.  You can read the whole report here. The DBE and HLPs will be working with SACRE members to bring you ‘digests’ and guidance that will come out over the next few months. Don’t forget to sign up to your PSA RE sessions for November.
 
Quality RE in Nursery, EYFS and KS1 update for September – The new EYFS Reforms Framework for 2020/2021 strengthens the place of religious education through its explicit reference to ‘religious communities’. The September 2020 Development Matters document reiterates the importance of enabling children to understand and appreciate the significance of religion and worldviews within our society. Gill Vaisey, EYFS Adviser is writing a new set of books called Belonging and Believing The books and resources will help practitioners enable young children to engage with the lives of a five/six year old child from eight different religions and worldviews.  They have been written in line with The Commission on RE’s recommendations and focus on the 'lived experience' of children their families and communities, bringing real lives into the classroom. 
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Article 4 – Collective Worship
The Church of England Education Office (CEEO) has produced a Guidance Document to support church schools, parishes and households in understanding what Inclusive, Inspiring and Invitational collective worship should be. Initially entitled ‘CofE Statement of Entitlement for Collective Worship’ it is on the CEEO website here.
Diocesan advisers from all over the country worked together with Derek Holloway to create the guidance which was shared by Salisbury DBE with attendees at the March PSA sessions for collective worship and was met with a positive response. Read the document here.
 
If you have any questions about how your school should respond to the expectations, please email Nicola.coupe@salisbury.anglican.org
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DBE CPD
How Deeply Christian is your School?  23.06.2021  9am – 4pm 
A Day Exploring What Leading a Deeply Christian Church School means for Headteachers and a Governor from each School.  A member of the church community is also welcome to attend.
 
What is it that distinguishes your school as a church school? What does it mean to be a spiritual leader in this context? What impact does your own spiritual leadership have in your context?
This day conference will enable delegates to reach a better understanding of what makes a church school deeply Christian and the role played by spiritual leadership in enabling this.

To book please click here
Becoming a church school leader  - getting ready!  29.06.2021  4 – 6pm 
Are you getting ready for headship, or do you know someone thinking about it? Come along to this twilight to find out what’s next!

Considering a move into leadership? – What next? This is an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of some core aspects of school leadership, including those particularly relevant to Church schools.
 
To book please click here
Creating Your SIAMS SEF 06.07.2021
9am – 4pm 
This course will support you in writing your SIAMS Self Evaluation Form.

The SIAMS SEF is an essential tool to support the understanding of progress as well as areas to develop linked to the school’s Christian distinctiveness. This course will give you some example structures in which you can record the impact of your church school work. There will be time to reflect on key aspects of the SIAMS Schedule and how these should be underpinned by the Christian Vision, values and theological underpinning.
 
To book please click here
Don’t Forget – On Friday 2nd July it will be our Big Leavers Service 2021 in partnership with RiseTheatre and the Cathedral. This is for all students in Yr4, Yr6 and Yr8!
 
This will be live streamed through the SDBE YouTube page at 1pm, it will be available on our YouTube page to re-watch until September!

Instructions, links and craft ideas will be sent to your school inbox in the next week or so.
 
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A Prayer For You

Today - By Rachael Adams
What is in tomorrow, but what we sow today?
A kind word, a smile,
the planting of a joyful flower,
a prayer, a song,
it's hope holding on.
For a better tomorrow
can only be built from today.
Chains can be broken, and people set free –
but only if we align our hearts with those in need.
The every day is the extraordinary – 
today, not tomorrow, is where we find God at work.
These are the tender moments we can join with our creator
to heal our broken world.
What is life, but a tapestry of our actions?
When we look back, what will it show?
Oh Lord, let it show a life with you –
of bringing your justice, your love and your truth.

Closing Statement
The SDBE would like to thank you for your dedication to your children, staff and communities in which you serve.  We know you work tirelessly and selflessly in all that you do.  Thank you for being servant leaders.

With our Very Best Wishes
Debbie, Emma and Nicola
Debbie Heritage
School Improvement Advisor & Strategic Lead for SIAMS
Email: debbie.heritage@salisbury.anglican.org
Emma Waters
Education Services Assistant
Email: emma.waters@salisbury.anglican.org
Nicola Coupe
School Improvement Adviser
Email: nicola.coupe@salisbury.anglican.org
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