Southwark Diocese
Southwark Diocese Board of Education (SDBE)
As a Church of England School, Christ Church has a strong relationship with the SDBE.
Vision - Developing Church of England Education
- To enable the mission of God through the work of the Board;
- To be a high performing Diocesan Board promoting excellence in education both locally and nationally;
- To develop and grow highly effective, inclusive Church of England schools rooted in Christian values;
- To celebrate and share the richness, quality and successes of our schools and chaplaincies;
- To offer exemplary service to our schools and chaplaincies.
Church of England schools are both distinctive and inclusive. This means that while our schools are definitely distinctively Christian, they are open to and inclusive of those of other faiths, or no faith. Good Religious Education (RE) teaching incorporates learning about other world faiths and no child is ever indoctrinated.
You do not have to be a Christian to teach in a Church of England school, although staff members are expected to respect the school’s Christian ethos. Staff teams are diverse, with members from a variety of faiths and backgrounds, reflecting the local community. This diversity is what helps make our schools vibrant and stimulating. The Christian commitment to the value of every individual extends beyond the student in the classroom to the staff, and every member of the school community.
RE is not just an academic subject, but, lies at the very heart of the curriculum and has an important role in reflecting and conveying the distinctively Christian character of the school.
RE enables pupils to think theologically and explore the great questions of life and death, meaning and purpose; reflect critically on the truth claims of Christian belief; see how the truth of Christianity is relevant today and face the challenge of Jesus' teaching in a pluralist and post-modern society; experience the breadth and variety of the Christian community and become active citizens, serving their neighbour. Southwark Diocesan Board of Education (SDBE) recognises that in a Voluntary Aided Church of England school the governing body is responsible for the syllabus for RE.
The Headteacher and staff work with and under the direction of the Governing Board. It is the Governing Board’s responsibility to ensure that the RE is provided for all registered pupils in accordance with the Trust Deed. The governors should work within the Board's policy for Religious Education in Church of England schools and in consultation with the Headteacher and Religious Education Subject Leader.
The Board's RE Advisers provide advice and primary schemes of work for Voluntary Aided schools. The curriculum teaches pupils about religion in accordance with two attainment targets, Learning About Religion (AT1) and Learning From Religion (AT2). These set out the skills, understanding and knowledge that pupils at different stages of their learning are expected to have.