Diocesan Board of Education
Our work supporting Schools, Children and Chaplaincies in universities and colleges is guided by the Diocesan Board of Education (DBE)
Our work supporting Schools, Children and Chaplaincies in universities and colleges is guided by the Diocesan Board of Education (DBE)
DBEs are constituted by a Measure of Parliament. Download the Diocesan Boards of Education Measure 2021.
The Chelmsford DBE meets four times per year and is chaired by the The Rt Revd Roger Morris, Bishop of Colchester. Its work is supported by its Executive Committee, the Schools Organisation and Resources (SORC) Committee and the Schools Organisation and Resources Academisation (SORCA) Committee.
Full Board Meetings
Rt Revd Roger Morris is the Chair of the Chelmsford Diocese Board of Education.
The son of a teacher and married to a Secondary School Headteacher, Bishop Roger is no stranger to the world of education. He served on the Diocesan Board of Education in the Diocese of Worcester and was previously Chair of Governors of a school in Gloucestershire. He is currently a Director of Tendring Learning Community Education Trust, a Member of All Saints Academy Trust (Halstead) and a Trustee of the Keys Cooperative Academy Trust. Bishop Roger is also a Patron of CYO (Colchester) who oversee the work of chaplains in schools in Colchester and run ‘Sanctum’ (a programme of interactive prayer spaces in schools).
He is also a patron of Colchester and Tendring Youth Enquiry Service (offering support and counselling to young people), a Trustee of Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services and the Chair of Trustees of the Innervation Trust (who run the iSingPop projects including the ‘Main Event’ and ‘Classroom Worship’).
Rob Merchant is Dean of Mission, Ministry and Education for the Diocese of Chelmsford. His role is one that links together different aspects of the life of the diocese, including learning and development programmes for ordinands, clergy and lay leaders, vocations, ministerial development reviews, the work of our education team supporting 139 church schools, the Mustard Seed team, our Strategic Development funded projects, and supporting the growth of new worshipping communities across Essex and East London.
Rob’s background is as varied as his role. He has worked as a care worker for people with learning difficulties and his ordained ministry has included being parish priest in urban and rural settings. He has worked as an academic, and more recently as Director of St Mellitus College, Chelmsford, Essex. His interests include ageing, mental health and trauma.
He is married to Tamsin, a vicar in the Diocese of London, and has two sons, aged 14 and 16. His passion in life is to see people flourish in the ministry to which they are called, in whatever walk of life that may be.
Dr Caroline Haynes is retired, having spent 37 years in schools, 20 years as a Headteacher of two large comprehensive schools in Essex and finally as Executive Headteacher of two AET academies. In 2007 Caroline was Headteacher of the year in the Eastern region and in 2008 she won the Education category in the Daily Telegraph “Great Britons” Award. Caroline is a National Leader of Education and was an elected member of the first Eastern Region and North East London Regional schools Commissioner’s Academy Headteacher Board.
Prior to her retirement, Caroline, in collaboration with Essex LA and Market FieldSchool, was proud to set up the Autistic Support centres at Thorpe campus and Frinton campus of Tendring Technology College. She is now Chair of the Vine Schools Trust and a member of the Hope Learning Community.
Kate is an honorary canon, with responsibility for the Cathedral’s education offer and a self-supporting member of clergy at Chelmsford Cathedral. She recently retired after 38 years teaching in primary education and for the last twenty years as Head of a Church of England primary school near Colchester.
Kate worked as a National Leader of Education and for a number of years as an Ofsted inspector in primary and secondary schools in the East of England. Kate was also for a while, the Chair of a consortium of 24 schools and enjoyed the collaboration and school improvement that networking with others enabled.
Having trained at St Mellitus College whilst working full time as a Head, Kate has returned to the college to support as a Chaplain. Kate is a governor at the Cathedral School as well as Chair of their teaching and learning committee.
Kate enjoys playing brass and woodwind instruments and relaxes at orchestra and brass band rehearsals during the week.
Lisa is the Associate Vicar at St Andrew’s in Hornchurch and is also a governor at a local primary school. Before ordination, Lisa taught RE at secondary level for 8 years and was Head of the RE department for 5 of those years. She then moved to primary teaching for a further two years before becoming Southwark Cathedral’s Education Officer.
During her time in that post, she worked closely with Southwark’s DBE in different ways as well as leading sessions for a number of Initial Teacher Training Providers. Lisa was also the Church of England’s Representative on Southwark’s SACRE (Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education) and sat on Southwark Diocese’s Advisory Panel for Ministry among Children and Young People.
Linda has worshipped at St Mary's Woodford for the last 30 years. During that time, she has held several voluntary roles many related to the role of music in worship. She was Church warden from 2018-2022 including an interregnum. As Chair of Mission committee, she visited the linked parish of Muchunguri, Kenya and then supported the diocesan link with our Kenyan partners.
Currently, Linda is a Redbridge Deanery synod rep, she works in the Junior Church team and is the Parish Safeguarding Officer. Linda believes passionately in the importance of church school education. Recently retired, she was the Head teacher of Moreton C of E Primary and then The Cathedral School Chelmsford for the last ten years until August 2024. During that time, she undertook the national qualification for executive leadership and was a SIAMS inspector. She is currently a diocesan governor of Wanstead Church School.
Steven was elected to the Diocesan Board of Education in April 2025, having put himself forward as a Clergy Representative for Bradwell Area because of his interest in Education and the development of children, which is something that he has done for most of his life.
Steven began his career in Education in 1997 with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) working in their Student, Examination and Education departments over 5 years and running one of their subsidiary companies (Institute of Business Administration and Management IBAM) for 2 years. After a short career break, Steven continued his work in Education with the Financial Services Skills Council (FSSC) for 10 years working with the FSA Regulation Examination Regime and developing Apprenticeship Frameworks with Employers and Professional Bodies across the UK Financial Services and Accounting sectors.
As a Clergy he takes assemblies in his local church primary schools in Tillingham and Bradwell on Sea and is on the Board of Governors. Steven is also part of the Team for the Diocese Schools Pilgrimage at St Peter's Chapel in Bradwell on Sea, where is Chaplain.
Gill serves as a churchwarden at St Michael and All Angels Church, Westcliff, as well as chairing the development group for Children and Family Workers, She sits on a number of other church committees including premises and community and outreach. She is a retired headteacher who has worked in a number of schools in different counties, ending her career as head of a C of E primary school. Since retirement she has chaired the governing body of a group of three schools in the Vine Academy and been a SIAMS inspector in three local diocese.
Whilst serving in a church school her interests and passion for church school education grew, resulting in her undertaking a research doctorate into the impact of a headteacher’s values on the development of the Christian ethos in their school. She is passionate about supporting Christian education and the work in our church schools.
Clergy: Vacancy
Laity: Vacancy
John is a former investment banker who was involved in project finance which included administrating complex syndicated loans with many different stakeholders. In retirement he wanted to use the skills developed from those activities for various third sector entities.
These include being chair of a museum, Master of a Livery Company, a trustee of a local church trust and an educational one as well as being a member of the DBE and chair of its Schools Organisation and Resources Committee.
Aleishia is currently Acting Headteacher at St. Mary’s, Prittlewell, C of E Primary School. She is Chair of the Diocese of Chelmsford's Global Majority Education Association and for the last year has worked for the Church of England’s Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL) writing the new NPQ programmes. Aleishia has worked with schools and school leaders nationally, supporting them as they begin their journey into diversifying their curriculum and working with staff on their understanding of identity and belonging.
As part of the DBE, she has a key focus on increasing the representation of BAME staff in leadership roles, developing the curriculum so it reflects society and recognises the importance of global citizenship and ensures that pupil voice is at the heart of everything that is done.
Marlene is a Creative Educational Consultant and Chartered College of Teaching Fellow who has worked across a wide variety of regional and national organisations. She has taught in inner and outer London multicultural primary and secondary schools for over 25 years and has delivered whole school training, from Foundation stage EYFS to Secondary level, as well as to trainee teachers on ITT programmes.She is the Visualise Project Lead for the Runnymede Trust, which aims to deliver the first major research commission into access to the visual arts for Black, Asian and minority ethnic students. She oversees the project including the overall research design and implementation as part of the wider arts and arts education space in the UK.
Operating in a strategic and co-ordinating role has resulted in the forging of professional relationships and contacts at key institutions in the field of Art, Craft and Design. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and recognised as a Consultant Member of the National Society of Education in Art and Design (NSEAD) as well as The Design & Technology Association (DATA). Serving as President for The National Society of Education in Art and Design (NSEAD) 2023-4, she continues to support the growth and objectives of these organisations through a network of meetings, events, and activities across the country alongside her commitment to the DBE.
Chris is currently the Headteacher at St. Edward's C of E VA Primary School, Romford, in the London Borough of Havering. As well as being Chair of Governors in two LA maintained schools in two differing London boroughs, Chris is a facilitator on the Church of England NPQH, helping to grow new school leaders. Chris is also a trustee of a church on the Isle of Wight and part of the leadership team of his own church community.
Chris is passionate about seeing Church of England schools thrive and ensuring that children, staff and the communities that our schools serve fully live out the Church of England values for education, being deeply Christian and ensuring that Jesus' promise of 'life in all its fullness' are at the heart of what we do.
Philip is an experienced educator at both Secondary and Higher Education levels, with interests in a variety of aspects of education. He is also currently the Associate Priest of a large estate parish in Colchester
Philip started work as a research scientist with the British Antarctic Survey and then re-trained as a science teacher, teaching at comprehensive schools in Cambridgeshire and Essex. After nearly 20 years teaching in schools, Philip moved to Anglia Ruskin University, to teach on the Teacher Training (PGCE) courses. He then was appointed as Course Leader for the MA Education, and up until recently, Philip was the Programme Director of the Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD). For the past eight years, Philip has also been a Trustee for the Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust, and this has developed his interest in the significance of maintaining the Christian ethos in Church Schools.
CDET is the Diocesan Corporate Member (DCM) of any Multi Academy Trust (MAT) which includes a Chelmsford Diocese Board of Education Church School. CDET appoints appropriate trustees to be its representative…
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