This one-day conference is an opportunity for anybody involved in the governance of a Church of England school to improve their understanding of Church school governance and to meet and talk to governors from other schools.
This conference is for anybody involved in governance at any Church of England school – including governors of VC/VA/foundation schools, academy directors or governance professionals and members of local governing bodies in academy schools. It will be led by members of our diocesan education team including the Diocesan Director of Education Carrie Prior and the school governance advisor Richard Hopkins. Serving school governors will also share their own experiences of the successes and challenges of being a governor. Between them they will lead sessions on:
- Why great Church schools are great schools
- Managing complaints in keeping with the Christian vision
- Holding leaders to account inside and outside an academy trust
- What is the point of foundation governors?
- The joys and challenges of being the chair of governors
By the end of the conference delegates should be more confident about what it means to be responsible for governance in a Church school and have a better understanding of the peculiarities, joys and challenges that arise only in Church schools. They should have also had an opportunity to meet governors from other Church schools and to share and learn from good practice across the Diocese of Chelmsford.
Location: Central Baptist Church
Duration: 6 hrs
Suitable for: anybody involved in governance at any Church of England school – including governors of VC/VA/foundation schools, academy directors or governance professionals and members of local governing bodies in academy schools.
Facilitator: Richard Hopkins
Dates:
24 April 2027, 10am - 3.30pm
Course facilitator
Richard joined the education team in September 2020 after ten years in two consecutive headships in Church of England primary schools in the Diocese of Chelmsford. Richard has also served as a member of the Diocesan Board of Education and a lead inspector for Ofsted in the East of England.
Richard lives in the north of the diocese where he has served in his local parish church as a PCC member, church warden and authorised local preacher.
Before becoming a teacher, Richard studied and worked in economics and finance where he developed an interest in the causes of economic disadvantage and their solutions. Richard chose to work in schools in the most economically deprived parts of the diocese in order to develop his understanding of the distinctive role that Church of England schools can play in reducing disadvantage and promoting opportunity and justice. He hopes to continue to promote this agenda in his diocesan adviser role.
Richard is married with four children. He enjoys spending time with his greyhound and is a season ticket holder at Colchester United Football Club.
Course facilitator
Carrie joined the Education Team in September 2018.
She has worked in Church of England schools for 15 years, spending over 10 years of those years in Senior Leadership as an Assistant Head, Deputy Head and Headteacher. Most recently this has involved 6 years as head of an Essex Primary School. Carrie joined the school when it had been placed in Special Measures, and within a year, the school reclaimed its good rating and maintained it under her leadership.
Carrie enjoys cooking, reading, being in the countryside and living in her village community in rural Essex with her family.
Cost
Free of charge
Dates
24 April 2027, 10am - 3.30pm
8 March 2027