New Interim Roles in Chelmsford Diocese Education Team Announced
14 March 2022
14 March 2022
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani and the Bishop’s Leadership Team have agreed that the Revd Rob Merchant will temporarily hold responsibility for the Chelmsford Diocese Education Department as Diocesan Director of Education (Interim) within his role as Dean of Mission, Ministry and Education for the Diocese of Chelmsford. Rob’s focus will be to serve the Diocesan Board of Education, to continue to develop work on governance, and hold oversight of the work of the Diocesan Education team.
To support Rob in this interim role, the Bishop’s Leadership Team have agreed that Carrie Prior (School’s Team Leader) will take on the operational and day to day task of leading and supporting work with our schools directly, acting on behalf on the Diocesan Director of Education (Interim) and DBE, while continuing to lead our team of Schools Advisors. Recognising the outward facing role that Carrie has agreed to take on, particularly working with our schools and external partners, Carrie will hold the role of Deputy Diocesan Director of Education (Interim). Both Carrie’s and Rob’s roles are interim roles to provide day to day leadership and oversight to support the work of our Education Team and Diocesan Board of Education.
The post of Diocesan Director of Education became vacant on 1st February 2022 after the Revd Tim Elbourne left the role after nearly nine years of service as Diocesan Director of Education.
During this interim period, the Bishop of Colchester, the Rt Revd Roger Morris will be leading a review on behalf of Bishop Guli and the Bishop’s Leadership Team to identify the future shape and scope of the role of the Diocesan Director of Education. The intention of this review is to inform a recruitment and appointment process starting in Autumn 2022 to recruit a new Diocesan Director of Education.