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Educating Peter n announcement of his retirement, the Diocesan Director of Education has told Crosslincs of his enormous pride for an ‘inclusive family’ of Church Schools, predicting a bright future for them, providing their doors remain open to allcomers. Born and educated in Market Rasen, Peter Staves joined the Diocesan education team as Director following 12 years as Head of Nettleham C of E Junior School. At the culmination of 40 years in education, Peter has seen both his current role and the wider world of education undergo a host of changes. “The job now is not the same as the role that I took on,” said Peter. “And I’m sure whoever takes over will see it change again. But that’s the challenge and the excitement; adapting to and making the best of the changes that come our way.” Peter arrived to lead the Education team in 2003. Back then, priorities were centred on making personal contact and building relationships with the 141 primary and five secondary Church Schools in the Diocese – meeting head teachers and strengthening Church School family links. Then in 2005 changes were made to the way in which Church Schools were to be inspected. Triggered by existing OFSTED inspections, new ‘Section 48’ assessments would be carried out to focus on the Christian ethos of the church school, its distinctiveness and effectiveness, and the impact it had on pupils. “Suddenly, we were responsible for the recruitment and training of inspectors, the scheduling of inspections at the school, and the quality control of inspection reports. It was a huge undertaking,” recalled Peter. In response, the department appointed a Schools Adviser, to work closely with the new requirements. But Peter remembers how quickly the department came to recognise the value of Section 48. “Now we had an inspection regime that focused on the impact and effectiveness of Church Schools and which recognised a wider range of the qualities that constitute a good school, and in that respect it has been absolutely transformational,” he said. “If you talk to teachers, you will find a consensus that there is a lot of focus placed on
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The Rt Revd David Rossdale Bishop of Grimsby and Chair of the Lincoln Diocesan Board of Education
examination results – particularly Maths and English. “And rightly so, because these are absolutely essential knowledge areas, and if we don’t give children these skills, we are doing them a disservice. “But there are other things that are equally important.” Peter explained that Section 48 inspections complemented OFSTED because they were free to focus on less quantifiable measures of success. “There are some pupils who will never enhance the exam statistics for Maths and English, but their contributions and the provision which is made for them are just as important.
“Peter has made the most enormous contribution to the Diocese’s work with schools and in particular has responded to the many policy developments of recent years with great collaboration, proactivity and creativity.” Max Manin Chief Executive Diocese of Lincoln “These are elements which form part of the Section 48 success criteria.” The year 2005 also heralded another turning point for Peter, and one which was to take his role on a yet more strategic bearing: the Diocesan Board of Education resolved to engage actively in the developing Academies programme. Launched earlier in the decade by the Blair government, this initiative would facilitate the founding of new schools to replace failing institutions in areas of the greatest social need, with a combination of private sponsorship and direct central governmental funding – taking them out of local authority control. However, with exam results initially falling well below the national average, the Prime Minister and his Academies quickly became a target for negative press coverage. “At the time, not everyone felt that should be supporting such a controversial new programme,” said Peter. “So it was a very big step to take.” Nonetheless, the wheels were soon in
“Peter has been a truly exceptional Director of Education − offering a ministry which has blended professionalism with a humanity which has touched the lives of many. He is held in high esteem both locally and nationally for his leadership which has ensured that church schools in the Diocese of Lincoln are distinctive not only in their Christian values and ethos, but also in the standards they achieve. It has been an enormous privilege and great fun to have worked closely with him for the past eight years.”
PHOTOGRAPH: NICK EDMONDS
Nick Edmonds
crosslincs
Canon Peter Staves will retire from the Diocese of Lincoln at the end of the summer. motion, and in September 2008 the Archbishop of Canterbury cut the ribbon of the Diocese of Lincoln’s first realisation of the programme, St Lawrence Academy, on the site of the former High Ridge Sports College in Scunthorpe. Six years after the Board of Education’s landmark decision, the Coalition Government has taken the creation of Academies to a new level, actively encouraging all schools to consider Academy status, and a turnaround in results means that many naysayers have been won over. St
Lawrence Academy was validated as ‘good with outstanding features’ in its first OFSTED inspection, and ‘outstanding’ in its subsequent Section 48 assessment. Peter is proud of these achievements, and feels that the decision to engage with the Academies programme has been fully vindicated. “The St Lawrence inspection result is a testament to the outstanding work of everyone connected,” said Peter. “From The Board of Education to the pupils themselves.”
The career of Peter Staves: Educated at Market Rasen C of E primary, and the De Aston School, Market Rasen: 1955–69 at Berkshire Studied (Bulmershe): 1969-72
College
First teaching post at St Peter’s Church in Wales Primary, Blaenavon, South Wales: 1972 Moved back to Lincolnshire to a post at Mablethorpe Community Primary: 1977 Appointed Deputy Head of Isaac Newton Primary school, Grantham: 1982
First Headship of Toynton, All Saints School: 1984 Moved to become head of Nettleham C of E School: 1991 Appointed Director of Education for the Diocese of Lincoln: 2003 Installed as a Lay Canon of Lincoln Cathedral: 2007 Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Education by Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln in the year of his retirement: 2011