Networking 22.2_WEB

Join the Eyes of the World climate campaign this summer

“Climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation.”

Pope Francis

TAKE ACTION

Let the Government know that we are watching them to ensure the world’s poorest communities are at the heart of their decisions this year. Share a picture of your eyes and tell us how many of you are watching.

The world we live in is changing. The climate is in crisis and it affects us all. But it is the poorest communities who are suffering the most. Join us this year in standing up for the poorest communities around the world and those on the frontline of the climate crisis. Show our government that the eyes of the world are watching. And so are we.

The eyes of the world are on us this year, as Britain hosts world leaders for the United Nation’s climate change talks – COP26. They will make important decisions that will affect millions of people around the world and shape the future of our global family. It is vital that we raise our voices and ensure the Government uses this historic moment to build a more sustainable world.

By joining the Eyes of the World campaign, your school or group can show our leaders that you are watching them and calling on them to support those on the frontline of the climate crisis, like Fatima.

FATIMA’S STORY WHY ARE WE WATCHING?

Fatima lives in Bangladesh. The land in her area is under threat from heavier storms and rising sea levels, caused by climate change.

CAFOD is working with Fatima’s community, helping them to adjust to this new and changing climate. Women like Fatima’s mum Rubina are learning about new seeds that grow even when there is heavy rain. They are trying out new crops, and they are even starting to sell compost to earn money.

This project in Bangladesh is all about making sure that people are able to make a living and also take care of the environment.

Find out about more people living on the frontline of the climate crisis using our case study cards and workshop.

Getting involved is easy

Decorate the Eyes of the World template with your vision for a fairer creative with paint, make up or photo editing. You can find ike a workshop, explainer film and template online to help you lead this activity with your class or group.

Tell t

l us you have taken part so we can show the Prime Minister that thousands of young people want the UK to lead the way at COP26 - Fill in the online form so we know how many of you are watching.

3. Share a picture of your eyes by tagging us on social media @CAFODschools

ommon home

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

17 May: Look out for your wallplanner and guide to our climate campaign landing in schools this week. You can order more wallplaners for your school at shop.cafod.org.uk

10 June: National online assembly on Fratelli Tutti – for more information check out cafod. org.uk/schoolstogether

17 September: National online assembly on Back to School

1 October: CAFOD Harvest Fast Day –focusing on CAFOD’s work in the Amazon.

2 December: National online assembly for Advent

11 March: CAFOD Lent Fast Day – look out for CAFOD’s Lent 2021 challenge.

Supplied to members of:

The Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges. The Catholic Independent Schools Conference. The Birmingham Catholic Secondary Schools Partnership. The Manchester Catholic Secondary Schools Partnership. Through the SCES to all Catholic Schools in Scotland.

Our mission is to serve as a forum where Catholic heads, teachers and other interested parties can exchange opinions, experiences, and insights about innovative teaching ideas, strategies, and tactics. We welcome—and regularly publish— articles written by members of the Catholic teaching community.

Here are answers to some basic questions about writing for Networking - Catholic Education Today.

How long should articles be?

Usually it seems to work out best if contributors simply say what they have to say and let us worry about finding a spot for it in the journal. As a rough guideline we ask for articles of 1000/2000 words and school news of about 300/400 words.

What is the submission procedure?

Please send as a Microsoft Word file attached to an e-mail. To submit articles for publication, contact John Clawson by email at editor@ networkingcet.co.uk

Editorial Team:

Editor - John Clawson News Roundup - Willie Slavin

Patrons

Bob Beardsworth, Peter Boylan, Carmel O’Malley, Kevin Quigley, Dr. Larry McHugh, Willie Slavin, Fr John Baron

Editorial Contributors:

Research: Professor Gerald Grace, CRDCE, Peter Boylan

CATSC - John Nish

CISC - Dr Maureen Glackin

SCES - Barbara Coupar

CAFOD - Lina Tabares

Editorial Office:

Networking (CET) Ltd

9 Elston Hall, Elston, Newark, Notts NG23 5NP

Email: editor@networkingcet.co.uk

Cover: New chapter for St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy - See p43

Designed by: 2co Limited 01925 654072 www.2-co.com

Printed by: The Magazine Printing Company

Published by: Networking (CET) Ltd

9 Elston Hall, Elston, Newark, Notts NG23 5NP

Tel: 01636 525503

Email: editor@networkingcet.co.uk www.networkingcet.co.uk

Subscription Rates (all post paid):

Three editions during the Academic Year

United Kingdom Subscriptions:

Individual Subscription (based on one personal copy)

£15.00 p.a.

Institution Subscription (two copies per edition) £26.00 p.a.

Bonus Subscription (five copies per edition) £45.00 p.a.

Student rate for full time or part time on a course of higher education

OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTIONS - (one copy per subscription)

£10.00 p.a.

Europe and Eire £18.00 US, Canada, Australia £26.00

How should manuscripts be submitted?

We prefer Microsoft Word files submitted via e-mail. Try to avoid complex formatting in the article. Charts, graphs, and photos should be submitted as separate PDFs. Electronic photos should not be embedded into a Word document as this reduces their quality.

Photographs and Illustrations which should relate to the article and not be used for advertising nor self-promotion, should be supplied electronically as high resolution TIFF (*.TIF) or JPEG (*.JPG) files). They should be sent in colour with a resolution of 300 dpi and a minimum size of 100 mm x 100 mm when printed (approx. 1200 pixels wide on-screen). Hard-copy photographs are acceptable provided they have good contrast and intensity, and are submitted as sharp, glossy copies or as 35 mm slides or as scanned high resolution digital images (eg. a 300 dpi 1800 x 1200 pixel *.JPG).

• Computer print-outs are not acceptable.

Captions

Each photograph or illustration should have a selfexplanatory caption. If you do not supply images, you may be asked to submit suggestions and possible sources of non-copyright material.

Who owns copyright to the article?

You do but Networking - Catholic Education Today owns copyright to our editing and the laid-out pages that appear in the magazine.

What are some hints for success?

Closing Date for Copy - Volume 22 Issue Three – Autmn Term 2021 edition - Copy to Editor by 11th August 2021. Published to schools 20th September 2021. To subscribe to Networking - Catholic Education Today visit our website at www.networkingcet.co.uk

• Screen captures are not ideal as they are usually not very high quality.

As much as possible, talk about your experience rather than pure theory (unless discussed in advance) Use specific examples to illustrate your points. Write the way you’d talk, with a minimum of jargon. Near the beginning of the article, include a paragraph that states your intentions. Don’t be subtle about it: “This article will...” is fine.

contents welcome

The past year has been a time of change for all of us and no doubt more change will be inevitable in the future.

Jim Foley

Dr Sean Whittle

Dr L. Franchi

Jonathan Reddin

To subscribe please do

Is Catholic Education in England and Wales fit for purpose? Jim Foley asked the question in our last edition and in this, the second part of his paper, (page 8) Foley details his proposals for the changes that he thinks need to be made. Dr.Sean Whittle offers a response (page 10 ) to Foley’s papers and feels the time has come to open up this debate. We would welcome your reactions which, with your permission, we would publish (space permitting) Do you find it is time consuming and difficult to find guidance on Catholic Education from official Catholic documents on Catholic Education. We at Networking are planning in future issues to publish summary pieces of teachings issued by the Congregation for Catholic Éducation to fill this gap. By way of preparation, we offer reflections (page 12) from Dr Leonardo Franchi of some key documents of the Congregation for Catholic Éducation.

Our school chaplains walk alongside both educators and students and we are pleased to publish the experiences of three school Chaplains in this issue (page 32) We hope to feature school chaplaincy in future issues and would welcome contributions from other School chaplains. I hope you enjoy reading the many interesting and varied topics in this issue.

Editor

Beyond the Dual System – What Next for Catholic Education in England?

The Need for Change

In the preceding paper (published in Networking Volume 22 issue 1) I outlined current provision regarding academies in the English Catholic education system. It is a complex and confusing picture. If pupils live in the dioceses of Lancaster, Liverpool or Salford it is most unlikely they attend a Catholic academy. If they attend a Catholic school in Nottingham or Plymouth dioceses it will be an academy. If they live in the dioceses of Birmingham or Hallam or Middlesbrough they might attend a Catholic academy or then again they might not. Since 2010, about 700 Catholic schools have become academies and, in the process, the dual system which had been the foundation on which the Catholic education system had been built since 1944, has been dismantled.

After ten years of academisation the evidence is clear. The academy revolution launched with such gusto by Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings in 2010 has failed. By any outcome measure whether domestic or international there is no evidence of improvement. On the contrary, we have experienced a decade of unprecedented turmoil in the education system, billions of pounds spent on an unproven project and the wholesale destruction of local education authorities. Today the English education system is atomised and incoherent. There remain many outstanding schools but no unifying vision. So, given this bleak picture what is the best way forward for the Catholic education system?

The One Form Entry Parish School

In 1850, the Catholic hierarchy was restored in England and such was the importance it placed on education that in many cases it chose to build schools before churches. For the past 170 years the one form entry parish school has been the foundation of the Catholic education system and so it remains to

this day. Whilst the model has remained unchanged it has been profoundly shaken by three events in the last 30 years.

In 1988, the Education Reform Act brought the financial revolution of Local Management of Schools (LMS). Suddenly 25,000 schools became selfregulating businesses which had to survive in an entirely new free market environment. It placed an obvious strain on the smallest schools with the least expertise and, proportionately, the highest fixed costs. However, with the careful support of LEAs the transition of all schools, including the smallest, was negotiated successfully. In 2010, Michael Gove launched the academy revolution that was to change the educational map beyond recognition. Very few one form entry schools would have been tempted by academy status but they were deeply affected by the demise of LEAs and the withdrawal of advice and support on which they were heavily dependent. In 2020, an event occurred that has profoundly impacted the whole world and changed the course of history. We are still living through Covid-19 but we know that the education system will never be the same again. The capacity of all schools has been stretched to the limit. For one form entry schools left to survive in isolation it is a battle against increasingly impossible odds.

Securing, Protecting and Improving our Schools

The declared mission of the Birmingham Diocesan Education Service is to secure, protect and improve Catholic education. Whether declared or not, the other eighteen dioceses in England will aspire to something similar. In the context of the past decade it is reasonable to ask how that is to be achieved in practical terms. So, how does the diocese secure and protect one form entry primary schools, let alone improve them in the current environment? I

by Jim Foley

suggest that if the smallest schools are not connected to a larger family with very clear structures to support them in terms of funding, staffing, leadership, management and governance, they will not be secured and protected at all. In reality they will be doing nothing more than battling to survive against increasingly difficult odds. The levels of stress on headteachers and staff in managing Covid-19 in all our schools is as yet unknown, but there is no doubt it will have enormous and long lasting consequences. The greatest burden will have fallen on schools that work in isolation and of those almost certainly it will be the smallest and most vulnerable that suffer most. The stand-alone one form entry primary school is simply not a sustainable model of education in a Covid-19 world.

The Holy Spirit MAC

The Holy Spirit Multi-Academy Company (MAC) is a group of five Catholic schools, one secondary and four primaries in North Warwickshire. Formed in 2015, it has been able to deliver the mission statement declared by the Archdiocese of Birmingham. It has secured, protected and improved its schools by rescuing a primary school that had been a problem for thirty years and transforming the underperforming secondary school. It has managed the transition from LEA oversight to a system of self-regulating support and challenge. And it has been able to respond to the unprecedented challenge of Covid-19 through reaching out to its pupils and families by providing food, advice and constant support since March. Undoubtedly, like everywhere else, it has been a challenging time for all leaders and staff in the MAC but the key has been the shared commitment to

Retired Catholic Secondary School Headteacher, founding Co-ordinator of the Catholic Partnership in Birmingham and Chair of the Holy Spirit MAC in North Warwickshire since 2015

deliver the programme that had been developed across the MAC before any of us had heard of Covid-19.

The Holy Spirit Experience Is a sixpart programme extending beyond the school day that involves a fifteen year journey for every child aged three in the nursery to those aged eighteen in the sixth form. It includes ‘Catholic Life’, ‘Social Action’ and ‘Vocations, Journeys and Destinations’ and involves over 100 commitments from the MAC along the way. Crucially, it involves a seamless transition from Year 6 to Year 7 which is overseen by extensive liaison and exchange of staff. The Holy Spirit MAC has been able to unite around a single vision of Catholic education which is beyond the reach of any individual school. It is a model that requires the closest possible partnership in funding, staffing, leadership, management and governance. But it is also a model that truly secures, protects and improves each member school.

The Lessons of the Past Ten Years

The academy programme launched by Michael Gove in 2010 has failed. Over the past ten years we have seen no evidence of an improved education system as we have witnessed the destruction of local authorities. Moreover, we have seen many well publicised and unsavoury examples of fraud, dysfunctional MATS and excessive salaries for trust leaders. Across the teaching profession and the wider public there is widespread disdain for the academy programme that claimed it would provide new freedoms for schools and raise educational standards. It has provided some freedoms that were never sought and have since proved open to abuse. And the main claim of improving standards has not been delivered.

In January 2011, Bishop McMahon as Chairman of the CES declared that any Catholic school could become an academy with the approval of the diocesan bishop. In the face of a determined government offering inducements to schools and clearly intent on dismantling LEAs, it would have been difficult for the Bishops’ Conference to unanimously reject academisation. The reality is the bishops were not united and Bishop

McMahon announced the only pragmatic way forward. Every diocese would decide for itself how to respond to the academy challenge. A decade later we see the results. Today the Catholic education system is no more coherent than its state counterpart across the country, but there is no going back. Despite the misgivings, the academy system is here to stay for the foreseeable future so in 2021 we must deal with the reality of where we are now and not where we might have been in 2010. In my view, there is a potential opportunity for Catholic education but it will take a radically different approach to take advantage of it.

The Academisation of Every Catholic School

It is tempting to blame Michael Gove and his cohorts for the fragmented state of the Catholic education system today but to do so would be to indulge in self-delusion. Certainly, Gove’s academy programme was the catalyst for the problem but the key factor in the fractured Catholic system we see today lies in the governance of the Catholic Church. The simple fact is we have nineteen dioceses in England and nineteen different approaches to academisation. Since Bishop McMahon’s historic announcement in 2011, it is extraordinary that the Bishops’ Conference has never collectively discussed academisation. The CES has not announced a national policy because there isn’t one. The Church has lost its voice and is unable to speak coherently to the government on the key educational issue of the day. We have drifted a long way from the clarity and unity of 1997 and The Common Good in Education.

Whilst the Gove manifesto for academies holds little appeal there is an alternative vision of a truly Catholic education from the nursery to the sixth form. It has been achieved in the Holy Spirit MAC and will be replicated by countless other Catholic MATs around the country. That is the model that every diocese should seek to create and it is perfectly possible. The challenges that face our schools daily are the same in Cornwall as in Cumbria, in Liverpool as in London. The lottery of location should be irrelevant. What matters is a truly national vision that can unite every Catholic school and MAT.

A National Catholic Education System

If we are to see the return of a coherent Catholic education system two key decisions need to be made. The first is that the Bishops’ Conference agrees to academise every school and to form a network of MATs within every diocese based on an integrated Catholic vision of education from the nursery to the sixth form. And the second is the appointment of a senior leadership team of seven led by a National Catholic Schools Commissioner. The NCSC would be the face of Catholic education and would provide a level of professional advice to the Bishops’ Conference that has been sadly lacking for too long.

The NCSC would lead four Provincial Commissioners who would have line management responsibility for all the schools within the provinces of Birmingham, Liverpool, Southwark and Westminster. The provincial commissioners would line manage the current diocesan directors of education. In addition there would be a Commissioner (Leadership and Governance) and another (Legal and Political) covering the current remit of the CES but much more integrated within the wider system. The newly created senior leadership team and its work would be funded by a national levy on every Catholic school that would not exceed 0.2% of its budget. It would be an excellent investment.

I recognise these proposals which I set out in more detail in: https:// www.emmausleadership.me/blog. aspx are radically different from the current arrangements and may pose a difficult challenge to the canonical authority of the Bishops’ Conference. The alternative is the status quo, which would be disastrous. Another decade on the current path will spell the end of the English Catholic education system as we have known it. Individual schools and MATs would continue to prosper but the system as a whole would wither on the vine. We can do much better and we must. It will require bold leadership from the Bishops’ Conference and many others but it can be done. We must not miss this opportunity.

Jim Foley Chair of Holy Spirit MAC

Beyond the Dual System – What Next for Catholic Education in England? A response to Jim Foley’s article

By Sean Whittle

The last edition of Networking included a response to an initial paper by Jim Foley, which raised the provocative question that asks if the Catholic Education System in England is actually fit for purpose. This issue contains a second follow up paper, in which Jim Foley offers some practical proposals for the way forward. It is equally provocative, because in effect it argues for a rejection of the CES and calls for an alternative unified national approach for England’s Catholic education system. Like the first paper, this second paper stirred a webinar, in which over 16* serving headteachers came together at the end of January 2021, to discuss the strength of Jim Foley’s position. This paper will draw together some of the key elements of the discussions raised at the webinar in response to Jim Foley’s second paper.

At its core, the recommendations that Foley is urging us to adopt have their origin in the Academisation policy promoted back in 2010 (under the Gove reforms). It is hard to argue against Foley’s analysis that our bishops failed to respond to it in a united way, with every diocese from 2011 being able to decide for itself how to respond to the academy challenge. Splintering has occurred with each diocese, and now the Catholic education system is no more coherent than its state counterpart across the country. Foley is pragmatic about the academisation policy, and despite the misgivings, he accepts that the academy system is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Whatever our views on the Government’s Academy policy, it is again difficult to argue with Foley’s pragmatic acceptance of where we are now. Thus in 2021 we must deal with the reality of where we are now and not where we might have been back in 2010. There is a force in the way Foley calls out how our Church leaders have lost their voice and how they are unable to speak coherently to the Government on key educational

issues. Foley is right that this is a far cry from the clarity and unity of 1997 and bishop’s statement on The Common Good in Education. The CES has not announced a national policy because there is not one. What we need now is a vision for Catholic education, capable of uniting every Catholic school and MAT.

This is, according to Foley, a time to act decisively, with two key decisions needing to be made: the first is that the Bishops’ Conference agrees to academise every school and to form a network of MATs within every diocese based on an integrated Catholic vision of education, from the nursery to the sixth form. Secondly, appoint a senior leadership team of seven, led by a National Catholic Schools Commissioner (NCSC). This commissioner would be the face of Catholic education and would provide professional advice to the Bishops’ Conference. Foley proposes that the NCSC would lead four Provincial Commissioners who would have line management responsibility for all the schools within the Catholic provinces of Birmingham, Liverpool, Southwark and Westminster. The provincial commissioners would line manage the current diocesan directors of education. Alongside, there would be two assistantcommissioners (for Leadership and Governance, for Legal and Political matters). They would cover the current remit of the CES, but in a way much more integrated within the wider system. In effect this would be a senior leadership team for Catholic education at a national level. The work of the NCSC would be funded by a national levy on every Catholic school of 0.2% of its budget.

The Headteachers at the webinar responded positively to these practical proposals. Naturally some would prefer that academisation was not imposed on all Catholic schools, however there was a widespread conviction that there is a

need to bring about a unified national approach to Catholic education. One headteacher could see that the structure Jim Foley is advocating is not about telling head teachers how to run their schools, but rather about creating a national structure that would give a coherent voice and identity to Catholic education in England. There is a danger that under the current structures, Catholic education is fading away as a national voice in matters of education. The danger is that this voice will disappear unless we can find one voice that makes teachers in Catholic school feel they could identify with a bigger mission. One of the striking features of the webinar is that there were no dissenting voices, arguing against the sort of changes that Foley is calling for. The webinar makes no claims to be a representative sample of Catholic school leaders, but this does not detract from the shared palpable sense that significant changes are needed at a national level.

Foley and the serving Catholic head teachers who are persuaded by his reading of the ‘signs of the times’ are daring to say that the current national structures built around the CES and the diocesan educational systems have outlived their usefulness. In many respects this is hardly surprising given the massive educational changes unleashed since the 1988 Education Reform Act and the 1992 Education Act that introduced Local Management of Schools. Moreover, it is easy to forget that the CES primarily exists to serve the needs of our bishops. It should be likened to a benign ‘quango’, that operates with the goal of relieving our bishops of the burdensome aspects of Catholic education and being a lobbying organisation that represents the bishops’ interests in relation to Government policy. In theory the bishops’ interests ought to chime intimately with the needs of the head teachers who lead our Catholic

by Dr Sean Whittle Research Associate at the CRDCE with Professor Gerald Grace

schools. However, all too often other things bubble up and get in the way. At the best of times, it is hard to be certain how much time individual bishops get to engage with the heads in the schools in their diocese. However, during the worst of times, such as in the midst of the current pandemic, there is a real sense that Catholic headteachers have had next to no contact with their bishop. Against this context other matters can too quickly bubble up and serve as a distraction from addressing the real needs of our headteachers and Catholic education across England. In the months to come we are likely to see a striking example

of this in relation to the introduction of the Revised ‘Curriculum Directory for Religious Education’. This will be introduced with much fanfare and we will all be encouraged to give it our urgent attention. We will find ourselves in effect being distracted by Religious Education rather than addressing the need for a new national voice for Catholic education. It is incumbent on all of us to ensure that this is not allowed to happen.

It might well be that the specific details of Jim Foley’s proposals need some modification, but the basic thrust, about the need for a new and improved

alternative to the CES, is very difficult to argue against. It is time to open up this debate, beyond the participants in the webinar. The editors of Networking would be thrilled to hear what you make of Jim Foley’s proposals, and reactions short or long can be sent by email to editor@networkingcet.co.uk

Dr Sean Whittle Research Associate at the CRDCE

ST BENEDICT’S ‘SPORTING CHALLENGE’

RAISES OVER £5,000 FOR CHARITY!

St Benedict’s pupils and staff have raised over £5,000 for two charities: The Passage, which supports the homeless, and The Sarah Cannon Cancer Research Fund.

This was a fundraising sporting challenge for the entire school - for all pupils aged 3 to 18 and their teachers. Shortly before half-term, everyone at St Benedict’s was invited to run, walk and cycle a suggested minimum of 1km each. Many exceeded this, covering 5, 10 and even 100km individually, finding sponsors or donating money to support two chosen charities - The Passage and The Sarah Cannon Research Fund. By the end of the 2-week challenge, St Benedict’s raised a total of £5,016.68, collectively covering over 4,000km!

There were many outstanding efforts: Sixth Form students Lily and Arabella walked the distance of a marathon together, while Alexander in Year 9 ran, cycled, walked and rowed 100.23km!the furthest individual distance achieved in the entire challenge. And the Junior School Headmaster, Mr Simmons, covered an amazing 373km.

St Benedict’s Headmaster, Andrew Johnson, said: “It is terrific to have raised over £5,000 for these two worthy causes. I am very proud of everyone for showing such generous, determined support for this challenge.”

Making Sense of Official Church Teachings on Catholic Education

An Introduction

Around the globe the Catholic Church is the biggest provider of education and even here in the UK, Catholic schools account for a hefty 10% of all schools and colleges. Catholic schools are to be found almost everywhere, even in countries which have tiny Catholic populations, thanks to the efforts of missionaries in past times. Despite this ubiquity, the official or formal Church teaching on Catholic Education is surprisingly difficult to make sense of. This teaching can be compared with the Church’s teaching on social justice, which is routinely depicted as a hidden gem full of rich and relevant insight about how to live out the faith in a just way. The problem with the teachings on social justice is that too many of us have forgotten to read it. However, when it comes to the Church documents on Catholic education when many of us read them, we simply do not come across much which is informative or particularly relevant to our work in Catholic schools. It is not that they are hidden gems, but rather the texts just do not speak to us. This is a shame for two main

reasons. First, various theologians and Vatican officials have since the end of Vatican II in 1965 written wide ranging texts about Catholic schools and aspects of Catholic education. Every few years a guidance document or set of reflections are issued under the auspices of the ‘Congregation for Catholic Education’ which is part of the curia based in the Vatican. A visit to the Vatican website reveals that this congregation has issued over fifty documents since 1972, available in different languages, relating to wide-ranging aspects of Catholic education. It is disappointing if large swathes of this documentation is of little relevance to us. It is always a shame when hard work of some is not recognised or appreciated. Second, many of us have turned to some of these texts when composing policy documents or as part of Diocesan INSET, only to discover that they do not give us what we need. At a time when formation and nourishment is needed, it might be expected that these official Church documents should be full of rich insights. It is a shame that too many of us do

Church Documents on Education: Sources of Pedagogical Renewal

not have a working knowledge of these formal church teachings on Catholic education. Addressing this situation has been a nagging concern for many of those involved in the editorial team of Networking. There has been an ongoing desire to work out how to bridge the gap between the official Church documents on Catholic education and what Catholic school leaders need in terms of official guidance and insight. Firm plans are in place for future editions of Networking to address this challenge. Networking will do this by publishing accessible summary pieces which present the contemporary relevance of the key teachings issued by the Congregation for Catholic Education, since the end of Vatican II. It will begin with a focus on the slim education declaration that was actually issued right at the end of Vatican II. As a way of preparing for this we are delighted to be offering some reflections from Dr Leonardo Franchi, which gives a positive appraisal of some of the key documents issued by the Congregation for Catholic Education.

by Dr. Leonardo Franchi

By Dr L. Franchi - School of Education - University of Glasgow

The ample body of work published by the Congregation for Catholic Education enables Catholic educators worldwide to appreciate more fully the riches of the Catholic educational tradition. It is (or should be) a vademecum for all with a locus in the mission of Catholic education: parents, bishops, priests, teachers, catechists and students.

Vatican II is, rightly, regarded as the beacon which illumines the life of the contemporary Church. Good knowledge of the theological and pastoral thrust of its sixteen documents is the first condition of an active and forwardlooking Catholic vision of society. Church historians will continue to study the impact of Vatican II on the life of the Church and society but, for now, it stands as a beacon for the muchneeded New Evangelisation.

While the Church can be categorised as an educational movement, so to speak, it does have specific things to say about the life of dedicated educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities. Curiously, Vatican II’s Declaration on Christian Education (Gravissimum educationis), published in 1965, did not deal at length with the opportunities and challenges offered by the worldwide network of Catholic schools. Gravissimum educationis is a concise document of only sixteen short sections which can be read as a cautious re-statement of the foundational principles of Christian education wherein the rights of the family are deemed paramount. It has much in common with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Interestingly, the

limitations of the broad-brush approach of Gravissimum educationis was recognised in the Introduction where it states as follows:

‘These principles will have to be developed at greater length by a special post-conciliar commission and applied by episcopal conferences to varying local situations.’ This is either an invitation to action or a clarion call for assistance. Perhaps both!

The relationship between the universal and particular church is not always straightforward. We should not expect it to be and any apparent ‘tension’ between the ways of working of the universal and the local church should be seen as a welcome opportunity to apply in particular circumstances some broad, rigorous and valid educational principles. (This is not the same as ‘adapting’ received Church doctrine

to particular socio-cultural conditions...) This ensures that the key threads of Catholic educational thought are sufficiently woven through the life of the Church that it offers a vibrant and attractive vision of education.

The Church’s educational tradition, of course, has many outlets. We have, for example, the cherished records of the schools founded by charismatic figures and the witness of countless educators who have spent years of unheralded service at the chalk face. It should remind us of the final lines of George Elliot’s Middlemarch where the author praises those ‘who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs’.

In parallel to the witness of the teachers, the Church’s educational traditions are encapsulated in the documents of the Congregation for Catholic Education. It is here that we find in written form the insights which have emerged in the life of the Church’s long ‘encounter’ with varied ways of thinking about culture and society.

The website of the Congregation has links to all the relevant documents published since (and before) Gravissimum educationis in 1965. The extent to which a close reading of the documents has informed local policy on Catholic education is a matter of some debate. For sure, extracts from the documents often appear on posters and other media but there is little evidence to suggest that Catholic schools have made concrete moves to study their content seriously. This is understandable give the amount of top-down advice and guidance offered to teachers in all aspects of their professional life, not to mention the challenges offered by the scrutiny of inspections.

Nonetheless, there is a need to devise ways to use the Congregation’s documents as sources for ongoing pedagogical and ecclesial renewal. In this light, what is the best way to tease out and engage with the many valuable insights found therein?

By way of prelude, the backdrop to much of the Congregation’s work is the shift in the teaching force from one that was predominantly rooted in Religious Orders and Teaching Congregations to the contemporary reality of Catholic schools staffed mainly by lay teachers. Three essential documents from the Congregation have dealt at length with this theme and its aftershocks. A familiarisation (at least) with the thrust of these documents offers a necessary base for further study of Catholic education. Crucially, it is important to see the growth of the lay teaching force as a welcome sign of the vocation of the lay person in the world.

The three documents are:

• Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith (October 15, 1982);

• Consecrated Persons and their Mission in Schools. Reflections and Guidelines (October 28, 2002);

• Educating Together in Catholic Schools. A Shared Mission between Consecrated Persons and the Lay Faithful (September 8, 2007).

Following this process of familiarisation with the evolution of a lay teaching corps, the next step is to take time to read all (or some) of the documents of the Congregation for Catholic Education.

There are two options. The first involves a straightforward reading of the (selected) documents in chronological order. This could be done individually or in ‘reading / study groups’ which meet on a regular basis. One clear advantage of this approach is its simplicity and straightforwardness. It could, for example, make use of twilight sessions and needs a minimal level of organisation. On the other hand, it might be seen as an overly rigid approach to a body of work which is richlytextured.

Another way forward would involve a systematic and thematically-driven study of the documents. This approach needs some broad interpretive keys and would be an alternative, if more complex, method for the organisation of reading /study groups. If this way of working is adopted, the key themes are identified in advance with each session coordinated by a leader who has already sifted through the documentation to identify important passages. An advantage of this method is the potential for tracking how key themes have been developed over the years, leading to deeper questions such as why this has happened, who or what is driving the changes.

Such a project requires time and patience, but it is time well worth spending. Key themes could include the following:

• the professional and religious formation of the teacher;

• the nature of school-based religious education and its relationship with wider catechetical initiatives in the life of the Church;

• the importance of intercultural dialogue and its implications for the curricular and pastoral life of the school;

• the need for a sustainable and ‘ecological’ vision of Catholic education.

Again, how any sessions and topics are organised is a matter for local schools and groups of schools. As subsidiarity is foundational to Catholic social teaching—and Catholic education should be an example of Catholic social teaching in action— it would be rather odd to propose an over-centralised approach. The ‘methods’ above are simply suggestions: no more, no less.

We bear in mind too that in the phrase ‘Catholic education’ both words have equal weight: we do ourselves a disservice if we see Catholic education simply as a pastoral initiative geared towards pupils from Catholic families. One outcome of careful study of the documents will be, ideally, a much more nuanced and educationally richer appreciation of the Church’s educational traditions. This will lead to a vision of education which is rooted in a Catholic understanding of the human person but is open to all.

All of this has implications for the life and curriculum of the Catholic school (see The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 1988), its place in an inclusive yet plural society (see Educating to Intercultural Dialogue in Catholic Schools: Living in Harmony for a Civilisation of Love, 2013 - a forerunner to Fratelli Tutti, 2020) and how the Church deals with new challenges to its vision of the human person (see Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education, 2019).

There is much to do but also much to look forward to. In his address to the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for Catholic Education in 2020, Pope Francis said as follows:

“Education is a dynamic reality, it is a movement that brings people to the light. It is a peculiar kind of movement, with characteristics that make it a dynamism of growth, aimed at the full development of the person in his/her individual and social dimension.“

This could be the ‘slogan’ driving initiatives to study and implement in new and creative ways the traditions of Catholic education which we have inherited. As we move forward, is it possible that we become much more aware of how the Church’s vision of education should be offered at the high table of educational thinking: a Catholic philosophy (or theory) of education is not the same as a philosophy (or theory) of Catholic education? To be clear, the latter has a focus on the Catholic school; the former looks at education more widely.

We are interested in both

Dr Leonardo Franchi

Practitioner Researcher A Response

A response to Professor Gerald Grace’s article On Becoming ‘Practitioner Researchers’ In Catholic Schools

By Peter Boylan, Foundation Editor of Networking

‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams’ Joel 2:28

Introduction

In responding to Professor Grace’s article, I will draw heavily on my own prior experience in Catholic education, as a pupil, teacher, headteacher, governor and independent consultant as well as editor of Networking. Hopefully this grounds my response in a historical context which is in grave danger of being forgotten as have many relevant and worthy pieces of research. A senior University figure commented to me recently that it was difficult to think of an era before the tumultuous recent years, when schools functioned efficiently and effectively. While no one would claim a golden age, schools handled the challenges and changes of their era while attempting to ensure that their own pupils were not disadvantaged and indeed responded to improved teaching methods either on their own initiatives or through external advice.

In his paper Grace offers the distinction between Internal and External researchers, presenting the advantages and difficulties facing both groups. He goes on to propose that the balancing of these two positions can be achieved by what he calls ‘Practitioner Researchers’ directly using school experience to complement ‘External Researchers.’ He identifies three types of such internal contributors, those recently retired who are able to reflect and write on experience, those who undertake formal advanced study and those who undertake a longer term study of educational development. He writes with particular focus on Catholic education but these definitions can be equally relevant to all provisions. He goes on to suggest that Schools develop the talents of Senior Students to play their part by the development of what he refers to as ‘Catholic Research Schools.’

In this response, I would like to suggest that there have been examples of internal researchers in the past but outcomes have been lost thanks to pressures to conform to a particular agenda or on resources. Alongside

this has developed a general disregard of research in favour of ungrounded theory. However it is undeniable that there has been a lack of a research culture in Catholic Education especially.

The Culture of Research and Development

It is only in the last twenty years that significant research into Catholic schools across the UK has been undertaken. Much of this is thanks to the leading influence of Professor Gerald Grace who in 1997 established a Centre for Research and Development in Catholic Education then based at the London Institute of Education. A review of known Doctoral and Masters theses and dissertations related to Catholic education in England and Ireland was the first publication in 1999. This valuable listing illustrated the dearth of this academic culture. Only forty PhD studies were listed and only a handful of those had been published.

This situation had been the case for many years and here I present two examples to illustrate. In the first example, writing in 1944, a respected Catholic Education Professor, A.C.F.Beales could observe that ‘there is not a work of modern English Catholic scholarship on Education at large able to take its place as an equal among professional books.’[1]Secondly, as a graduate student in the early 1960s I was carrying out an historical study of the growth of Catholic schools in this country. The only reference book available in the University library was ‘The English Catholics’ [2] published in 1950. Accurate statistical data has been equally ill treated as Anthony Spencer related in an unpublished article from 2007 [3] in which he wrote of 1944 ‘the Catholic Church’s statistics were appallingly bad and a decade later they were no better.’ Not even the reforms of Vatican II made any impact on this situation. The lack of systematic archives at any level is only slowly being addressed but still fights a losing battle. On seeking the dedicated archive of one Catholic education body the flippant but realistic reply was given to me ‘that it depended under whose bed they rested when they died.’ Relying on memories alone or on boxes of papers collected in forgotten store rooms, is no way to treat the dedicated work and developments of the many, now forgotten

by Peter Boylan

labourers in the vineyard. Library collections have been similarly mistreated.

Thanks to the work of such individuals as Gerald Grace, Michael Hornsby-Smith and John Sullivan among others, the need has slowly been addressed and an academic culture can now be seen to be beginning to flower Extending this culture into all Catholic schools will be the next steps.

However there is a significant factor which has worked against this research. The partner to research is development. Personally I have contributed to research projects of many types that, despite producing a realistic assessment of a position and offering recommendations, have been sidelined if not rejected outright by those to whom they were addressed. This only adds to the dislocation between those who have spent their own time and trouble speaking ‘from the chalk face’ to those who have the responsibility of actually making improvements. Such rejections must be avoided before confidence grows that such time has not been wasted. Too often the cycle of research, report and action seems to fall at the final hurdle. Schools require action to ensure improvement.

Schools Internal Researchers

Ethnographers

Grace proposes the role of recently retired teachers and school leaders in analysing the changes in school culture during their involvement in school life. There are a number of examples of such work but mainly in the realm of the historic development of the individual school. A number of such accounts bear testament to and draw examples from former headteachers and teachers as well as former pupils in that story.[4] Collectively there is a richness from such accounts as well as from lovingly complied school magazines, that witness to the nature of Catholic education in practice. Sadly I have not found any register of such publications nor of a centre where those that are known can be lodged.

More recently, practical issues dominate as to why such material is unwritten or unrecorded. Retiring from a senior school position brings a self-imposed discipline. Confidentiality is the

first such issue to be addressed. Secondly is a wish not to disturb the proposals and plans of a successor nor a desire to name names, identify personalities or circumstances with which one has worked. However the biggest challenge is to overcome fatigue. The intensity of pressure on time, decision making or personnel management can be such that retirement means forgetting and finding time for other pursuits. Sadly the expertise is lost.

The Advanced Study Graduate

In a system of routines driven by bells, (secondary) or daily hands-on with minimum relief, (primary) there are few occasions remaining to reflect and consider school developments. Where such study has been undertaken it has either been as a part of an external study or when a secondment has become available.

As a teacher of mathematics I was invited to join a study into the teaching of statistics, a Schools Council project led by Sheffield University and later, through Nottingham University School of Education led a local group of mathematics teachers in an Action Research Project. Both projects involved discussions, meetings and report writing outwith school time. Undeniably the experience was valuable to my own teaching but did they influence a larger audience? Experience said ‘no’.

The management of declining school rolls and the consequent reduction of staffing levels was a constant problem in my years as a headteacher. One strategy used by the LEA was to offer a year on secondment to individual teachers to pursue a study of their choice. While worthwhile writing was achieved [5] it had hardly come about as a desire to advance knowledge for its own sake being simply a means to an end. Nor was there any route to publication as such work would not qualify for entry in an academic journal.

Comparing this with initiatives in other countries such as Australia or Canada, where long service leave could be gained which allowed for such studies on an international basis, the attitude and parsimony in this country contrasts badly.

Independent Researchers

As one of those graciously named by Professor Grace, some observations from experience may be relevant. When I explored and began a PhD study I soon discovered that any longitudinal study was discouraged. National guidelines demanded a shorter, in depth study of a limited period not meeting the needs of my intended work. Furthering independent study though has disadvantages in that access to academic libraries or relevant professional journals becomes difficult and expensive. However my study has revealed many popular myths as well as relevant issues that have grown up in

an uninformed Catholic community. It has also illustrated the way in which archival papers have been abandoned.

The great benefit that I have found is that it links together the different stages of my own life in Catholic education beginning with the family background, parish primary school, boys’ Catholic grammar school and University before embarking on a teaching and management career, later adding other direct experiences, such as school and college governorship in a variety of settings. W ith the time for reflection, then a more complete picture is constructed.

Catholic Research Schools

Professor Gerald Grace offers a new model for a ‘Catholic Research School’ evidenced by the Convent of Jesus and Mary College in north London. However the starting point of this initiative of engaging students to reconnect with their own inquisitiveness is one that has existed and continues to exist in many schools today. Dr McGowan sees this in Primary schools and it can be seen when interest is aroused in any education establishment. The concept of ‘Flow’[6] which occurs when the balance of skill and challenge is achieved is a key to this involvement. Examples of this occurring among students of all ages and abilities over time, when setting the correct challenge is key. I found that low ability pupils in a Comprehensive school where I taught were able to grasp mathematical concepts which might have been expected to be beyond their range, but when suitably engaged, they saw no difficulty.

There must be two elements to this inquisitiveness; as a teaching method and as a proper open ended investigation. As a teaching method, the notion of discovering ‘received knowledge’ can too often mean interrogating such internet sites as Wikipedia for simple, but not necessarily accurate answers. For investigation, the access and use of a range of books and papers, or by questioning witnesses of events, can be valuable in some twentieth century historical investigation, and moves research much further forward and becomes more the province of genuine ‘researchers in education.’

‘Christus

Vivit’

This exhortation by Pope Francis addressed to Young People and to the Entire People of God, has one chapter entitled ‘Young People with Roots.’[7] ‘It is impossible to grow unless we have strong roots to support us and keep us grounded’ argues Francis. For young adults, the knowledge of where they have come from and the spiritual and cultural heritage prevents being drawn away into untried or misleading paths. The Pope takes the quotation from Joel and interprets this by saying:-

“The elderly have dreams built up of memories and images that bear the mark of their long experience. If young people sink roots in those dreams, they can peer into the... future; they can have visions that broaden their horizons and show them new paths. But if the elderly do not dream, young people lose clear sight of the horizon.” [8]

However he continues

“Roots are not anchors chaining us to past times and preventing us from facing the present and creating something new. Instead, they are a fixed point from which we can grow and meet new challenges.”[9]

This places a responsibility on young and old alike, to share an inheritance and re-interpret in light of current times, one of the key messages of Pope John XXIII at the opening of Second Vatican Council.

In this light, the importance of sharing between generations the research concerning the ongoing Catholic Education story in this country should be taken as an important task in that part of the Mission of Christ. The learning of how to investigate, research and share findings leads to a better debate and better plan for future developments in the Catholic sphere and as a part of a more universal provision. This involvement should become an essential element.

[1] A.C.F. Beales, Paper delivered to Newman Association, Leeds Easter 1944, printed Bradford CPEA 1945

[2] ‘The English Catholics 1850 to 1950’ G. A. Beck (Ed) Burns Oates 1950

[3] Anthony E.C.W. Spencer, Director of the Newman Demographic Survey 1953-64, unpublished paper

[4] e.g. ‘The Story of St Joseph’s College, Bradford’ 1978 Mary Dawson, a former teacher at the College: ‘Echoes in the Playground’ A history of St Peter’s Catholic School Doncaster, 2000 Anne Whitehead, former pupil: ‘St John Payne Catholic Comprehensive School, Chelmsford’ 2009, Des Kelly, former Deputy Headteacher, among many others

[5] e.g. Paul Bold: ‘A History of St Mary’s School Blackburn’ from the school log books dissertation as a part of a History of Education In-service course Edge Hill College 1975, unpublished

[6] See the work of ‘Mihaly Csikszentmihalvi.’ on Flow being the balance between challenge and skill

[7] Pope Francis ‘Christus Vivit’ CTS 2019: see Chap Six

[8] Ibid para 169

[9] Ibid para 200

Preface by the Research and Development Editor of Networking

CHURCH ACTION FOR TAX JUSTICE (CATJ) is a programme of the registered charity, THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY.

The Director of CATJ has recently sent some extracts from the latest publication for the use of teachers in Catholic Secondary schools and colleges.

It is the hope of the Director, Dr Justin Thacker (justin.thacker@catj.org.uk) that Catholic schools will join with other

faith-based schools to use such materials for subject work, ‘to promote tax justice education with senior students.’

The programme itself is entirely nonparty political, but arises from the justice commitments of all the major religious faiths.

by Professor Gerald Grace R and D Editor of Networking

Readers will remember that we published an earlier article, ‘Briefing Notes for Catholic educators on Taxation and the Common Good’ in Vol.21 No.2, Spring 2020.

We welcome this latest material supplied by CATJ and we hope that teachers and students can begin to formulate projects that will educate the citizens of the future to become aware of the importance of tax justice in shaping a better world.

This report forms part of our Fair Tax Now campaign. It has been written to provide more detail on some of the stories highlighted in that campaign and to set them in their wider economic and policy context. The overall purpose of the campaign is to draw attention to some of the ways in which our current national and global tax systems are unjust and unfair. Sometimes, this unfairness is the result of policy decisions taken by successive governments; sometimes it relates to the way in which some individuals and corporations behave. We address both in this report.

We begin by exploring the unfairness associated with taxing income and contrast the experience of a typical nurse earning £31,000 with someone earning £10 million. We then move on to address the injustices of the Council Tax which is now woefully out of date and based largely on house price valuations from 1991. We go on to discuss the way in which some large corporations manage to avoid paying tax and conclude with a story from Zambia that is costing hundreds of lives each year. None of these injustices are inevitable.

Our tax system is designed and it could be designed differently. Different policy options are available and following a discussion of the ethics of unfairness, we conclude this report with our policy proposals for a better tax system.

Tax Evasion – the illegal, nonpayment of taxes that are owed

Tax Avoidance – the morally illegitimate activity in which an individual or corporation artificially arranges their tax affairs in a way that thwarts the intention of national policy and legislation. Whether such activity is legal or not is disputed.[1]

Tax Dodging / Tax Abuse – tends to refer to the combination of tax avoidance and tax evasion

Tax Planning – for some this refers to the morally legitimate activity of arranging tax affairs in line with government intentions. Using Gift Aid for charitable donations would be an example. Others distinguish between legitimate tax planning and aggressive / illegitimate tax planning which in effect is the same as tax avoidance.

Taxes on Income

Jo works as a nurse in the NHS and pays her taxes. The coronavirus pandemic has been hard on her and her colleagues. Despite recent pay increases, over the last ten years, the average nursing salary has in fact decreased in real terms by 7.4%. The average nurse in the UK pays just over 22% of their income in tax and national insurance.[2] In contrast, those who earn £10 million a year pay a lower rate than this.[3] We think this is unfair… do you?

In the summer of 2020, Arun Advani and Andy Summers conducted a major analysis of what the rich actually pay in taxes in the UK.[4] They used anonymised tax return data so their conclusions are based not on what people should have paid, but on what they actually paid in a way that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HRMC) endorsed. They analysed the returns of everyone who received over £100,000 in 2015-16. Their findings were truly remarkable. We are all aware that the top rate of Income Tax is 45%compared to a basic rate of just 20%. We might then assume that those who enjoy the highest incomes pay a higher proportion of that income in tax each year. But what Advani and Summers have shown is that is not necessarily the case. In fact, they revealed that there is significant variation among those earning the highest incomes so that while some of them do pay rates around 47%; others on the same income pay as little as 11%. How is it possible for a millionaire to pay as little as 11% in tax when the headline rate is a little over 47% (45% Income Tax plus National Insurance Contributions (NICs))? The answer to this is that many of the wealthiest find ways to channel their income so that it is not classed as normal income but is instead categorised as a capital gain. When you combine this with a series of tax reliefs that are available for certain kinds of business investment then it is possible to arrange your affairs so that you pay as little as 11%. Advani and Summers analysed the Effective Average Tax Rate (EATR) for different groups of earners.

Capital Gains Tax is a tax that is paid on the profit you make when you sell an asset such as a share, a second home or a work of art. Capital gains are taxed at a much lower rate than normal Income Tax so if you can convert your income into capital gains, you can pay much less tax.

This rate is the combination of total Income Tax plus National Insurance Contributions (of whichever class but excluding employers NICs) as a percentage of total taxable income. For their total remuneration series, they also added in the relevant income and tax figures from capital gains. As indicated, it is the addition of capital gains, in particular, that leads to such dramatic reductions in overall tax rates as capital gains are frequently taxed at much

lower rates than income from work. What they found was that contrary to what we might expect overall tax rates (including Capital Gains) rise with increasing income but peak at around 40% for those earning 250,000. Beyond that point tax rates decrease markedly. This decrease in tax rates continues until you are earning approximately £5 million and from that point onwards, the effective average tax rate is approximately 27% - far below the headline rate we might expect of 47%. What is even more remarkable is the way in which this average rate hides significant variation for the superwealthy. One in ten of those earning more than a £1 million paid less than 11% in tax, which is less than someone who earns just £15,000 a year. Of those earning £5 million to £10 million, the figure was one in four Finally, those earning between£9 million and £11 million paid on average an effective tax rate of just 21% - less than the average nurse in the UK.

In short, while we often read headlines about the huge contributions that wealthy tax-payers make to our central finances, the reality is that they are often paying far less than we might think. Indeed, as a proportion of their income they are paying lower rates than many of those on average incomes. We think this is unfair. We hope you do too.

Council Tax

Andy and Sarah are now in a better place financially, but a few years ago they were struggling.

Andy earned just above minimum wage and, due to health issues, Sarah was unable to earn. At the time, their Council Tax bill was almost a tenth of their income and it was very difficult to pay that as well as all their other outgoing expenses. They got into arrears. Eventually, a bailiff appeared at their door. It was an incredibly frightening experience to have someone walk into your house who you had no power to stop and who is taking an inventory of your belongings so that one day he can come back and just take your stuff. By way of contrast, those who earn the most in our country and who live in the most expensive properties pay on average around 1% of their income on Council Tax. Such people do not face losing their possessions or home or having bailiffs pitch up at their door. We think this is unfair….do you?

“I never really thought of it as being unfair, I’ve totally thought of it as being my fault. So in hindsight you can look back and say, yeah it’s unfair that I have to pay so much more percentage of my income than a rich person, but actually in reality what it feels like is you’ve failed.”

Council Tax is fundamentally unfair. It was introduced in 1993 to replace the even more hated Poll Tax, but over the last thirty years a succession of reports have pointed to its inherent injustices, especially with respect to those on low incomes.[5] The fundamental problem is that in England at least it is based on property values from 1991 and for a wide range of reasons these values are now woefully out of date. In addition, a degree of unfairness was built into it right from the start. While Council Tax has eight bands (in England) the ratio of those bands is fixed by law so that the highest band is only ever three times the amount of the lowest band. Given the fact that income and wealth differentials in the UK are much larger than that, a threefold variation in the charge automatically means that those on the lowest band pay a much higher proportion of their income on Council Tax than those on the highest. Consider the following injustices which Council Tax creates:

• It is perfectly possible, and indeed happens, that two properties of the same value, in the same area, receiving the same council services pay very different rates of Council Tax with one paying several hundreds of pounds more than the other. This can happen if those two properties had different valuations back in 1991 but one of them has grown in value since then so that it is now worth the same as the other property.

• Across the country, Local Authorities are able to set very different rates

which means different people in different parts of the country pay very different amounts even if the properties they inhabit were valued the same in 1991. There is evidence that Councils with more valuable properties tend to set lower rates than those with less valuable properties which is why the Council Tax bills in Westminster, London are approximately half of those in North Tyneside, despite the huge difference in property values. They can do this because Council Tax rates are locally determined and on average Councils in the North and Midlands set higher rates than Councils in the South.

• The ratio between the highest band and the lowest is fixed by law at three. Yet, not only is the ratio of property values between the highest and lowest far, far greater than three, we also know that the ratio of incomes is far greater than that. This means that Council Tax is designed to be regressive – that is the poorest pay a higher proportion of their income on Council Tax than the richest. The most recent ONS figures for 2018/19 indicate that while those on the highest incomes pay just 1% of their income on Council Tax, the lowest decile (poorest 10% of the population) pay 9% of their incomes on Council Tax, even after taking into account Council Tax support and benefits.[6]

• The highest Council Tax band was for properties worth £320,000 or more in 1991.There was no differentiation beyond that point. This means that someone living in a multi-million pound property pays the same as someone living in a £350,000 pound property. This is one of the reasons why the Council Tax on Buckingham Palace is less than the average bill across the UK.

• Finally, Council Tax has increased markedly above inflation, especially in recent years where over the last ten years the average Band D Council Tax has gone up by 25%.[7] If we bear in mind that the poorest in the UK already pay a higher proportion of their income in Council Tax than any other group then the above inflation increase has hit them the hardest. By way of contrast consider the fact that over the same time period, Corporation Tax – a tax which primarily affects the wealthy – has decreased by 10%.

In short, Council Tax is profoundly unfair and many families on low incomes find it hard to pay. Indeed, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau it is the most common debt problem faced by families in Britain with 86,000 people in England struggling with it.[8] If we are to stop families like Andy and Sarah continuing to struggle it is ripe for reform and needs to be replaced either with a Land Value Tax,[9] a proportionate property tax[10] or some combination of both.

The Ethics of Unfairness: We are all equal in terms of worth and dignity

We all have different ideas as to what precisely constitutes fairness or unfairness. The concept is inherently subjective and there are some situations which some will feel are unfair, and others will think are acceptable. However, our subjective feeling of unfairness is shared. Ever since we were children and cried out ‘it’s unfair’, we know what it feels like. And while it might be hard to pin down a precise definition of the concept, we do think that the values that drive that sense of unfairness are both shared between humans and deeply held. There are three values in particular that are relevant here: equity, justice and compassion.

Equity

The fundamental idea of equity is not that you treat people the same; it’s not the same as equality. Equity is about treating people differently in light of their differing needs and contexts. Equality might say everyone uses the same entrance to a building; equity ensures that adequate access for those with mobility impairments is provided. Equity recognises two important aspects of what it means to be human. The first of these is that we are all equal in terms of worth and dignity. It is not the case that some people are more important than others, or some people deserve better treatment than others. For Christians, this sense of equal worth is enshrined in our belief that we are all created equally in the image of God. In parallel though with this idea of equal worth, equity recognises that there are differences in our gifts, talents, abilities and social situations. Moreover, a sense of equity believes that because of these differences, some difference in how we are treated is appropriate. The goal of equity is to bring us up to a level playing field – where we all have access to the

same rights and responsibilities. The significance then of the value of equity is that in the way we treat people, we must do so with this value in mind, and that is why so much of our tax system seems unfair, for it not treating people with equity.

When a nurse earning just £31,000 pays a higher rate of tax than someone earning £10 million that is not an expression of equity. When someone on universal credit manages to keep just a fraction of their earnings and someone else earning a huge sum gets to keep much more, that is not equity.

Even in respect of those who are wealthy, this principle of equity is lost as those who earn over £5 million may pay anything from 11% tax to 47% depending on how they arrange their tax affairs. Equity demands that we are all recognised as equal in worth and that we are treated in a way that fairly recognises our differences. Our current tax systems do the precise opposite of that and that is what we mean when we say it’s not fair. It is not treating people with equity.

Our Proposals:

1. Hearts & Minds

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, we are seeking a change in the public narrative concerning taxation. At an event we held in October 2020, Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury said this, “A society’s levels of progressive and redistributive taxation should be a matter of pride not anxiety.” One of the most unchallenged narratives that has been allowed to dominate our public discourse is that tax cuts are a good thing, and tax rises a bad thing. Whether or not that is true depends crucially on whom those tax cuts fall. If they deprive local communities of much needed public services, if they bring our health and education services to breaking point, if they drive more families into poverty then tax cuts are not a good thing. But if those tax rises ensure we have a well-equipped and sufficient NHS, if they enable our children to be effectively taught, and if they mean that families don’t have to beg for food then that is a good thing. Taxes are the price we pay for being citizens of a community. They are fundamentally good.

This is why we hope we can get to a stage where tax avoidance is as morally unacceptable as failing to tackle your

carbon footprint. We cannot imagine a corporation or individual standing up with pride and saying that it has done nothing to tackle the green agenda. Yet for some reason we consider it acceptable that there is a whole industry devoted to helping corporations reduce their tax obligations. As Richard Murphy said to a group of tax professionals recently, “We have virtually defined our professional ethics around an obligation to increase the personal wealth of our clients irrespective of the cost to society at large.”[21] Earlier this year, it was reported that only 19% of businesses explicitly shunned the use of tax havens in their published tax policies.[22] We need to see this change, we need a change in mindset and a change in the public narrative that champions the payment of tax and makes any actions to avoid the spirit, and not just the letter, of the law as morally bankrupt.

2. UK Tax Justice

In the second place, at Church Action for Tax Justice, we are also calling for a change in a number of specific UK tax policies. We would propose the following:

• Tax Income Equally - it is not right that if you earn £20,000 from capital gains in shares or property that you pay less tax than if you earn the same amount from work. We therefore propose combining Income Tax, National Insurance and Capital Gains Tax into a single progressive tax with a single allowance.

• Reform Council Tax – we would argue

that it should be replaced either with a proportionate property tax or a land value tax.

• Tax Wealth Effectively – because we have failed for decades to tax growth in wealth adequately, wealth inequality has grown significantly. Such a tax could exclude pensions and people’s main homes, but tax net wealth (possibly on an annual basis above a threshold of £1 million) at an appropriate rate.[23]

• Stop The Dodging –at least £35bn each year that should be collected in tax in the UK is not. We need to tighten the legislation to close the loopholes and in particular properly resource HMRC and Companies House so they are able to enforce those rules.

3. Global Tax Justice

Finally, as a way to end the scourge of global tax abuse, particularly that which impoverishes poorer countries, we would encourage the UK to adopt a different stance in the global tax negotiations currently taking place at the OECD. It is widely agreed that the global tax rules need changing, especially in light of the digitalisation of the economy. However, the current OECD proposals do not go far enough in prioritising the needs of Global South countries. We would encourage the UK government to adopt a position which explicitly prioritises the needs of lower income countries. Such a position could be the kind of unitary approach with formulary apportionment as advocated by Cobham et al,[24] or along the lines of the fractional approach encouraged by the G24.[25] Either way, it must benefit

Global South countries to a much greater extent than the current OECD proposals. In addition, if the OECD fails to reach an agreement then we would encourage the following:

• A political declaration that the UK government supports developing countries in implementing unilateral measures (in the way that the UK has done) as a means to protect their own revenue until an adequate international agreement is reached.

• An offer from the UK government to provide broad technical support in the form of analysis of the potential revenue implications for countries of moving to alternative approaches, and specific technical support in respect of legislative and policy development so that such unilateral measures can be implemented.

• An indication that if the OECD continues to fail to deliver an outcome that benefits lower-income countries that discussions should move to a truly inclusive, international body, namely the UN.

• The implementation of the provisions in the 2016 Finance Act that would enable public country by country reporting, plus the UK no longer blocking the OECD from publishing aggregate country by country data.

All of this would go some way to ensuring a fairer settlement for lower income countries.

It is an ecumenical, collaborative movement united by the belief that we, as individuals and churches, have a faith-derived imperative to challenge economic injustice. We stand for a fairer and more effective tax system, where democratic governments set taxes to reflect the Common Good, and individuals and corporations pay their share. Working as part of the wider UK and global tax justice movement, we aim to:

• Raise awareness throughout churches and faith communities of the fundamental relationship between taxation, equality and public services, and the urgent need for tax justice at national and international level

• Campaign for transparency and an end to tax dodging by both corporations and individuals

• Stimulate a conversation about the society we want to live in and the tax system that could deliver that

• Encourage Christian and all faith organisations to promote tax justice through their education and mission work, and their financial and investment policies.

Laudato Si’ Schools Scotland News from Scotland

Learning From Lockdown

Looking at emerging evidence of the implications of lockdown on children

The latest lockdown measures introduced in Scotland in January 2021 in response to Covid-19 have had a major impact on the schooling of children and young people. Many schools have remained open, but only for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. The majority of children have moved to remote learning at home, supported by their school, parents/ guardians and various media (including the BBC).

This article looks at the implications of the latest lockdown for the learning of children and young people, their health and wellbeing, and the position of young carers.

The Scottish Government has highlighted the detrimental effect of young people being out of school during the lockdown in 2020, which affected their educational, developmental and mental health. There are particular concerns for educational outcomes for young people, and the mental health of adolescents, especially vulnerable young people. The Government has been anxious to keep schools open where possible because of serious anxieties about the increase in educational and social inequalities caused by closures. In the period leading up to Christmas, there was an increase in school absences, mainly due to young people self-isolating in relation to Covid-19.

There has now been time to undertake research and reflect on the impact of the first lockdown of 2020 and subsequent

restrictions on the education of young people. Education Scotland has just published What Scotland Learned: Building Back Better (January 2021). It draws on research and input from a wide variety of stakeholders. It is focussed on six key themes: Relationships, Leadership, Health and Wellbeing, Learning and Teaching, Communities and Successes and Achievements.

The section on Learning and Teaching addresses some of the difficulties faced by teachers as schools closed down at very short notice. There was little time to prepare for the move to online and remote teaching. The publication recognises the serious challenges faced by parents who struggled to balance working at home with supporting the education of young people. The lockdown highlighted some of the pre-existing effects of inequality. Some young people did not have access to equipment that would allow them to engage in online learning, or the household could not afford to pay for the internet.

There have also been some very useful insights into some of the successes. Lessons can be learned from other parts of the world where radio, tv and even phone tutorials are used for education in the home, and have been used in previous pandemics. There have been successes in the move to online and remote learning. Many teachers have been able to upskill with considerable alacrity and efficiency, often with the support of formal and informal networks. Many young people have assumed

greater responsibility for their learning and have become more autonomous learners.

The mental and physical health and wellbeing of young people under lockdowns and restrictions has become an increasing cause for concern. The Scotland Youth Parliament Survey of 2020 lists a number of factors causing mental stress. These include worries about the virus, the loss of connection with extended family and friends, negotiating home life that is also a learning environment, anxiety about public exams and about the future. Some young people who had received support for mental health issues through the school have experienced a reduction in the service. The lockdown and restrictions have exacerbated the daily challenges faced by disabled children, those with additional support needs, and vulnerable children. It has also created enormous difficulties for that group of children and young people who often receive limited attention in public and academic discourses on education: young carers.

Young carers

A young carer is under 18, or 18 and still at school, and has caring responsibilities for a family member or members, or a friend. The Scottish government estimates that there are 44,000 young

by Stephen McKinney Professor of Education in the School of Education, University of Glasgow

carers in Scotland. Those cared for are likely to be ill, have a disability, a mental health condition or suffer from drug or alcohol addiction or related health problems. The caring can involve physical personal care, household chores and mental health support, and may involve caring for younger siblings.

The Scottish government provides a small annual grant for young carers, though notes that many do not perceive their role as being that of a carer: it is a way of life. A reduction in social services during the pandemic has created more pressure on young carers to assume further caring responsibilities. A survey conducted by Dr Blake-Holmes from the University of East Anglia between April and June 2020 demonstrated that many young carers feel a strong sense that school provides a welcome routine and respite from caring responsibilities. This has been disrupted by lockdowns and school closures.

Some young carers felt higher levels of

stress as they struggled to balance the demands of home learning with caring and finding a quiet space to study Many young carers had to deal with the deteriorating mental health of the adult person(s) they care for. Some young carers are more socially isolated and disadvantaged than other young people and this has been intensified during school closures.

There is much to be learned about the continuation of education and home learning for young people during the period of the pandemic. There are issues about the effectiveness of remote and online learning and the equity of the learning experience. There are questions about the flexibility and agility of the teaching profession to adapt to new learning environments, and implications for the future education and preparation of teachers. A greater awareness of the extent of poverty and child poverty in Scotland has emerged as well as the consequences of lockdowns and restrictions.

Stephen McKinney is Professor of Education in the School of Education, University of Glasgow. Stuart Hall and Kevin Lowden are Senior Research Fellows in the School of Education, University of Glasgow.

A full list of references is available on request.

This article first appeared in the February/March issue of Open House, an independent journal of comment and debate on faith issues in Scotland. It is rooted in the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) and committed to dialogue which began at the Council – within the Catholic Church, in other churches, and with all those committed to issues of justice and peace. It is reprinted here by permission.

www.openhousescotland.co.uk

Helping people to know God

In many mission dioceses there are increasing numbers of students for the priesthood and religious life. As their communities are poor, they must undertake their training with very basic facilities and scarce resources.

Missio is the only funding organisation in the Church which guarantees a place for all who are accepted for formation in mission dioceses. This is a unique role the Pope has given to Missio.

Through Missio, you can play a vital part in creating a vibrant Catholic Church for the future.

Here is a message from a young man training to be a Priest in Cameroon:

‘My name is Anselm and I’m training to be a Priest at St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary. I wanted to be a priest from the time I was nine. I joined a minor seminary at age 11 and major seminary at 18.

‘The first diocese in Cameroon was a Mill Hill Missionaries diocese.

It’s a very old diocese and I was an altar server there. It was through the example of the Parish Priest, Fr Peter Droog MHM that I reached a turning point in my vocation. Fr Peter was Parish Priest for 27 years. Many found their way to Church through him – his life was an example: to love the Blessed Sacrament, love the Rosary, and sing beautifully. I want to be like that.

‘The Lord is everything to me. My favourite Bible verse is John 15:5 – “Apart from me, you can do nothing”. This speaks to me.

‘As a priest I want to help people to know God and find out what God means to you – to help you live the life God wants you to live and help as many people know God deeply.

‘My message to our supporters in England and Wales is this: with God, you are everything. He has never given up on us, so we can never give up on him!’

News from CATSC

Assoc. Prof. John Lydon appointed as Executive Editor of the International

Studies in Catholic Education journal

New Editor

Congratulations to Assoc. Prof. John Lydon, who has been appointed following a highly competitive process to the role of Executive Editor for the International Studies in Catholic Education journal by Taylor & Francis, on behalf of St Mary’s University, London. John will take on the role from January 2022 following Professor Gerald Grace’s foundation and successful editorship of the journal since 2009, which is now the most widely circulated journal in Catholic Education in the world. Professor Grace is delighted that John is to be his successor on the journal.

Assoc. Prof. Lydon has been associated closely with the journal over the years and has given outstanding service to Catholic education networks. He was first appointed Book Review Editor and then subsequently Associate Editor and has contributed to the journal as an author. His article on ‘Transmission of the Charism’ in 2009, remains one of the most downloaded articles published in the journal.

In addition, he has served on the Executive Committees of the international World Union of Catholic Teachers (WUCT); Catholic Association

of Teachers, Schools and Colleges (CATSC) of England and Wales and the Network for Researchers in Catholic Education (NfRCE) and the Catholic Union of Great Britain (CUGB). He is also a multi-disiciplinary expert on the Catholic-Inspired Non-Governmental Organisations (CINGO) Forum; the International Catholic Leadership Alliance; the Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education (GRACE) and a member of the Catholic Higher Education Supporting Catholic Schools (CHESCS), National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) of America. All these bodies link closely with universities, schools and Catholic policy-makers.

Professor Anna Lise Gordon, Director of the Institute of Education at St Mary’s University following the good news of John’s appointment said:

“John’s experience and networks across the world of Catholic education are exceptional. I am delighted that John is the newly appointed editor for the International Studies in Catholic Education journal, retaining its position at St Mary’s University and adding to our world-leading profile in this area”.

The Provost of St Mary’s University Professor John Charmley, added ‘the appointment of John Lydon as Editor of the International Studies in Catholic Education journal is a welldeserved recognition of John’s lifetime of work in this field, where he has, himself pioneered the way in terms of developing leadership in Catholic schools. It reinforces our commitment at St Mary’s, a university proud of our Catholic Mission, to continue the work which we were founded to do in 1850 - provide a service to the world of Catholic education. If I may add a personal note, John is a dedicated servant of the University, and it gives me a particular delight to see him recognised in this way’.

The background of International Studies in Catholic Education

Prof. Grace the founder of the journal had the foresight to see that the relative lack of critical scholarship in the area of Catholic education failed to reflect the prevalence of faith-based schools globally and the persistence of religion as a powerful, global phenomenon (Sajoo, 2015). It is of significance to note that the single largest provider of education is non-government - the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church in 2016 was remarkably serving an estimated sixty-two million students in 217,000 schools (Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, 2016). Over the last several decades, the number of students in Catholic primary and secondary schools has more than doubled, from roughly 28 million students in 1970 to the over 60 million students in recent estimates (Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, 2016). Moreover, recent trends suggest that the preponderance of the growth in Catholic school enrolment is occurring in the contexts of the Global South: Africa, Asia, and Latin America. All of these developments required scholarly attention.

Therefore, International Studies in Catholic Education (ISCE) journal, published by St Mary’s University Centre for Research and Development in Catholic Education twice a year in March and October, is the first ever international and interdisciplinary publication for research and scholarship in Catholic education (and other faithbased systems). It has made some impact in recent years. At its launch in 2009 it was accessed in 40 countries and the publisher Routledge recorded only 354 full text downloads of articles. By 2019, ISCE was accessed by 112 countries and Routledge has reported almost 17,000 full text downloads in 2019.

Plans for Future Development

This suggests that ISCE is playing a significant role in the developing

field of Catholic Education Studies internationally; and Assoc. Prof. Lydon hopes to continue this trend by making Catholic education part of the wider disciplinary field of international and comparative education to enhance the citation index of the journal among its leading scholars including Gleeson 2015; Grace 2010; Lydon 2009; Rossiter 2010). He also intends to continue the successful work of Prof. Grace by continuing to market to Catholic universities, of which there are 1358 across the globe, with 244 in the United States alone.

Digital downloads of journal articles will continue, but greater consideration will also be given to hybrid open access or open access publication by authors as

this enables access to the journal article through any open forum such as Google Scholar and databases that use Taylor Francis’ outstanding array of 2,700 journals, making it one of the leaders in the world. For example, its competitor, Elsevier has 2,500 journals in its database.

Assoc. Prof. Lydon also hopes to focus more on developing the altmetric attention score of the journal as well as the citation impact factor. This score relates to online social media attention for research output beyond the academic world including public policy documents, blogs, references in Wikipedia, the mainstream news, tweets on Twitter and messaging on Whatsapp. As the journal moves into its second decade of publication, we pay tribute to

the outstanding editorial work of Prof. Grace and Prof. Lydon looks forward to working with the new editorial board which was appointed in January 2021 and we wish Prof. Lydon every success with the commencement of editorship in January 2022:

Professor Mary Doak (USA) Associate Editor, Associate Professor Cristobal Madero (Chile), Sr Dr Ugonna Rita Igbo, DDL (Nigeria), Dr Nicholas Tete, SJ (India), Professor Jose Torralba (Spain), Sr Professor Jacinta Adhiambo, MCESSM (Kenya), Dr Sean Whittle (UK)

If you would like to subscribe or contribute to the journal please log-on to: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ rice20

THE MA IN CATHOLIC SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM AT ST MARY’S UNIVERSITY TWICKENHAM LONDON LAUNCH SHEPHERDING TALENT, A PIONEERING FORMATION PROGRAMME FOR MIDDLE LEADERS IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Shepherding Talent is a pioneering informal formation programme in which teachers identified as having potential for leadership are challenged to explore their vocation to lead. The content of the programme is based around the imperative for all Catholic schools to maintain a balance between school improvement and Catholic distinctiveness. The integrity of vocation and profession in the context of discipleship figures prominently and defines the nature of the seminars. Through workshops, the mission of the Catholic educator is elucidated alongside a consideration of personal disposition and values, inviting a critically reflective response to leadership. This interplay and its impact will be discussed during the seminars and the next stages to more formal and lifelong opportunities for formation through the Master’s degree in Catholic School Leadership at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.

Five

aspects of ethos and leadership are engaged:

The Catholicity of Leadership

This seminar includes an exploration of the characteristics of Catholic distinctiveness, the distinctive nature of the Christian leader and the integrity of academic standards and Catholic distinctiveness.

Evaluating a Catholic School

This seminar outlines the history of Section 48 inspections, the nature of the Section 48 programme and the proposed new national Section 48 inspection framework. The interrelationship between Ofsted Section 5 and Section 48 inspections is signposted.

Aspiring Catholic Leadership for the 21st Century – Servant and Christ-Centred

Leadership.

This seminar describes the changing demographic being experienced by Catholic schools both in terms of staff and students. Mission Integrity is defined and the centrality of servant leadership is discussed alongside contemporary challenges.

Professional Paradigm

This seminar focuses on Values, Skills and Knowledge in the context of the DfE Teaching Standards. The mutually enriching relationship between Catholic distinctiveness and the teaching standards is explored in some depth.

Revisiting the nature of Catholic Identity and the Professional Paradigm

The implications of the statement that “there is no distinction between having a vocation and being a professional” is reflected upon, signposting the belief that all teachers, irrespective of religious affiliation, can commit to the principles of Catholic identity because of their inclusive and holistic perspective underpinned by a profound belief in the dignity of every person made in the image and likeness of God.

It is hoped that the rolling out of the Shepherding Talent programme as a Short Course will enhance the outreach of the MA in Catholic School Leadership programme and its impact on the formation of current and aspiring Catholic school leaders. Shepherding Talent has already been piloted successfully.

in three Catholic Secondary Schools in the Archdiocese of Westminster. One of the participants in the pilot programme suggested in their evaluation that:

“the programme allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the distinctiveness of Catholic leadership and education. It has also enabled me to identify positive traits of our school community, and suggest ways and strategies for us to increase the Catholic identity of the school to allow us to offer a high-quality education alongside an opportunity for pupils to act in the way Jesus has taught us”.

Another participant affirmed that:

“The Shepherding Talent programme was an extremely fulfilling course which has encouraged me to take the next step in my education and will help me in my current position and also future job roles. The support and sessions delivered by John and Caroline were extremely valuable”.

The programme represents a gateway to the MA in Catholic School Leadership

programmes and can be considered as Accredited Prior Learning in respect of one Module (30 credits) of that programme following the completion of an assignment. Further information and booking links can be found at www.stmarys.ac.uk/education/cpd/ shepherding-talent.aspx

If you are from Northern Ireland, Colleagues interested in completing Shepherding Talent or the Masters in Catholic School Leadership Programme, please contact Associate Professor John Lydon: john.lydon@stmarys.ac.uk or Dr Caroline Healy Caroline.Healy@ stmarys.ac.uk. You may be entitled to exemptions from previous postgraduate or professional qualifications and, if you are an alumnus of St Mary’s University Twickenham, reduced fees are applicable.

About the Leader of the Shepherding Talent Programme

Associate Professor John Lydon, who will be leading on the Shepherding Talent programme is the Director of the MA in Catholic School Leadership Programme. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor and Co-Director of an undergraduate programme of the University of Notre

Dame in London. He is a member of the Executives of the World Union of Catholic Teachers and the Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges (CATSC) of England & Wales. John was recently appointed as Leader of the Thematic Group on Education of the Catholic-Inspired NGO Forum for education working in partnership with the Vatican Secretariat of State. He regularly gives lectures in the United States, especially at NCEA, but also Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Most recently he gave a keynote address on Christian Humanism at the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. John’s research interests focus on spiritual capital, Catholic school leadership and the maintenance of distinctive religious charisms. Some notable publications include Transmission of a Charism (2009); The Contemporary Catholic Teacher: A Reappraisal of the Concept of Teaching as a Vocation (2011) and Contemporary Perspectives on Catholic Education (2018). His latest chapter ‘Salesian Accompaniment in Formal & Non-Formal Settings’ is about to be published by Veritas in an edited volume, Catholic Education: Formal, Informal & Lifelong.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR LYDON PRESENTS A SHORT PAPER AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE FAMILY

Associate Professor John Lydon, CATSC Treasurer, was invited to give a short keynote address to the Education Panel of an online international conference, Jesus-Centered Life: An International Family Conference which took place on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 2020. The Conference was organized by Smart Catholics (New York), Parousia Media (Australia) and Parents for Education Foundation or PAREF (Philippines). From the point of view of the latter organisation, the Conference represented a gateway to the nation’s celebration of 500 years of Christianity in the country.

The Education Panel focused on the role of the school in supporting “parents as primary educators”, a concept that is deeply embedded in Catholic education tradition from the time of St Thomas Aquinas (1227-1274) who

insisted that parental responsibility is a lifelong obligation extending beyond economic support to include all aspects of formation. In this regard Aquinas appears to use the terms ‘nurture’, ‘upbringing’ and education as synonyms, implying that education transcends the boundaries of academic and technical education to encompass formation in virtue which Aquinas refers to as the formation of the mind and the soul.

The following represents an abridged version of Associate Professor Lydon’s paper entitled The Family as Primary Educators – an Ecclesial Perspective. In an address given to the Catholic Education Service in Birmingham in April 1995, Cardinal Basil Hume suggested that:

“it is perhaps too obvious to repeat that parents are the first and primary educators of their children, but it is

a point which I believe as a Catholic community we are a long way from fully accepting. Education is much more than schooling, and parents cannot delegate their own role to the school. Indeed experience and research demonstrate beyond doubt that the active encouragement, support and involvement of parents are crucial factors in the attainment and progress of children at school….. The home, the school and the parish are three independent and complementary experiences of the Church. They must be in communion, recognising the contribution of each, supporting one another.”

The significance of the role of parents in the educational process is a theme which is deeply rooted in Western Christian tradition and which permeates Vatican documents on Catholic education.

The conciliar document Gravissimum Educationis places a great deal of emphasis on the seminal role of the family both in the educational process and the promotion of virtue:

“As it is the parents who have given life to their children, on them lies the gravest obligation of educating their family. They must therefore be recognised as being primarily and principally responsible for their education. The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute. It is therefore the duty of parents to create a family atmosphere inspired by love and devotion to God and their fellow-men which will promote an integrated, personal and social education for their children. The family is therefore the principal school of the social virtues which are necessary to every society.”

In highlighting the central role of the family, the Council Fathers were expressing the traditionally-held belief of the Church in the pivotal role of the family, expressed by previous Popes in encyclical letters and addresses given to groups of Catholic teachers. The concept of the family as primary educators could, indeed, be traced back to the writings of St Thomas Aquinas who asserts that parental responsibility is a lifelong obligation extending beyond economic support to include all aspects of formation. In this regard Aquinas appears to use the terms ‘nurture’, ‘upbringing’ and education as synonyms, implying that education transcends the boundaries of academic and technical education to encompass formation in virtue which Aquinas refers to as the formation of the mind and the soul. He concludes by suggesting that, since the raising of children is a challenging process, particularly in regard to moral formation, both parents are required and this is a major reason, or the major reason, why marriage should be a permanent union.

This traditional emphasis on the seminal influence of the family in the formation of young people, particularly in the context of faith formation, is permeated throughout the documents emanating from the Congregation of Catholic Education since Vatican II. The Catholic School (1977), the first major Vatican document relating to education since Vatican II, while stressing the importance of role the school in this context

recognises that “the proper place for catechesis is the family, helped by other Christian communities, including the local parish.” The role of the family is also recognised in Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith (1982), with the school being seen as “having a value and importance that is fundamental among the means which will assist and complement the educational rights and duties of the family”. Writing just after the publication of this document, Michael Paul Gallagher, addressing the issues of youth culture and the relationship of young people to the church and the faith, suggests that:

“The religious formation offered by the school is inevitably influenced by the home background, and so it depends greatly on whether the home is co-operative or non-co-operative. It needs to be recognised that the school is a relatively secondary influence on the religious search of young people. In terms of contact hours, this is obvious and in terms of such measurement the school may be more central than the parish.”

THE FAMILY SERVED BY THE SCHOOL

The recognition of the role of the teacher in the faith development of young people is explored in a greater degree of depth in The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School (1988). In what can only be described as a high vision of the transaction that is teaching, the document articulates the role of teachers in promoting and maintaining Catholic distinctiveness:

“ Prime responsibility for creating the unique school climate rests with the teachers as individuals and as a community. The religious dimension of the school climate is expressed through the celebration of Christian values in Word and Sacrament, in individual behaviour, in friendly and harmonious personal relationships, and in a ready availability. Through this daily witness, the students will come to appreciate the uniqueness of the environment to which their youth has been entrusted.”

The document places a great deal of emphasis on the importance of the educational community of which the family is an integral part. While repeating the assertion of Gravissimum Educationis that the first and primary educators of children are their parents, the document

introduces a note of caution in suggesting that, while schools are aware of this fact, “unfortunately the same is not always true of the families themselves”. The document does, nevertheless, maintain that “partnerships between a Catholic school and families must continue and be strengthened not simply to be able to deal with academic problems but rather so that the educational goals of the school can be achieved”.

In endeavouring to achieve these goals, the document suggests that the Catholic school should promote a family atmosphere where students “come to think of the school as an extension of their own homes”. Again, however, a notion of caution is introduced in the recognition that “when a pleasant and happy family atmosphere is missing from the home, the school can often do a great deal to make up for it”. The conviction that a family atmosphere is integral to the promotion of Catholic distinctiveness is steeped in Catholic educational tradition. Thomas Arnold felt that the essentially family atmosphere of the schools run by the De La Salle Brothers was worthy of emulation in respect of the emerging poor schools at the end of the 19th century. Saint John Bosco, who was influenced to an extent by De La Salle, took this a stage further in that the building up of ‘family spirit’ and his desire to create within a school the serene atmosphere of a family was one of the key objectives of his system. Bosco was convinced that the fostering of a family atmosphere within a school would complement the formation experienced in the home. In Bosco’s mind, just as the family is the prime educational community and is designed naturally for the education of the child, so any educational community should, ideally and optimally, reproduce the family situation.

Documents published by the Congregation in more recent times have emphasised the partnership between family and educators, encapsulated in the following excerpt from the Congregation’s 2014 document Educating Together in Catholic Schools: A Renewing Passion, the document published in advance of the World Congress on Catholic Education at which I was privileged to speak:

“Education requires a strong alliance between parents and educators to present a life that is good, rich in meaning, open to God and others as well as the world; this alliance is even more necessary, since education is a personal relationship. It is a journey

that reveals the transcendental elements of faith, family, Church and ethics, highlighting their communal character.”

The Family as Primary Educators: A Contemporary Challenge

In her seminal work Religion in Britain since 1945: Believing without Belonging, (Oxford: Blackwell 1994), Grace Davie suggests that Europe is marked by a culture of “believing without belonging”, characterised by a profound mismatch between religious values that people profess (believing), and actual churchgoing and religious practice (belonging). Davie was writing around the time of major European values surveys. Jan Kerkhofs spoke of a shift away from the tradition as the yardstick by which to interpret the meaning of life and to define moral rules with identity being found through flexible adaptation.

In Religion in Modern Europe – A Memory Mutates (2000), Davie starts from her “convenient shorthand, [that] Europe believes but it does not belong” (2000: 33) and finds it significant that “churches remain, however, significant players” within society (2000: 38), performing a moral, spiritual and social role on behalf of the population, i.e. vicariously. Davie (2000:59) herself defines vicarious religion as “the willingness of the population to delegate the religious sphere to the professional ministries of the state churches” and, moreover, Europeans are grateful that “churches perform, vicariously, a number of tasks on behalf of the population as a whole.” At specific times, churches – or church leaders or church members – are “asked to articulate the sacred” on behalf of individuals, families or society as a whole. Whilst ordinary European citizens may not practise religion on a daily basis, they recognise its worth, and are “more than half aware that they might need to draw on [it] at crucial times in their individual or collective lives”

In 2005 David Voas and Alasdair Crockett, partly in response to Grace Davie, published Religion in Britain: Neither Believing without Belonging. In essence Voas and Crocker concluded, based on relatively extensive sampling, that Davie painted too positive a picture in regard to religion in Britain. They suggest, inter alia, that:

“Everyone agrees that religion has lost ground; the key dispute concerns why. How much, in what way and

with what prospects? We suggest that the only form of BWB that is as pervasive as Davie suggests is a value willingness to suppose that ‘there is something out there’ accompanied by an unsurprising disinclination to spend any time and effort worshipping whatever that might be. (p.24)”

Davie developed the notion of vicarious religion in her 2015 work Religion in Britain: A Persistent Paradox. In summary Davie repeats her definition of vicarious religion which underpins this book and explores the persistent paradox that the decrease in religious activity measured over a wide range of variables alongside the growing significance of religion in public debate. The extent to which “believing without belonging” is represented among parents beyond Europe would be an interesting topic for future research.

Following Associate Professor Lydon’s paper, a group of educators from four continents discussed the concept of “parents as primary educators”. The notion of “believing without belonging did not feature particularly prominently beyond the European context. Significant challenges were raised, however, by colleagues, especially in an African context, both East and West, which are summarised below:

• Reaching out to the poor and marginalised

• Standing up for injustices in the world

• Teenage pregnancy is a major issue in Catholic schools in parts of East Africa

• Symptom of the real problem relating to the distance of parents from the children - parents do not play a role in modelling

• Children forced into marriage by parents

• Alcohol and gender-based violence

In conclusion Theresa Okafor, Director at the Quality Assurance and Research Development Agency, Nigeria (QAARDAN), who helped organise the Conference, reminded the educators present of Pope Francis’ insistence that all are called to holiness in his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exultate:

“I like to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God’s people: in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families.”

[1] See Summa Theologica II, II.26.9.1

[2] See Summa Contra Gentiles book III, q. 122 in Bourke, V., (1960), The Pocket Aquinas, New York, (USA), Washington Square Press: 219ff Aquinas considers education or upbringing while discussing marital ethics.

[3] Hume, Cardinal Basil., (1995), The Church’s Mission in Education in Catholic Education Service., (1997), Partners in Mission: A Collection of Talks by Bishops on Issues affecting Catholic Education, London, CES

[4] Vatican II, (1965), Declaration on Christian Education, Gravissimum Educationis, London, CTS :3

[5] Pope Piux XI – Encyclical Divini Illius Magistri – 31 December 1929

Pope Pius XI – Encyclical Mit brennender Sorge – 14 March 1937

Pope Piux XII – Allocution to Italian Catholic Teachers – 8 September 1946

[6] See ST II, II.26.9.1

[7] See Summa Contra Gentiles book III, q. 122 in Bourke, V., (1960), The Pocket Aquinas, New York, (USA), Washington Square Press: 219ff Aquinas considers education or upbringing while discussing sexual or marital ethics.

[8] Congregation for Catholic Education, (1977), The Catholic School, London, CTS

[9] Congregation for Catholic Education, (1982), Lay Catholics in Schools Witnesses to Faith, London, CTS n.12

[10] Gallagher, M.P. SJ., (1983), Help My Unbelief, Dublin, Veritas

[11] Congregation for Catholic Education, (1988), The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School,(RDECES) London, CTS n.26

[12] RDECS n.42

[13] RDECS n.42

[14] RDECS n.27

[15] Battersby W J (1963), The Brothers of the Christian Schools, London, Waldegrave Publishers

[16] Kerkhofs J (1993) Will The Churches Meet the Europeans?’ in The Tablet, London, The Tablet Publishing Company

[17] Davie, G, (2000), Religion in Modern Europe – A Memory Mutates. Oxford, OUP

[18] Voas, D & Crockett, A, (2005), Religion in Britain: Neither Believing nor Belonging, London, Sage

[19] Davie, G, (2015), Religion in Britain: A Persistent Paradox, Chichester, Wiley Blackwell

[20] Pope Francis, (2018), Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exultate, London, CTS: 7

Sacred Heart College Year 10 come face to face with Emma Worth

In the second part of our feature on the work Year 10 are doing in Art, we look at the artists our pupils have been studying and the work our talented bunch have been producing.

Last week, Year 10 had a special guest speaker join them, in the shape of renowned portrait artist, Emma Worth, who joined them via Zoom.

Emma, a former Sacred Heart student, who took time away from creating her latest masterpieces, to engage in a Q & A with our Year 10s.

Emma explained what it meant to pass on her knowledge to those wishing to follow in her footsteps. She said:

“I have always felt that art transcends any age. “You are never too young or too old to learn. It can be a hobby or something you live for. I have always created art but the last few years I have really found my voice within portraiture.

“So when I was asked to speak to a group of students from my old school, Sacred Heart, about art and my practice, I was elated.”

“This past year has been so difficult for everyone, it can be hard to find inspiration to create, yet art fuels the imagination and syncs the body and mind so I knew that this connection would be important for the students and myself. It was an uplifting experience and one I’m more than happy to do again, I received such overwhelming feedback from the students, their families and teachers. We discussed different techniques, subject matter and what drives the passion for creating art itself. It is so important now, more than ever, to engage with all ages and support each other, doing whatever we can do to get through this pandemic.”

The work coincides with another portrait artist our Year 10s have been studying, Mark Powell.

The London-based artist is famous for his Biro sketches done on vintage documents.

Featured are works done by our own students that have been inspired by both Emma and Mark.

Keeping the Faith with Ratcliffe College’s Headmaster, Mr Jonathan Reddin

Ratcliffe College Headmaster, Jonathan Reddin, highlights the challenges that face Catholic Schools to retain their true identity during lockdown and when schools reopen, and the opportunity the pandemic has provided for School leaders to reflect and re-shape t he way Schools help young people encounter God in their lives.

At a time when the role of leading our schools feels consumed by the ever-changing challenges of the pandemic, considering how best to engage students with their Faith on their eventual return to the classroom may not be at the forefront of every Head’s mind right now. Pressures to manage and support the day-to-day needs of students and colleagues, as well as negotiating the trials of remote learning may leave little time and energy left to contemplate and plan too far ahead. With Schools closed to most students, and Churches until recently closed to congregations, where do young people seek and receive spiritual nourishment in these uncertain times? How do we, as Catholic leaders, prevent the physical separation from the daily routines of Catholic life and collective worship in our schools from creating a permanent vacuum for many young people, forever separating them from their spiritual roots? Sadly, for the majority of our children, Catholic or not, school continues to represent their only experience of Church and our Faith. How do we protect that experience in the future?

What will post-pandemic look like?

Remote learning has led to an inevitable increase in on-screen time. External agencies report regular increases in incidents of cyber-bullying, as well as other forms of inappropriate use of technology amongst children and young people. When schools do eventually reopen, what will the legacy of the pandemic be for this generation of young people in terms of their spiritual growth and development, as well as their formal education?

These are the questions that I’m sure many Heads and leaders in Catholic schools have been wrestling with since lockdown was announced last March – I know I have. As disruption to learning has extended into a second academic year, these questions have taken on greater importance for us all. As we await further announcements on the reopening of schools almost a year since lockdown 1, our collective ability as leaders to keep Christ at the centre of all we do for, and on behalf of our students, must not be overlooked or buried under the tangle of operational ‘priorities.’ Instead, our Catholic Mission must remain at the focal point of our decision-making; it must be at the very tip of the lance we carry as we forge ahead in the post-lockdown era.

Continuing to deliver our mission

Our Faith and our belief in the Catholic identity of our schools will be tested further in the coming months; I don’t believe that we will simply return and resume our normal routines without consequences to the Faith journey of our children and young people. However, I do believe that the current crisis presents Catholic schools with a unique opportunity to revisit our Mission and to re-shape the way in

which we present our Faith to young people in the future. Now is a chance to consider doing things differently. If we have learnt one lesson from the pandemic, it is that we must adapt quickly if we are to succeed. To ensure our Faith is strengthened by our recent experiences rather than being irreparably damaged by it, I urge all Catholic leaders to ask how their Schools are currently making Christ known within their school community? The answer to this question will surely help to inform how their school is delivering its Mission and how their decisions are informed by it. Amidst the business of mass testing, teacher-assessed grades and continuing to operate in bubbles, Christ and his presence in the lives of our children must remain central to our thinking and a priority within our daily routines.

How has Ratcliffe developed it’s Catholic Identity?

Since January, Ratcliffe has worked very hard to maintain and develop its Catholic identity throughout the College, from our youngest children in our Nursery to our Year 13 students. We have prioritised the importance of beginning al l our online staff briefings with prayer, led by a member of the common room. We have witnessed so many beautiful prayers each day, many written by staff members themselves. Daily Tutor time and Registration must continue to begin with a prayer, led by a student or their teacher. All our online formal meetings, of which there are dozens each week, including student voice as well as staff-led meetings and Governor meetings, begin wit h a prayer or reflection. Our commitment to daily prayer, despite the physical separation of lockdown, has enabled colleagues to put Christ at the centre of our daily lives and

Mr Jonathan Reddin

promote the value of prayer to the students.

Our Chaplaincy Team has been very active throughout lockdown, meeting fortnightly to tackle fundamental questions regarding the way in which our school fulfils its Catholic Mission. In doing so, the College continues the important work of reshaping the way in which we will help our students encounter God in their lives in the coming weeks, months and years ahead. Weekly whole School assemblies in the Senior School as well as Key Stage assemblies in our Preparatory and Nursery settings, have enabled the whole College community to hear the word of God through scripture and Bible readings appropriate to the liturgical calendar.

The College focuses on a different Gospel value each half-term. From January, we concentrated on the importance of Charity, which dovetailed so well with our whole College fundraising walk to raise money for YoungMinds, a charity dedicated to supporting positive mental health for young people. Our aptly named, ‘Hike to Bethlehem’ where we collectively walked the equivalent distance from our school to the place of Jesus’s birth, was completed on the penultimate day of the Autumn Term and provided our Sixth Form students with an opportunity to live out their Faith, putting the needs of others before themselves by organising a whole College charity event. All students and staff walked in bubbles in fancy dress! It was a huge success, raising

£7k for our chosen charity and highlighting just what can be achieved when we put Christ at the centre of our lives.

Our boarding community living in school, although somewhat depleted in number, continues to meet for Night Prayer under the guidance of our Chaplain and Lay-Chaplain. These occasions continue to support their Faith journey through prayer and personal reflection. As we enter t he season of Lent, the Gospel value for this coming half-term is Forgiveness. This Gospel value will inform all our prayers and assemblies, as well as our charitable and pastoral work to ensure that we continue to remind students of the importance of having and celebrating our Faith.

These activities are hardly groundbreaking, nor do they represent perhaps anything more than what other schools are doing or have done. The reason is to underline their importance to our Catholic identity to the young people in our care, regardless of whether we are physically in school or not. Prayer signifies Hope, and Hope signifies a desire for something and expectation of receiving it; the virtue is hoping for Divine union and so eternal happiness. While Faith is a function of the intellect, Hope is an act of the will. At a time of such uncertainty and separation from so many of the anchor points that our schools provide young people, Prayer is a powerful act of Hope and one which must be practised daily. In an increasingly secular world,

dominated by the constant noise of the internet and social media, Catholic Schools must use the disruption of the pandemic as an opportunity to refresh the way in which they evangelise culture by addressing the deepest questions about what it is to be human and live in society. We must use this opportunity to re-evaluate the ways in which we open young people’s minds to the transcendent dimension of life and the reality of God revealed in Jesus Christ. As Catholic schools, we have the opportunity to begin a fresh page and re-write the way we teach a holistic understanding of the human person and society in which all are included so that humanity can flourish. As Catholic schools, we have the opportunity to re-think the ways in which we help each child to develop their God-given gifts and talents in order to engage in building a better society, post pandemic, which is characterised by justice, truth and love. And so, as we enter the next phase of the pandemic, remember to make time to re-evaluate the Mission of your school and how best to keep the Faith.

Ratcliffe College is an independent Catholic day and boarding school for children aged 3-18.

The School resides in 200 acres of beautiful, rolling Leicestershire countryside. Ratcliffe has a long and rich tradition in educating young people in the Catholic Faith, based on the teachings of its founder, Blessed Antonio Rosmini. www.ratcliffecollege.com

Collective Worship praying about everything!

“So as a form tutor, you will plan and facilitate a collective act of worship each morning with your form class.”

“A collective act of what?” I stammered back to the Assistant Head.

In 2013, I had taken up a post as a teacher of RE in a secondary school. I had never taught in the UK before. My only experience of teaching was in the Republic of Ireland and there had been no form classes and no formal collective act of worship in the mornings.

So you can imagine my shock when I was told that I had these “additional” responsibilities on top of my teaching timetable. And you could perhaps imagine my utter amazement in discovering that collective worship was a legal requirement in the UK. It wasn’t even a legal requirement in my “asCatholic-as-you-can-get” country of Ireland!!

Thus began a d ifficult, challenging and very steep learning curve. I will be honest; I initially dreaded collective worship with my form classes. So I decided to purposely create meaningful prayer resources that would attempt to engage the students. This was not an easy task as I already had lots of marking and planning to do. But I hated the feeling of dread as I walked into the form room to prepare myself to face students who I thought had already decided that faith and prayer were of no use to them whatsoever. I hated the empty feeling in my stomach as I tried to get a response from students in our prayer time.

When I planned my resources, I was deeply influenced by the Jesuit maxim of “God in all things”. I decided to use everything I could to engage the students. I trawled the internet for stories, videos and prayers that I could use. I wrote prayers in a style that was less formal and somewhat more engaging.

Then I started using them. I will be honest and tell you there was no seismic shift, no pentecostal experience of wind and tongues of fire in t he room, no students leaving in tears stating “How amazing was that?” But what began was a slow process of my students coming round to what I was trying to do with them. One incident will explain what I mean.

I was a form tutor for a particular form for whom I could have brought Chris Martin and Ariana Grande in to sing the collective worship but, for a good number of the form, it would have made no difference. Every morning I did my best and every morning I felt that we had only reached a small number of students during worship. Then one morning in May, as I was preparing our worship, one of the girls in the form came up to me and quietly said, “Sir, could we pray for someone this morning?” I said “Of course.” She said “You know the way that every morning we pray for things? Yeah, well could we pray for my little cousin? She is going to have a big operation in London today and we don’t know what is going to happen.” Tears appeared in her eyes. I said “Sure thing. We will pray for her.” And we did. It was a beautiful moment. But I never would have expected this request of this particular girl. I realised two things that day t hat influenced my attitude and commitment to collective worship.

Firstly, I was planning and delivering collective worship as if it all depended on me. I had completely left God out of the equation, forgetting that despite my bumbling, stuttering, awkward and, at times, embarrassing attempts at doing it, God was still at work. I thought that just because there was no immediate reaction from the students it meant that I wasn’t planning it right, thus God couldn’t be experienced by the students. And here is the thing; I had reduced God’s grace and mercy and love down to

by Kenneth McCabe

our six or seven minutes of prayer. So we need to remember that despite the bored or tired faces looking back at us, the countless times we have to get our students to be quiet; never underestimate what God is doing, never think that it is not making a difference to our young people. As Saint Teresa of Calcutta wisely pointed out - we are not asked to be successful but to be faithful. If you are faithful to your act of worship each day, it will bear fruit!! Fruit that you may never know or see.

Secondly, I also remembered what the girl in my form had asked me that morning. She asked that our form class, not me personally, but the whole class would pray for her cousin because we already prayed together every morning. It was an expectation, it was a routine and the students knew it would happen. There might be sighs from some, groans from others and complete indifference from many. But again, we do not know how much your time of daily prayer might mean to your students and how much comfort it may give them.

I have often discovered a resigned attitude towards the so called “futility” of collective worship. It is something that “has to be done” or needs to be “fitted in” during form t ime or in an assembly. And I know first-hand t he pressures facing teachers in t hat fifteen minutes of form time: registers to be completed, dealing with late students, handing out letters or reading notices –the list could go on.

But behind this attitude often lies the unproven and downright false view that young people are not interested in praying and are not interested in faith. Just because some students say it is boring does not mean everyone thinks it is so. Just because some students may look indifferently at you or mutter their responses does not mean what you are doing with them does not matter. I am convinced it does. God is

at work in our young people even when everything in us might tell us that it seems not to be so.

After years of creating resources, I decided to publish them as a book, using the title We Pray About Everything. This title came from a colleague in school, who informed me that one of my form students had told her that we prayed about everything during our form collective worship. And it was true!

I really wanted to provide teachers and chaplains with a ready-to-use set of resources, to help both them and their students plan and deliver worship so as to pray meaningfully about everything when they gathered together. And the content of t he book reflects my own approach to collective worship with young people.

I wanted to provide daily themed resources that would have a basic structure; a link to a video or image or a story, a scripture quote, reflective prompts to facilitate deeper discussion on the topic and a final prayer. As well as resources for the seasons of the liturgical year, this book provides themes that touch the everyday lives of young people. In order for our youth to engage with delivering collective worship, it is so important that we pray about topics that are relevant to them. So the book also provides resources on areas such as self-identity, bodyimage, social justice, social media, the environment, as well as events like AntiBullying Week and Mental Health Week.

Our students today are naturally drawn towards the visual and the digital. I have always heavily relied on videos (from both secular and religious sources) in my acts of worship as they immediately engage students. But I always connect them with the theme we are exploring and, more specifical ly, with the scripture I am using. So, in many of the daily themes within the book, I have provided a video “hint” that can be inserted into an internet search engine that will lead the user to the relevant video.

When I was planning my collective worship, it took me so long to find suitable Bible quotes. It can be painstaking work!! So, in each of the daily resources, I provided a scripture quote that links in with the theme, the videos, stories and images that are

referenced for that day. One piece of advice I would give is to use different translations of the Bible. For example, I have found that The Message and the Good News translations work brilliantly with young people. And you don’t need to buy all the translations – simply input your text into a website like Biblegateway.com and you have every translation you need at your fingertips. So, what am I saying? Instead of collective worship being a time when teachers and students can enjoy taking time to reflect, chat and pray about things that are important to them as they prepare to face the day, I know it can be a source of worry and anxiety for teachers. But what makes it somewhat easier is having the resources at hand to plan it and help students lead it. I really hope this book can be a resource that does exactly that!

We Pray About Everything! More

Than 150 Ideas For Collective Worship

By Kenneth McCabe £14.95

Available to buy from rpbooks.co.uk/ we-pray-about-everything

Five tips for Collective Worship

#1 It’s not about you! We can plan and deliver collective worship as if it all depends on us. We can have the best produced PowerPoints, the most inspiring video clips and great scripture quotes. But we can forget that it is God who is doing the work. So, prayer is important here – pray that God will move and work in your students despite and in spite of your efforts!

#2 Use scripture

This may seem really obvious, but teachers can shy away from using the Bible as it can seem so complex and difficult to understand. I tend to use different translations of the Bible, depending on what scripture quote I use. For example, I find The Message and Good News translations really accessible for my young people.

#3 Mix it up

Our collective worship should not be limited to the liturgical calendar. The Jesuit maxim that God is in all things applies here. Our Catholic vision holds that God is in the cracks of everyday life so incorporate awareness days, news items, secular videos/music and the latest social media trends into your collective worship.

#4 Beg, borrow and…

Well, don’t steal!! Share! Encourage other form tutors or teachers to share collective worship resources in your school. In doing this, you will cut down planning time and be enriched by others’ giftedness and creativity. #5 It’s still not about you!

When some students stare back at you with blank faces or simply won’t engage, it is easy to become disheartened. But again, you are reducing God’s grace to your efforts and their reactions. More often than not, you will never know the impact on your students. It could be a word, a piece of scripture or a video clip they remember later that night, which might prove to be comforting or reassuring for them. It might even save their lives. As Saint Oscar Romero would put it – we are workers not master-builders. So be encouraged and trust in God’s grace.

We are pleased to announce this new collaborative feature between Networking Catholic Education Today and Redemptorist Publications in which we will have access to RP Books extensive range of authors and the thinking that has gone into their work.

It is particularly pleasing to have a Classroom teacher, Kenneth McCabe, to launch the series on such an important area as collective worship.

When Chaplaincy answered the call!

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Though, I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton

Chaplains in their ministry among young people work and walk alongside all those involved in their education and formation, serving them all. They echo the story of the risen Christ and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13- 35).

Fr Gerard Devlin of Woldingham School

students, parents, and governors, helping families who suffered a bereavement and supporting others where a family member was ill. I was able to communicate with those who had feelings of isolation, anxiety, and helplessness. I was greatly impressed by the members of our community who were reaching out to the elderly and the marginalised to spread a message of hope. I was busy delivering PPE which was made here in the school by our DT department and gratefully received by local doctors and the local hospice.

Since returning to school, I am grateful to the Theatre staff who have helped to live stream our Masses from the School Chapel, as one parent kindly remarked, “Having the opportunity to share in the Mass as a family has been a very positive result in these very strange times, despite the distance, we have all felt very much part of the Woldingham Community.” When we returned in September we were able to complete our First Holy Communion programme and it was lovely that parents and close family members could join in the Mass from Australia, Thailand and Ireland.

thought and discernment in our Lenten observance. During Lent, as a school community, we are all involved in raising funds for the Cardinal Hume Centre in London. On the 17th March, after a tutor group liturgy prepared by me, we took part in a sponsored walk in year groups; it was an opportunity to pray, take time away from screens in the fresh air, and raise money for a great cause. International students also took part, walking with family members in various places throughout the world.

On the 8th November 1831 St Madeline Sophie Barat, the founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart, spoke to St Rose Philippine Duchesne before she departed on her life changing journey to America where she had the vision to found new schools. There was a sadness in the parting and Madeline Sophie said, “Times change and we must change too.” These words are so apt for us today, as a Sacred Heart School community, times have changed so abruptly, and we had to change as individuals to embrace a new way of teaching and learning and, for keeping in touch with one another.

When the first lockdown started, as the Chaplain I had to adapt to a different pattern of work and be creative in ministering to our community, as we all had a sense of being displaced in a monochrome time where we all missed the daily interaction of staff and students. I kept in regular contact with staff,

I have been able to continue with our weekly meeting of Sacred Heart Year Reps. Our Sacred Heart Ribbon is still at home in Hong Kong but still organises the students who are participating in the Sunday Mass, Year Masses and House Masses. With the help of other 6th form students, the Sacred Heart Ribbon has helped organise a quiz based on the Sunday readings and the homily which encourages everyone to engage with the theme for the week. The students write prayers each week which I incorporate into my weekly reflection and the bidding prayers at Mass. As a Sacred Heart group, we are still able to share in Lectio Divina and praying the rosary, and I have also organised a parents and staff group who meet in prayer. I continue to meet with our boarding community “bubble” for night prayers which gives us time for personal reflection and a quiet time when we can pray for the whole school community who are still not able to be with us in person.

During Lent I have written a short daily reflection which hopefully inspires prayer,

We may have been surrounded by pain and uncertainty over the past year, but we can be sure that we do continue to inspire and motivate one another with a new imagination of what will be possible at Woldingham in the months ahead. There is great hope for the future, in the words of St Madeline Sophie Barat:

“Don’t be nervous about your interior storms, they are necessary, and the sea is calmer and more beautiful after the storm.”

Mrs Annmarie Sylvester Charles, Lay Chaplain and Dr Louise McGowan, Headmistress

Convent of Jesus and Mary Language College, London

We have come to know that Covid does not discriminate; it sweeps in like a whirlwind and touches all who fall in its path. In our community in north west London, Brent was reported to have the second highest mortality rate in the country at the start of the first wave in spring 2020. We had lived through February with growing trepidation of what was coming and as it became increasingly clear that the danger was closing in, we

Outreach Cardinal Hume Centre

were ordered to close the school on Friday 20 March. Suddenly our classrooms were empty, our corridors silenced, our playground deserted.

School was taken away from our community. The safety net that catches so many of our children and upon which they rely, fell away. Never has the work of Chaplaincy in a Catholic school been so prominent, so urgent, so critical. As the weeks passed by and we settled into a routine of weekly calls to our families, the shadows of sorrow crept over and around us. One by one, week by week, death touched the lives of our children; the loss of parents, carers, grandparents, mothers, fathers cruelly taken by Covid, some children left orphaned.

What could we do? We were separated from our community. Children and families were too frightened to step outside let alone send their children to school as a vulnerable or keyworker child. We were there but they would not come. We had to find other means of reaching them.

As the school acclimatised to an increasing use of technology to educate our students, we quickly appreciated the way in which Zoom and Google meetings enabled us to reach out to the students, and ultimately their families, on a pastoral basis. These were additional and vital tools which, along with phone calls, we utilised to keep the school-family partnership going, once we were notified of loved ones passing away. It was a privilege to be able to listen to those in our community who were bereaved, suffering or fearful; to walk with them and help them to process their experiences and their grief. We talked about returning to school, what was happening in the world, when would things return to ‘normal’ and how they were accessing the curriculum using Google Classroom, our online bridge between home and school. Before each of the calls, prayer, asking for guidance and the ability to ‘hear’ what was being said; for the courage to be strong, yet empathetic.

was not exclusive to the students in our community; pastoral support was also offered to parents and other family members. Families welcomed the opportunity to talk about their unique challenges. When the need arose, our

Chaplaincy and Pastoral teams made socially distanced visits to vulnerable households. We extended the hand of friendship, ensuring that our families knew we were still present for them and had an important role to play in their children’s lives. We maintained our sense of community at a time of increasing isolation.

Chaplaincy support was extended to colleagues too. Increasingly staff found themselves in uncharted waters, running a largely ‘virtual’ school while facing their own domestic dilemmas and difficulties. We were unsure of what was happening in the world around us, but our joint and primary concern was to maintain stability for the students in our care. Chaplaincy work involved conversations with staff members via phone calls and socially distanced coffees and chats with colleagues at school. Our school Chapel remained a place of tranquillity and reflection, even as it filled with the flickering flames of candles of remembrance lit for those of our community who had died.

The distinctive nature of school Chaplaincy is a gift, both for the Chaplain and for the school; and in this darkest of times it was indeed a privilege to be able to bring the light of faith into our community of many faiths and of none. We are not always aware of the impact we have on those we reach out to until they say:

“You don’t know how important you are to us. Thank you for being there.” An Unexpected Vocation

Dominic Mulcahy – Lay Chaplain

All Hallows R.C. High School, Salford.

Having spent 42 years in Catholic primary education I was certainly looking forward to my expected and well-earned retirement in the Spring of 2018. Ten days later I was back in another primary school in our Diocese of Salford and within a month I was working in two schools, as a Primary Head teacher in the morning and as a Secondary Lay Chaplain in the afternoon!

During my 28 years of headship, I had the honour and privilege of contributing regularly to the Catholic Leadership Programme of the North West Dioceses and, ironically, focusing on the theme of Vocation which I presumed was for the duration of a teaching career. That old adage comes to mind….’What Man Proposes, God Disposes’!

So, for almost three years now I have found myself in a completely new and unexpected role as a Lay Chaplain in an inner city Catholic High School. At first, like a fish out of water not being used to dealing with around 700 teenagers and about 90 staff, many of whom, though non Catholics, have become so supportive and active. In time, I have found that my experience and practice as a Catholic Head teacher has been a tremendous advantage in helping me carry out my duties as Lay Chaplain by promoting the theme of Christ as the centre of all that we do and connecting with my new clientele as a messenger of hope.

Our school, as most schools, closed for the majority of pupils last March except for the children of key workers and those we identified as vulnerable. We opened again in September but by January 2021 our doors were closed again and so many of our pupils were again left isolated and confused.

The support offered through Chaplaincy

Dominic Mulcahy and students

Leading a culture of teacher excellence - National Professional Qualification partnership

By Paul Barber, Director, Catholic Education Service and Nigel Genders, Chief Education Officer, Church of England

In March this year the Government announced its partner providers for the reformed National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) for education leaders. We were (and still are) delighted that, among nine national providers, was a new partnership between the Church of England and Catholic Education Service.

The new framework for NPQ is an expansive vision for the whole education sector, and we are pleased that the Government has recognised the strengths of our shared vision for children and adults to flourish, and we are enormously excited to be working together at a pivotal moment across the education sector.

Together the Catholic Church and Church of England, run more than a third of all the country’s schools and play a particularly rich role in the wider education landscape. Our delivery of these qualifications will be across all parts of the country, from Northumberland to Cornwall, from Herefordshire to East Anglia. We will be working with a fantastic range of delivery partners – Teaching School Hubs, Multi Academy Trusts and high performing schools – in each region, and we look forward to welcoming many thousands of leaders onto the suite of NPQ programmes in the coming years.

And our offer is not just for our own schools, but for everyone, with a particular focus on ensuring that rural school leaders can access and benefit from the programmes. At a local level, this will mean exciting new partnerships between schools, MATs and other networks. At a national level, it will enable us to play our full role in investing heavily in the thing we know the evidence shows makes the biggest difference – our core purpose as leaders – leading a culture of teacher excellence.

The new NPQ frameworks are built from a rich, evidence-informed understanding of what works in school leadership, and they create a clear pathway for teachers’ formation over their whole careers. The coherence and clarity of the national roll-out of the Early Career Framework (ECF), the re-shaping of the Senior Leadership (NPQSL), Headship (NPQH) and Executive Leadership (NPQEL) programmes, and the creation of new specialist qualifications for aspiring school leaders can give us real confidence about a professional development entitlement that works for leaders in all schools – small and large, primary and secondary, rural and urban.

This is a step-change in leadership thinking, which is not seeking simply a more productive workforce, or a deeper academic understanding of research literature. Rather, it is calling back educational leaders to our core purpose – leading a culture of teacher excellence.

Providing these NPQ programmes across the country gives us a unique opportunity to place teacher excellence at the heart of our recovery from the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. This central focus on culture will be key to our delivery, and on every course, every leader will be working closely with an expert coach to explore and plan how to apply knowledge effectively into a variety of contexts.

Dylan Wiliam expresses this eloquently in his 2016 book ‘Leadership for Teacher Learning’ – saying “…the main job of school leaders is to improve the work performance of those they lead. Other things that leaders do will have an impact on the learning of the students in the schools they lead…but the size of the impact is small in comparison to the impact of developing classroom practice of teachers in those schools.”

by Paul Barber

By Nigel Genders

Whether teaching a mixed-age class in a small rural primary school, or leading a large MAT across a region or nation, our first call in educational leadership is to put teaching first. Although there are many other aspects of our roles, these can sometimes cloud or distract us from this core purpose – to secure the very best teaching experience for every child in our care. And that means leadership built on authenticity, integrity and a renewed sense of vision and purpose.

In 2016, the Church of England published its Vision for Education, articulating a focus on Wisdom, Knowledge & Skills, Hope & Aspiration, Community & Living Well Together and Dignity & Respect. Putting this vision into practice starts with leaders who build a culture of teacher excellence. Similarly, in 2018 the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales commissioned the Formatio initiative to support the development and formation of leaders in Catholic schools. As such it should come as no surprise as to why we are so pleased to be playing our part in the new NPQ landscape.

Creating and sustaining such a culture means we can fully realise our vision for education for every child, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Through pursuing excellence in teaching and working together for the common good, we will be enacting social justice for every community.

By Willie Slavin

News Roundup

Diocese of East Anglia New Catholic school

Peterborough named

Bishop Alan Hopes has announced that the new Catholic primary school due to open in Peterborough in September 2022, will be called St John Henry Newman Catholic Primary School after the newly canonised saint.

Bishop Alan explained his choice of name, saying: “Newman was hugely concerned that there should be an educated laity in the church, in order to be able to pass the Faith onto others. He built a university in Dublin to this end and taught the Faith himself through his own works and preaching.

“At the time he was canonised, earlier this year, our Diocese had begun negotiations for the new school in Peterborough, so it seemed very appropriate for the school to be named after him and placed under his patronage and prayers.”

Since Peterborough City Council approved the new school on February 14, the Diocesan Schools’ Team has been busy working on key areas. These include meeting with the Department for Education and city council officers on the building of the school, and identifying the skills and expertise needed for the Shadow Governing Body.

Updates on the progress of the new school will be posted onto the Diocese’s website, which will have a dedicated web-page for St John Henry Newman School.

Columbans announce Image winners of School’s ‘End Racism’ Competition

Winners of the Image section of this year’s Columban Schools Competition for young people on the subject ‘Let’s create a world without racism’ have been announced. They are by four young people aged between 14 and 18 from three different schools.

James Trewby, Columban Education Worker, congratulated the young people for producing work of “such great quality”.

Esther Ojobaro of St Paul’s Academy in London came first with her “impressive” painting, where, in her words, she “merged together the faces of individuals of different ethnicities and I did this to show that we shouldn’t judge one another based on race.” The judges felt her message of ‘WE ARE EQUAL’ was “simple, but graphically portrayed”. It stressed how “although we may all have our differences this does not make any one of us any better or any worse than our neighbours.” One judge commended her use of colour and “the unity implied”. Another felt her, “very impressive artwork not only showcases Esther’s talent

as a painter, it also showcases the everimportant message that ‘we are equal’.”

Second place was Dior Knorr of Holy Cross School in New Malden. One judge described her work as, “a strong image, taking the Catholic concept of ‘life’ into the arena of race, and really slamming it home to the viewer in the way that images such as this can sometimes do more powerfully even than words.”

Joint third was Lilly Heryng, also of Holy Cross School in New Malden, who, “created a conceptualism artwork by layering newspaper and painting over it an abstract image of the face of George Floyd”. This was the man whose controversial death last year spurred the Black Lives Matter movement. Floyd is multi-coloured, with many skin colours, “and it shows the damage done just by what people see”. One judge described this as, “an intricate and complex piece of work that merits in-depth reflection and challenges the viewer to analyse their own perceptions of what our society has become and has yet to become.”

The other third place winner was Hirah Ahsan of St Augustine’s School in Redditch. In her painting, she says: “The umbrella is the world and holding the umbrella are people of different races. They are shielded from the negativity because they accept one another. The words ‘anger’, ‘pain’, ‘hate’, ‘manipulation’, ‘violence’ and ‘fear’ are shown as the rain. Two buildings either side are full of hearts, representing high hopes for a better world as they are two tall buildings.”

St Mary’s University receives Research Degree Awarding Powers

The Privy Council has announced that London’s Catholic University, St Mary’s University, Twickenham has received Research Degree Awarding Powers (RDAP), with effect from 1st April 2021. RDAP allows the University to confer research degrees to students, such as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Master of Philosophy (MPhil). The awarding of RDAP is the final stage of St Mary’s achieving full Degree Awarding Powers, having achieved Taught Degree

Awarding Powers in 2006 and its full University title in 2014.

The achievement of RDAP is a significant quality marker in respect of research provision, the research environment, staff capability and the quality of research at St Mary’s. It is a recognition from the wider academic community, nationally and internationally, of the University’s research and academic excellence and it is a launch pad for St Mary’s to continue its growth.

St Mary’s has a strong and thriving research culture inspired by its distinctive Catholic identity. Academics and students at the University are engaged in research in a diverse range of subjects including the crimes of modern slavery and human exploitation, the sociology of religion, end of life care, and Initiatives in Spirituality and Reconciliation amongst much more. The formal process of applying for RDAP began in 2017 and saw St Mary’s welcome a team of observers from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). They met with staff and research students from across the University to understand the research culture and observed over 50 meetings and committees to ensure that St Mary’s upheld the most stringent academic standards.

In their report to the Privy Council, the QAA found that St Mary’s governance was “well prepared, managed, and chaired” and that the “Senior Management Team’s approach to tackling challenging issues is characterised by a dynamic combination of care and determination.

Speaking of the awarding of RDAP, St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Anthony McClaran said: “It’s gratifying to see St Mary’s receive Research Degree Awarding Powers. When we set ourselves this ambitious target in our Strategic Plan, we wanted to give St Mary’s the foundations on which to base its future stability and growth. Achieving this target is a great recognition of the quality of the research conducted by our staff and students, and the standards they uphold as an academic community.”

St Mary’s Provost Prof John Charmley added: “I look forward to seeing the research culture at St Mary’s grow and broaden as we welcome more research students from across our academic portfolio.”

New Saint John Henry Newman Research Centre

Maryvale has announced the establishment of a new research centre, named after Cardinal St John Henry Newman. The centre is part of Maryvale Institute, based at Maryvale House in Birmingham, which was Newman’s first home after he became a Catholic and which was named by him.

While at Maryvale House, Newman wrote that: “from the very first month of my Catholic existence … I wished for a Catholic University” and regarded education as “the true enlargement of the mind [giving it] the power of viewing many things at once.”

Centre Director, Deacon Dr Harry Schnitker, Obl.O.Ss.S., writes: At the Research Centre, we are engaged in realising Newman’s dream in the field of research by creating a platform for academic work and exchange of the highest quality. Our aim is to explore and explain Catholicism and the Catholic cultural tradition and make its insights and achievements known to a wider audience. We aim to achieve this through conferences, publications, a peer reviewed periodical, podcasts, web pages and other media.

We are proud to be associated with a large group of over sixty committed scholars, many of whom are also active as research supervisors in our PhD research programme, and teach our Masters and undergraduate students. Our associates come from many

different backgrounds, countries and cultures, including Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Norway, Lithuania, Holland, France, Italy, the USA, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Argentina, Panama and Peru. Most hold senior posts in some of the most prestigious universities in the world, including at Oxford, Cambridge, Leuven and in the USA. Many are already leading voices in the Catholic world. Our centre is a work of community in the best Catholic tradition: together our members ensure that the Research Centre is not only a place for high quality academic work, but also for growing together in faith and understanding.

Our first major activity will be our contribution to the wider Maryvale Conference on the New Directory for Catechesis, which will be available for free online.

St Mary’s University launches Human Exploitation Research Centre

St Mary’s University, Twickenham has today launched its new Bakhita Centre for Research on Slavery, Exploitation and Abuse, named in honour of St Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery The new Centre was launched at an online event on the Feast Day of St Josephine Bakhita, and featured a range of speakers including St Mary’s Chancellor and Archbishop of Westminster HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols and the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Dame Sara Thornton.

inequalities, race, ethnicity, asylum seeking/refugee and migrant status.

Speaking of the new Centre, HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols said: “I am proud to see St Mary’s develop and progress its activity in researching the crimes of human exploitation. Combating modern slavery, exploitation and abuse are core missions of the global Catholic Church through the Santa Marta Group. I look forward to seeing the important interventions the Bakhita Centre will be making in these areas.”

Dame Sara Thornton added: “I’m pleased to see the work at St Mary’s University enter an exciting new phase of research, training and education in this important area. As the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, I have seen first-hand the crucial role that practitioners play in supporting those affected by trafficking and exploitation. Understanding what works from the survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches of experts is essential.”

The Centre is part of Cardinal Vincent Nichols’ initiative to combat slavery and trafficking, along with Bakhita House (a London-based safe-house for trafficked women) and the Santa Marta group which seeks to co-ordinate the efforts of law enforcement authorities, NGOs, and governments worldwide. The Centre’s role is to support this initiative with research which will feed into anti-slavery and human trafficking policy at the highest level, in the UK and internationally, and to contribute to education and awareness raising.

UNICEF urges debt relief for developing nations to help children

The UN children agency releases a new report on the looming debt crisis facing many poorer nations, and says 1 in 8 countries spend more servicing their debt than on social services.

by UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, entitled “Covid-19 and the Looming Debt Crisis”.

Among its major findings is the worrying fact that 1 in 8 nations spends more on interest payments on debt than on social expenditure. This disparity in spending means that millions of children receive substandard education, healthcare, and social protections.

National debt affects children

Citing reports from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the report notes that 25 percent of developing nations are currently experiencing, or at high risk of, facing debt distress. The children living in these countries total around 200 million.

“As the global economy contracts and revenues fall, the growing burden of debt interest threatens to crowd out social spending still further,” it reads. The UNICEF report praises the efforts of G20 nations to provide temporary debt relief through June 2021.

“This appears to have had some effect in maintaining social spending on health and social protection in the 46 countries participating, although spending on education has contracted.”

Education suffering

Yet, UNICEF laments that only one-third of eligible nations have signed up for the Debt Service Suspension Initiative, and says that further researching into low uptake needs to be undertaken. The report also states that relief does not cover commercial creditors, “leaving middleincome countries increasingly exposed.”

“Initial reports from UNICEF country offices suggest that Covid-19 has negatively affected social spending in indebted countries, in sectors including education, child protection, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene,” it warns.

Protecting children’s rights

The Bakhita Centre was born out of the now closed Centre for the Study of Modern Slavery, which opened at St Mary’s in 2015, to broaden the University’s research on global issues surrounding inequality. This includes gender-based violence, sexual and other forms of exploitation, abuse and discrimination based on structural

Protecting children’s rights in low- and middle-income nations requires rich nations to continue offering debt relief, so as to stave off a looming debt crisis linked to Covid-19.

This statement sums up the conclusions of a new report released on Thursday

The UNICEF report concludes that further debt restructuring is necessary in order to protect children’s rights. Nations with heavier debt burdens should be given greater leniency, it says, while more transparency on debt-fuelled spending in developing nations should be promoted.

The goal, concludes the report, would be for creditors to coordinate their actions better in order “to convert debt into investments for children.”

CISC NEWS

CISC Conference 2021

As I sit here nursing my COVID jab –amazing how they gave it to me when I’m only 27!! – I am also reflecting upon the CISC virtual Conference, ‘To Grow is To Change…In the Spirit of St John Henry Newman’. And what a Conference it was! I could never have imagined the feeling of interconnectedness and relationship that was generated through the flat screen but, of course, I shouldn’t have been surprised by that. I should have known that the famed collegiality and friendship of the CISC community would transcend the challenges of a distance conference and enrich us all with its humour, generosity of spirit and kindness. Thank you to you all for making it a Conference to remember for all the right reasons!

The tone of the Conference was beautifully set by Nelle Dalton from Farnborough Hill with her reflective opening prayer and this sense of space and time was further enhanced by the relaxed, inviting keynote from Mgr Rod Strange, ‘Catholic Education: Learning How to Learn’. In his talk, Mgr Rod skilfully wove his own experiences into a well-crafted elucidation of the writings of St John Henry Newman on the purpose of education. As such, he highlighted the significance of ‘interconnectedness’ in learning and the essential understanding that Catholic education should not be caught up in narrow specialisations but should model ‘the ideal of the untravelled quest for understanding’. What Mgr Rod displayed was an intimate knowing of his subject, so much so that it seemed as if he was having a conversation with each one of us, rather than reading a keynote address. It was a real privilege to spend time with him and realise how contemporary the message of Newman remains as we seek to bring our pupils to an understanding that the true value of education lies not in acquiring skills, but in learning how to learn.

Our next session ‘A Tale of Two Terms: Impact, learning and future-proofing

post COVID’, was as engaging as it was informative. Most particularly with reference to Antonia Beary’s –Chair – sharing of a photo of Stephen and Anjali, headline sponsors from Stone King and Moore Kingston Smith respectively, tripping the light fantastic at the Ceilidh at our Conference in Glasgow in January 2020. This set the tone for what was a humorous but also a serious session, a balance that is unique to CISC but one which allows us never to lose sight of the assurance and positivity that is engendered sharing and airing problems and ideas. Headteachers Ed Hester, Princethorpe College, Annie Sutton, St Joseph’s Specialist Trust and Sarah Norville, Rydes Hill Prep, shared experiences ranging from staff reactions to the pandemic and fears of losing their jobs, WhatsApp groups providing peer to peer support and maintaining a sense of family and community. Stephen Ravenscroft and Helen Tucker from Stone King took us through mitigating the potential for exam grading complaints and staff wellbeing and mental health, whilst Anjali from Moore Kington Smith discussed TPS and mergers and acquisitions. The conversation that ensued allied the experiences of the different heads with themes emerging nationally and whilst not all questions could be answered the collective wisdom of our heads and sponsors offered solutions for many.

by Dr Maureen Glackin

Our AGM approved our Strategic Plan for the next five years. The content of the plan was written by delegates at our Glasgow Conference and provides a roadmap for CISC’s development and priorities over the next five years underpinned by our core values of Fellowship, Love, Faith ,Courage, Excellence and Joy. Thank you for your work and support in developing our Strategic Plan which gives us a clear focus for the years ahead.

Our first day of Conference 2021 was rounded off by ‘CISC Bubbles’ where we had hustings, wit and banter! The

The three-way tie for second place was decided by the Chair. Eschewing his own preferences, Antony took the decision that a ‘Saint’ trumps a ‘Blessed’ – only Catholics could seriously have this kind of conversation! – and so it was that St John Henry Newman and St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross were elected as patrons of CISC. Images and information on both of our patrons will be placed on the website shortly but in the meantime we will pray to St. John Henry Newman and St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and ask for their blessing, inspiration and guidance for the work of CISC.

Our final day of the Conference began with morning prayer led by Dom James Hood and staff members from Downside. It was an elegant and

peaceful start to our morning and led beautifully into our opening session, ‘Difficulties that seem overwhelming are opportunities for growth’ (Fratelli Tutti, n78) with keynotes, from Sr Gemma Simmonds and David Wells. Gemma focused on hope, exploring how it’s ‘a choice that becomes a practice that becomes like spiritual muscle memory’ whilst David, in his own inimitable style, provided a counterpoint through an exploration of forgiveness, tenderness and humility. Both speakers inspired with a generous vision of Church that we recognise in our schools and

communities and both challenged and affirmed us in our living of this vision. They were joined by Philip Robinson, RE Advisor for the CES, who participated in the Q and A and led the debate in our final session ‘Stories from the Chapel: Impact and opportunities presented by COVID on spiritual formation and the prayer life of our schools’ along with chaplains Fr Gerry Devlin, Woldingham, and Emma Hall, Ratcliffe College. Their insights into ‘prayer with COVID’ were witness to their creativity and resourcefulness in maintaining the faith essence of their communities throughout

Book&Media Review

the last year It was a fine conclusion to our Conference, exemplifying, as it did, the realisation of our theme ‘To Grow is to Change….’

My thanks to the CISC Committee for their work in ensuring the success of the Conference and to Paula and Antony for their unfailing support. Lastly, thanks to each one of you who engaged so generously with the online experience: it might have been a virtual conference but it was certainly an authentic one!

By Willie Slavin

Books that look more than a little inviting

Church, Interrupted: Havoc & Hope: The Tender Revolt of Pope Francis

Church, Interrupted: Havoc & Hope: The Tender Revolt of Pope Francis is a revealing portrait of Pope Francis’s hopeful yet controversial efforts to recreate the Catholic Church to become, once again, a welcoming place of empathy, love, and inclusiveness. Bestselling author and papal biographer John Cornwell tells the gripping insider story of Pope Francis’s bid to bring renewal and hope to a crisis-plagued Church and

the world at large. With unique insights and original reporting, Cornwell reveals how Francis has persistently provoked and disrupted his stubbornly unchanging Church, purging clerical corruption and reforming entrenched institutions, while calling for action against global poverty, climate change, and racism. Cornwell argues that despite fierce opposition from traditionalist clergy and right-wing media, the pope has radically widened Catholic moral priorities, calling for mercy and compassion over rigid dogmatism. Francis, according to Cornwell, has transformed the Vatican from being a top-down centralized authority to being a spiritual service for a global Church. He has welcomed the rejected, abused, and disheartened; reached out to people of other faiths and those of none; and proved a providential spiritual leader for future generations. Highly acclaimed author John Cornwell’s riveting account of the hopeful—and contentious—efforts

undertaken by Pope Francis to rebuild the Catholic Church.

Cornwell showcases Pope Francis’s way forward, a hopeful message that gives reinvigorated reasons to stay with the church and help be the change the new generation would like to see. For readers within and outside Catholicism fascinated by the future and restructuring of the church, this will be a book they want to read again and again as the church continues to change and grow.

Dear England: Finding Hope, Taking Heart and Changing the World

‘Stephen Cottrell writes about Christ as if he were here now. As if redemption were possible for all of us, as if the void that threatens to engulf us all could be

filled by a personal relationship with Christ in the present. He is a compelling writer.’ - Russell Brand Inspired by a conversation with a barista who asked him why he became a priest, this is the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell’s extended answer to that question - as well as the letter he’d like to write to a divided country that no longer sees the relevance or value of the Christian narrative.

Archbishop Stephen writes for a more general audience, and those who might call themselves spiritual seekers. A short, beautiful book, this is at once both contemplative and deeply practical, which will speak to both Christians and those on the edges of faith.

‘A deeply thoughtful exposition of faith’s transformative power, Dear England gave me hope, not only for the future of Christianity, but for a changed world too.’ - David Lammy MP

The Outsider: Pope Francis and His Battle to Reform the Catholic Church

Publication Date: April 2020

Publisher: Orbis - £19.99

From a Vatican correspondent for The Tablet (London), an overview of the ministry and agenda of Pope Francis, an examination of the opposition that has mobilized against him, and what this means and portends for the Catholic Church.

Central to this narrative is the Pope, painted by Lamb as a silent pillar of strength, standing firmly above his detractors on the moral high ground. However, from his modest living arrangements to his interactions with

prisoners, refugees, and children, it is also clear that Pope Francis’ feet are firmly on the ground. He is undeniably a man of the people – and it is this, The Outsider suggests, which is what divides opinion so greatly.

STATIONS OF THE RESURRECTION

PUBLISHER:

REDEMPTORIST PUBLICATIONS

PUBLICATION DATE: MARCH 2019 - £12.95

Using readings, reflections, art and prayers in conjunction with suggested hymns and ideas for producing your own stations, Stations of the Resurrection offers a rich resource intended to refocus both congregations and individuals on the transformative joy, hope, grace and challenge of Eastertide.

“Richard’s writing and the images he has chosen to accompany each station work in tandem to lead us through the neglected cycle of the Church’s year, from Easter to Pentecost. After the pilgrimage of Lent, many people might feel exhausted at the prospect of starting another one so soon. With Richard as our guide, however, this Easter pilgrimage is a very gradual and gentle journey; the pace is as leisurely as the insight is rewarding; it is an excursion of heart and mind that will surely deepen our faith in the risen Lord.”

Denis McBride C.Ss.R. (from foreword)

About the Author

Richard Greatrex is a parish priest and bookseller with a particular interest in liturgy and the arts. He encourages others to deepen their spirituality through engagement with music, poetry, literature and the visual arts, often using aspects of secular culture to illuminate elements of faith. The genesis of this book was a growing longing to counteract the diminishing of Eastertide in Church and beyond from a lengthy season to a single day, and a desire to restore the joy, wonder, celebrations,

challenges and hope of the Great Fifty Days of Easter

The Experience of Christianity. By Hans van

Mourik Broekman and Brian Donnelly

Publisher: LC Press

Publication Date: Feb 2021 - £9.95

This is a textbook which can be used in Religious Education with different age-groups in secondary schools. In ten short chapters readers are introduced to key features of the experience of Christians. There are no texts that suit every teacher and every class. However, this one provides an interesting, original and very worthwhile contribution, one which seems likely to invite students to think carefully and authentically about important aspects of Christianity.

The author and the artist whose work illustrates the book in bright and striking colours both teach in Liverpool. No prior knowledge of Christianity is assumed. Several features mark out this book as original, refreshing and relevant for classroom use: its use of the personal voice is very effective; it invites readers into a dialogue and stimulates them to think for themselves; the language is clear, accessible and straightforward; it is not burdened by religious jargon or off-putting technical terms; the way it begins by exploring the experience of meeting and being changed by such meetings is a fertile entry-point for accessing the experience of the first disciples.

The Food for Thought sections pose excellent questions. The scripture passages, along with straightforward commentaries, really do open up the text. Down-to-earth examples ensure the book is engaging. The treatment of such topics as mystery, Spirit and Holy Spirit, following Jesus and the role of the Church is rarely done as well as it is here.

There is doctrinal substance in this book but it is (thankfully) not over-emphasized, nor is it introduced in daunting detail. There are many factors which influence the teacher-learner relationship and how students engage with the material put before them. So much depends on the relationship between teacher and pupil and the assumptions, the outlook and attitudes brought to the classroom; also a great deal depends on what is experienced in the rest of the school, as well as outside it (in the home and in society). However, this stand-alone volume succeeds admirably in introducing pupils (and often their teachers) to central aspects of the experience of being a Christian.

Author of the Review: John Sullivan, Emeritus Professor (Christian Education), Liverpool Hope University

Irish and British Reflections on Catholic Education

Publisher: Springer

Publication Date: Feb 2021 - £75.99

Twenty-two years ago, when Networking Catholic Education Today was at an advanced stage of gestation the search for content, guaranteed to speak to the living experience of teachers in our schools, presented a formidable challenge. Ideally, we were looking for teachers and school leaders who were undertaking post graduate studies reflecting on their frontline experience, seeking answers to questions that resonated with colleagues across the board. Professor Gerald Grace, having recently established the Centre for Research and Development in Catholic Education (CRCDE), was on a parallel track and with his customary kindness and encouragement was able to identify a select group of such people. Set against that background, this book would have been an answer to our prayers. What it now signifies is a growing confidence among Catholic

educationalist/academics in these islands in their collective ability to confront serious questions with a hardwon assurance that was beyond our imagining in 1999.

It is gratifying that a number of these contributors have written for Networking since that time, not least in this issue. Chapter 3 ‘Covid-19, Child Poverty, Catholic Schools and the Insights of Gustavo Gutiérrez’ bears more than passing resemblance to Professor Stephen McKinney’s article, in this issue, minus his sympathetic consideration on the role of the Liberation Theology in shaping our preferential option for the poor. Also familiar to our readers, Dr Margaret Buck and Dr Louise McGowan, drawing here from their respective experiences of the English education system examined extensively in their doctoral theses. Their papers offer, respectively, acutely perceptive insights into the effects of government driven systemic changes and the challenges these pose to the Church as a major player in educational provision, on one hand, and their effects at an individual level on those charged with the formidable task of implementation at local level. In his Preface, Professor Richard Pring recognises that:

‘This volume, with its twenty-one contributors from a wide range of Universities and Schools in Britain and Ireland, reflects the quite remarkable resurgence, over a very brief period of research and critical thinking concerned with Catholic education.’

In his view, the importance of such research is significant for several reasons:

First, philosophically, there is a need to explain and to justify the distinctively religious nature of, or element within, primary and secondary schooling. Second, given that there are Faith Schools within the otherwise secular system then their distinctive contribution to the quality of State Education needs to be demonstrated. Third, the maintenance of such a distinctive and justified Catholic contribution needs consistently to be pursued in both Ireland and Britain. Fourth, there is a close collaboration in much of the research between the Universities and the classroom teachers in the Schools.

In his introduction, Dr Sean Whittle explains:

In light of the complex nature of scholarship and research about Catholic education, this volume is presenting the twenty-one chapters in four distinct parts, representing the four areas of overlapping scholarship and research in the field of Catholic Education Studies. Thus, the four parts of this volume are categorised into Foundations, Identity, Catholic school Leadership and issues in Religious Education in Catholic schools.

One of the fascinations of this collection is the opportunity to observe how the emphases in the chosen subject matter between the Irish and English contributions offers an insight into how the Church on each side of the Irish Sea is coping with a renewal of its selfunderstanding in a period of dramatic social attitudinal change, secularisation, and the fallout from the sexual abuse scandals, common to both jurisdictions.

Dr Patricia Keiran, having provided an informative history of education in Ireland, concludes:

‘Catholic education continues to undergo a period of soul searching and repositioning. It is beginning to relinquish institutional roles and is moving away from a theological narcissism into a new terrain. This more self-aware, modest Catholic educational sector, is attempting to re-focus on the mission of Christ. It is beginning to develop a new sense of identity as it dialogues with stakeholder groups. Perhaps this more vibrant, pared-down Catholic system of education …will become more self-conscious of its prophetic mission. Only then can it nurture real strength by refocusing on its evangelical mission to provide highquality education based on Christ’s gospel of justice and love, in service of all, especially the marginal and the poor, while addressing the needs of a more secular and multi-belief society.’

Focusing on the last ten years of educational change in England and, living with the inherent disability of the Catholic education to speak coherently because of the autonomy enjoyed by each diocese, Dr Margaret Buck offers a less assured

view of a Church sufficiently at ease with itself to engage with anything like the fruitful conversation implied by Dr Kieran’s conclusion. This assertion paints a less assured picture:

‘For nine unsettled years, dioceses have navigated national education policy with varying degrees of enthusiasm or reluctance, confidence or concern, like participants in an unpredictable game of snakes and ladders. In 2019, English Catholic education is underpinned by a permissive national ecclesial policy that defers to canonical authority, resulting in considerable variation in local diocesan policy and practice. The prevailing professional context of educational provision in the twentyfirst century requires that the church re-imagines the future of Catholic education as dependent on a threeway partnership between church, school and state.’

In her carefully argued paper, she proposes a national solution that incorporates the best of Catholic educational, theological and social thinking which is already finding traction in a wider debate within Catholic educationalists in England. What does emerge is that the English Church is showing no sign of the soul searching that seems to be underpinning the seeds of revival evident in the Irish situation. The Church in Ireland, in grasping the nettle has uncovered substantial support for its schools among parents. While English school leaders could substantiate the same claim to legitimise the Church’s right to provide schools, the Bishop’s

Conference, does not yet appear to be able to speak with such confidence.

alternative world views that will help them to interpret and act in the world with responsibility and compassion.’

Interestingly, of the seven papers presented around the debate on Religious Education, only one is from an English perspective. Even allowing for this being a Dublin based conference, the centrality of Religious Education to the faith schools debate, is surely indicative of a more mature and healthier climate of enquiry among our Irish colleagues. That said, John Moffatt SJ’s paper ‘Religious Education as a Discipline in the KnowledgeRich Curriculum’ caught this eye for its intelligent engagement with a government led debate about Religious Education. His whole open-minded, mutually respectful approach to engagement stands in marked contrast to the overly defensive front normally presented by the Church and its agencies in these situations. His Note:

‘My reading of the OFSTED document is that it is actually much more subtle and thoughtful’ speaks volumes for an approach that opens doors. (Who ever imagined OFSTED, subtle and thoughtful in the same sentence?)

His preferred outcome of religious education sits well alongside Patricia Kieran’s refocussed mission:

What John Moffatt, in the company of so many of the contributors to this publication, has demonstrated is that, as a Church in these countries, there is an appetite for, and a growing body of scholarship that is not only capable of entering the debate about faith in the public realm but equally assured at moving unapologetically on to the front foot.

This book, and the conference that lies behind it, is testimony to the work of the Network for Researchers in Catholic Education (NfRCE) that has become increasingly influential since its inception in 2016. We at Networking Catholic Education Today acknowledge our indebtedness to our colleagues in NfRCE for providing access to this fruitful source of material and making it available to Catholic teachers and school leaders. In conclusion, I can do no better than leave the last word to Professor Richard Pring:

‘Ideally, we want to help young people find their way of making an ever more mature, credible sense of their faith as something that already matters to them. But if this is not possible, at the very least we want to leave people with an understanding of and respect for the integrity of Catholic Christianity and of

‘I hope that this book will be read by all the various tiers of responsibility for Catholic Education both in Britain and Ireland. This volume also deserves a wide circulation amongst those who work in Catholic Schools, not least as a way of encouraging them to engage with research about Catholic education. Hopefully, it will prompt many more to participate in research and educational thinking about Catholic education.’

Author of the Review: Willie Slavin

Stonyhurst College and Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall win two major tennis awards

Stonyhurst and its Director of Tennis have won two major Tennis Lancashire Awards taking them through to the regional sector of the LTA National Tennis Awards to be held later this year.

The annual Tennis Lancashire Awards were held on in February and winners were revealed in an online awards ceremony on Lancashire Tennis Award’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

The awards are presented each year, with coaches, volunteers, clubs and other tennis venues being nominated by individuals across the County and then decided by the awards committee of Tennis Lancashire.

Stonyhurst are pleased to have won two out of the three awards nominated for:

• Education Award – Stonyhurst College and St Mary’s Hall

• Performance Coach of The Year – Director of Tennis, David Shaw

The Stonyhurst Tennis Academy was introduced to the children’s’ curriculum in 2017 and then took on a new life when David Shaw, Director of Tennis and his team of coaches, joined in 2018. The Academy has gone from strength to strength over the last two years with David’s newly designed academy programme which creates player pathways for any aspiring pupil wishing to play tennis. This extensive programme now allows over 170 pupils to play tennis on a regular basis.

Tennis has always been a large part of the Stonyhurst sports offering with ten outdoor tennis courts and two indoor courts housed in a newly built tennis dome. The introduction of the Grand Slam standard indoor tennis courts provides pupils with all-year-round access and training support, raising the level of tennis skill at Stonyhurst. Stonyhurst’s vast facilities paired with David’s remarkable coaching have attracted a cohort of national and regional standard players over the years.

David Shaw, Director of Tennis says, “winning the awards has been the result of a lot of people’s hard work and commitment in providing the opportunity for children to develop their skills in a fun environment”.

A New Chapter for fire hit School

A new chapter has begun for St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby after pupils and staff moved into their new home just over six months after their school was destroyed by a fire.

The whole school has moved into St James’s House, in Derby, where they will stay for up to two years while a new building is constructed on St Mary’s Broadway site.

Since the arson attack in October 2020, the school had been split across two sites, at Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy in Duffield Road and the Diocesan Centre and Christ the King Church in Mackworth.

Amanda Greaves, Executive Head at St Mary’s, said she was thrilled to have the school back together under one roof. She said: “To be back together again just means everything. Staff, children and families have had to endure so much since the fire, so to be reunited under one roof means so much.”

“St James’s House gives us a sense of permanence and stability and this move is just going to lift the whole community, which continues to grow and thrive. We are all absolutely delighted.”

“The original school was founded just across the river on Edward Street in 1814 so there is a feeling of ‘coming home’. It’s a very special day for the whole St Mary’s community.”

Bella Atkin, Year One and Two class teacher, said she could not wait to see the children’s faces when they arrived.

She said: “It just feels incredible. The last few months have been challenging as we’ve been split across two sites but being together again will be amazing. I am looking forward to having my own classroom again. I’m so excited and I can’t wait to see the children’s faces when they come through the door.”

RSHE Education in Love

Teachers as artisans of peace

“In his Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia Pope Francis speaks of the need for an authentic formation for the young in human sexuality. The Holy Father advocates an education for love, for mutual self-giving to overcome self-centredness in order to prepare young people for a “great and generous love.” I have been happy to commend A Fertile Heart resources in response to this appeal. I hope these resources will help to inspire many pupils to embrace the Christian vision of human love and sexuality as well as equipping educators to fulfil their task in partnership with parents.”

Rt. Rev Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury

The phrase “artisans of peace” comes from the 2018 Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exultate – the call to Holiness in Today’s World. It strikes me as a very useful descriptor for the task of educators today. A lot is going on in the world that can easily disturb the peace of children. Despite their natural resilience, the fragility of their spirit is never to be under estimated, so we must do all we can to serve their inner peace.

In March the Centre for Social Justice launched a report entitled: “Unsafe. Driving Up Our Country’s Response to Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation.” As one would expect with such a detailed, evidence-based analysis, it comes with many recommendations including several for education. Schools take safeguarding very seriously and rightly so and often excel in their efforts to keep children safe as well as being vigilant for the warning signs in a child’s behaviour or attitude. The authors of the Report say that schools have to tackle child sexual abuse [CSA] by “protecting the innocence of children.” None of us could disagree with that, especially in respect of a child who has fallen victim to abuse or been exposed to highly damaging material and influences

online. Children in our schools have an absolute right to have their innocence protected as well as restored where it has been tarnished and broken. Teachers have such a privileged role to play in this God given duty. In the unique context of the Catholic school, that sense of being an active custodian of childhood innocence ought to run very deep and be part of the lifeblood of the entire mission of the school. Preserving, protecting and restoring children’s innocence doesn’t mean avoiding the sensitive and challenging issues or topics about human sexuality and relationships, but we know it does mean that both sanity and sanctity has to permeate the classroom when it comes to teaching relationships and sex education. The Church wisely calls for the framework of formation in sexual morality that must be delicately given as part of a sound doctrinal catechesis. The Second Vatican Council states that children “as they grow older should receive a positive and prudent education in matters related to sex.”

These words “positive” and “prudent” are the hallmarks of the quality and credibility that is assured in educational resources such as “A Fertile Heart; Receiving and Giving Created Love.”

This is an all-through curriculum from Reception to Year 11 that offers schools, in full partnership with parents, a thoroughly holistic incremental scheme of work that allows teachers to truly accompany pupils on a journey of selfdiscovery about who they are, and discerning their unique place in the world. But much more than this, the Fertile Heart themes and approach takes great care to reinforce what children deserve to hear and have repeated to them often – their innate dignity as image-bearers of God.

There’s a lot focus in childhood development of resilience, grit, selfawareness, self-esteem and character or virtue education. This is good and to be

By Edmund Adamus

welcomed. Fertile Heart seeks to go in to the deeper meaning of these words and concepts. It does this by placing specific emphasis upon “personhood.” In truth, qualities such as determination, self-discipline and resilience are all about personhood, because we all have “capax Dei” a capacity for God. In Catholic education we would be doing children a tremendous disservice if we did not help to instil in pupils the truth, that no matter how deep and strong your resilience levels, in the end, you are reliant on a higher power - call it grace if you will - or God’s love and mercy. Without the gradual and appreciative awareness of the metaphysical that must mature over time, we are in danger of burn out. No matter how strong we might believe ourselves to be, children deserve to know that their entire journey through life is actually part of salvation history, the economy of salvation as it were, which is ultimately a spiritual journey and forming young people in this reality is a supernatural task. One cannot complete a supernatural task solely on human resources. We need the Divine. We need the transcendent. We need dependence. That is why Fertile Heart approaches the subjects of relationships education and relationships and sex education through the theological lens of Christian anthropology and Scripture.

What does this mean exactly? Well, if as teachers, we want each and every child in our care to truly grow and develop in their own unique personality, their unrepeatable identity as a child of God, made in His image, then we must show them who they are in Christ. He is the ‘pioneer and perfecter of our faith’ says St. Paul, which means, Jesus is also the pioneer and perfecter of our personhood so that we discover

how we can see our own personality mirrored in each Person of the Blessed Trinity. The Trinity is that Communion of Persons, the perfect model of all relating and relationships; the perpetual cycle of generous, limitless reciprocity of love from Father to Son, from Son to Father in and through the Holy Spirit. This generous reciprocity of active love is the core message of the Fertile Heart programme. We want children to know and appreciate that whenever they receive and return authentic love, kindness, gentleness, courtesy and respect [not just mere tolerance], they are in fact and in reality, expressing the Divine Personhood of the Blessed Trinity in their everyday situations and encounters with others.

St. Paul also teaches us that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” so if children are to strive to live with a sense of being present to themselves and others in an honest appreciation of their physicality then conversely, they also need to know that their own moral agency, their free actions and choices can disfigure that spiritual reality of reflecting the Communion of Persons. This is why Fertile Heart is replete with messaging about hope, trust, and

self-confidence because it is equally important for children to know that God wants them to freely respond to His grace and always to return to Him in prayer and genuine service of others when things go wrong.

In July 2015, speaking to a large gathering of youth in Turin, Pope Francis said; “Love is very respectful of people. It does not use people. And, namely, love is chaste. And to you all, young people, in this hedonist world, in this world where there are only commercials, pleasure ... I tell you: Be chaste! Be chaste!” He continued; “It is right to try for a genuine love, that knows to give life, that does not search to use the other for its own pleasure, a love that makes sacred the life of the other person: ‘I respect you, I do not want to use you.’ It is not easy, we all know the difficulty to overcome the easy and hedonistic concept of love, but I ask you,” he said. “Make the effort to live love chastely.” A Fertile Heart; Receiving and Giving Creative Love genuinely seeks to help young people to begin and continue that lifelong journey of self-giving love and recognises that the duty on Catholic schools to meet new demands for the personal, moral,

social and spiritual development of their pupils needs dynamic and creative resources to help them embrace that responsibility with fresh enthusiasm. Furthermore, teachers themselves need ongoing formation in the vision that Pope Francis articulates and that is why we believe the resources enable the teachers to grow in their own knowledge of God and self-awareness as they explore the content of the modules with the pupils together. If you have not yet discovered Fertile Heart and what it offers, then I encourage you to browse the website at www.fertileheart. org.uk. As we all hopefully emerge from lockdown restrictions and schools can look towards a more “normal” level of educational activity from September, then perhaps the “stock taking” months of Summer provide a good opportunity for all of us to re-evaluate where we really want to go with the provision of RSHE. Let’s boldly embrace it as a real opportunity to enrich the true apostolic dimension of Catholic education and to take our pupils on a formational journey of education in love that will expand their hearts, minds, souls and bodies to be the truly fertile recipients and responders of God’s love that they are all called to be.

Relationships Education [primary], and Relationships and Sex Education [secondary] are not just subjects Catholic schools are obliged to deliver, but ought to be new opportunities to explore with pupils and sta the life-giving and liberating vision of what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God, who relates to each of us in a deeply personal and intimate way.

A Fertile Heart has been specially developed to be taught in Catholic schools reinforcing the values of personal growth, sacri cial love and hope- lled patience to our young people.

Designed in a modular format starting with 6 per year in KS1 and increasing to 10/11 in KS2, 3 and 4, teachers have access to lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, guidance notes per slide and downloadable worksheets. Our comprehensive resources cover from Reception to Y6 and from Y7 to Y11, thus providing schools with an all through curriculum from Key Stage 1 to the end of Key Stage 4.

A 90 day trial giving full access to all the online resources is available to schools for just £100

“It is not easy to approach the issue of sexuality education in an age when sexuality tends to be trivialized and impoverished. It can only be seen within the broader framework of an education for love, for mutual self-giving “ Pope Francis

MISSION TOGETHER

Our Lady Mary, Queen of the May

As this latest edition of Networking lands, we are almost mid-way through May, traditionally a month devoted to Our Lady. Many of us will have fond childhood memories of Marian processions, or making daisy chains to crown school statues of Mary, Queen of the May.

It was as a boy that our Holy Father also began to develop his own devotion to Our Lady. Pope Francis has explained how his First Communion catechist presented the then Jorge Bergoglio, with a “small, very pretty metal image of the Virgin of Mercy”, which he cherished. At home and at school this devotion grew, until, standing in front of an image of Our Lady at the age of twelve, the future Pope decided upon his vocation. “The call was already there several years before,” he explained. “But, in short, it was there that I decided to enter the society of Jesus.”

The Holy Father’s devotion to Mary remains clear today, with frequent reference to Our Lady in his homilies and messages. To young pilgrims gathered in Brazil, Pope Francis declared:

“My dear friends, we have our model… She who received the most precious gift from God, as her immediate response sets off to be of service and to bring Jesus. Let us ask Our Lady to help us too, to give Christ’s joy to our families, our companions, our friends, to everyone… May Mary teach us by her life what it means to be a missionary disciple.”

As the Pope’s official children’s charity for overseas mission, Mission Together has a bank of classroom resources that aim to deepen pupils’ appreciation of Mary and

learn how she can help them to become missionary disciples too.

In Our Lady Five Fact Assembly, key moments of Mary’s life are highlighted alongside character education virtues familiar to many pupils: courage, humility, generosity, resilience, faithfulness. The assembly is designed to be pupil-led, with pared down script, questions for reflection, and accessible slides.

The Children Who Prayed for Peace is another pupil-led assembly with a Marian focus. The assembly tells the story of the children of Fatima and highlights the significant impact children can have through their prayers and acts of faith. The Children Who Prayed for Peace marks the feast of Our Lady of Fatima (13 May) but can be used at any time.

A simple activity sheet accompanies our Children Who Prayed for Peace Assembly. Other Marian activity sheets are available, Pray with Our Lady for KS1 and Mary Model of Mission for KS2. Many of our Marian resources reference the Rosary, specifically the Mission Rosary. To help explain the Rosary and its use to children, we have a Mission Rosary Assembly.

In addition to incorporating a simple ‘how to guide’, our Mission Rosary Assembly focuses attention on pupils’ place within God’s universal family, and the mission we all have as God’s children to work together and help one another (the call to universal solidarity).

To complement our Mission Rosary Assembly, we’ve also produced an Online Mission Rosary. Filmed during lockdown, the Rosary is led by children from across the country. The Prayers of the Continents read at the start of each decade are available to download as a separate resource.

Messages of Universal Church and Universal Solidarity echo through all our Mission Together resources, no less so than in our new Pentecost Liturgical Prayer, Encouraged by the Spirit.

To mark this year’s feast of Pentecost (23 May), this new liturgical prayer helps children to recognise Pentecost as the birthday of the Universal Church.

Conscious that this year’s Pentecost comes after a period of instability

for all pupils, with those progressing to high school facing further adjustment, Encouraged by the Spirit also addresses anxieties around change and transition, and the support afforded by our faith in God’s Holy Spirit.

Encouraged by the Spirit is designed to maximise pupil participation, through reading parts, drama, response and prayer. To reinforce the message of universality, Encouraged by the Spirit also incorporates an international greetings activity.

Should pupils wish to explore the countries in which the greetings are spoken, they can visit our Mission Together Virtual World Map, accessed through our website homepage. Our Virtual World Map shows how, through Mission Together (also known internationally as Holy Childhood), children around the world act in fraternity. Our Virtual World Map includes brief facts about each country, examples of how children there share their faith, and incorporates recordings of children singing hymns, dancing, and praying. Our Virtual World Map is a fun way to find out how children around the world share their faith, time, and talents to be missionaries of God’s love.

To help pupils discover more about the experience of their brothers and sisters around the world, you may also want to download our Games Around the World resource. This resource outlines ten interactive children’s games from the continents. It is a fun resource for the summer term and a reminder of the importance of play in developing healthy relationships and a healthy spirituality. A truth expressed recently by Fr David O’Malley SD:

‘Those involved in play lose themselves in a flow of activity and find themselves liberated

and energised by what they do. In spiritual terms playing takes a person into the flow of life that many religious traditions call the spirit. Those who play are liberated for a while from the past and from the future to simply be in the present moment.’

Over the past twelve months there has been little opportunity to play together; indeed there has been little chance to be together! Nevertheless, thanks to our supporters, Mission Together has continued to reach out through prayer and generosity.

With the help of schools around the country, we’ve continued to provide practical help and pastoral care to thousands of children living in poverty around the world. We’d like to thank you and your schools for continuing to take part in our mission to reach the world’s poorest children with God’s love. We truly appreciate all your efforts and we will continue to do all we can to enable you to share God’s love with all children, everywhere.

Claire Colleran - Education Outreach Officer, Missio