LHU CSGTP Leaflet

Church School Governance Online Training Programme (CSGTP)

Improving Church School Governance The Hope Church School Governance Online Training Programme (CSGTP) is aimed at Governors and Trustees (Directors) in both church schools and schools with a distinctively Christian ethos, providing support for Governors and Trustees (Directors) committed to working on school improvement. The programme has been very specifically designed to raise awareness of the changing expectations of Governing Boards and meeting today’s challenges in the education sector, whilst still holding on to the mission and vision of a church school. The programme has been developed by experts and professionals with a background in church school leadership, governance and inspection.

Testimonials Quotes from participants in 2019 include: “I have become a more thoughtful and aware governor, certainly one empowered to protect and promote the Christian ethos of my school.”

“It was great, interesting, stimulating and encouraging, so thank you.”

“Enjoyed the course and found it thought provoking. Also enjoyed the forums and thought it was good once the older ones were reopened as you could see how my own and other people’s perceptions changed over time.”

“Excellent programme which was challenging and enriching in equal measure. It helped me to rekindle my vocation as governor.”

100% of respondents to the survey for the module in 2019 would recommend this course to others.

www.hope.ac.uk

Church School Governance Online Training Programme (CSGTP)

Improving Church School Governance The Church School Governance Online Training Programme (CSGTP) has been designed to raise awareness of the changing expectations of governing boards, and the challenges Governors and Trustees (Directors) face, whilst still holding on to the mission and vision of their church school.

Alison Brabner, Governor at Cranfield Church of England Academy.

This is an online programme with interactive discussions between participants and tutors. Participants will be enrolled on an online module, with a minimum expected engagement of 12 hours (1 hour per week). The module will be collaborative and interactive and each participant will have access to a personal tutor as well as the ability to share with and learn from a group of other members. A Reflective Journal will be submitted at the end of the module in order to receive a Certificate of Completion.

I am Chair of Governors of a standalone Church of England Academy and also a member of a Regional Hub Board for a Church of England Multi Academy Trust. I have been involved in school governance for a number of years and am passionate about driving excellence in early education, enabling children to flourish and achieve their potential. However, I wished to explore the unique features of church school governance and understand how I could help further strengthen the schools I support with a holistic approach deeply rooted in our Christian ethos.

Key themes include the changing context, mission, vision and values, collaborative learning, decision-making and accountability.

Did you have any reservations about taking this course and were these overcome?

Audience • Governors and trustees (directors) working in church schools • Governors working in other designated schools

Dates

Case Study Can you give a little background info about yourself and why you chose to take this online module?

I didn’t have any concerns about the course itself as I was really keen to learn and reflect on my practice, but I was apprehensive about consistently finding the time to devote to each module.

However, the course is really flexible – the modules do not have to be completed in one session so you can slot it in around other commitments and there is lots of opportunity for further study / reading which again you either complete at the time or keep as future resources to explore.

What did you personally enjoy the most about this course?

January - April 2020

Cost Number of Places Price 1

£250 (£199 Early Bird Discount for applications received by 1st October)

2+

£175 (30% discount)

5+

£150 (40% discount)

10+

£125 (50% discount)

Contact For further information and/or to register please contact: Catherine Greslow Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool L16 9JD. T: 0151 291 3093 E: cpd@hope.ac.uk

I particularly enjoyed the personal reflection that the course prompted. The content is extremely thought provoking but when this is explored further with your fellow participants in the discussion groups, the course really comes alive. The course group tutor was outstanding – extremely knowledgeable and really skilled at questioning and developing the conversation in a supportive but challenging way and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring other people’s experience of Governance and learning from them.

To what extent do you feel your knowledge of Church School Governance has been enhanced?

My knowledge has been enhanced considerably but more importantly, my confidence in questioning from a Church perspective has improved dramatically. Feeling confident to ask the questions you need to ask because it is backed with deeper understanding is so valuable. I so hope it pays dividends to the schools I support.

In what ways will your school benefit from you having taken this course?

I hope the schools will benefit from the knowledge I now have, the deep reflection that it continues to foster and a new toolkit of resources to help in the situations we may face.

What are the next steps for you/your school - do you intend to take further training or implement any new plans at your school?

I think the schools are continually evolving and the course will undoubtedly help this journey unfold and ensure that my governance remains deeply rooted within a Christian ethos. I think it will shape plans rather than fundamentally change them but I think that would very much depend on the situation of an individual school.