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It will be a rare parish that does not have at least one school within the parish boundaries, most parishes will have several. They come in a variety of styles, depending on the organization adopted in a particular area and the needs of the local community. Churches will want to take a lively and supportive interest in the work of the schools in their area. The publication Churches Serving Schools provides a variety of possible reasons for this depending on the type of church and the particular approaches with which the church feels most comfortable. At times when the churches decide to renew their relationship with the local schools it is worth considering this chapter of the book in order to explore our own motivation for the work. It is very important that those that represent the church's relationship with schools locally understand the system within which the schools work and what some of the basic types of schools are.
For details of the different types of school within the maintained and independent system, read an extract from Churches Serving Schools, chapter 17, pp. 97-102 (PDF, 62 KB).
It is likely that, in the first instance, the contact between the church and the school will be focused through a member of the parochial ministerial team and the headteacher of the school. Where some of the local teachers are worshipping members of the congregation they will also have an important intermediary role to play. The church's relationships with the headteacher need to be friendly and professional and based on mutual support and a shared understanding of both parties' commitment to serving the local community. The variety of ways in which this relationship can be developed in practice are discussed in the National Society publication Churches Serving Schools.
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