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Curriculum

The Church of England/Church in Wales has always played a major role in the provision of schools for the education of the nation's young people. Today, Anglican schools exist in every aspect of education provision: as public and private schools; as voluntary aided, voluntary controlled and foundation schools. The Church seeks to promote good quality education through support for teachers, parents and governors; by influencing the framing and implementation of legislation; and by involvement in curricular issues, particularly those associated with religious education.

This area of the web site is designed to support Church schools seeking to identify and develop their distinctive Christian ethos. Information and guidance is given about the provision for religious education, collective worship and spiritual and moral development. In addition, comprehensive support material is provided on the inspection process.

Each section listed below provides a legal framework, with guidance, and discusses issues currently faced by Church schools. Support, information and resources complement this background material and advice is offered in the light of current thinking and practice.

National Curriculum
Can and should a Church school offer a curriculum that is distinctive from that of secular schools? What kind of vision and value system lies at the heart of the Church school? This section explores the curriculum's core and foundation subjects and offers a Christian perspective.

Religious education
Religious education (RE) holds a unique place in the school curriculum. This section explores the situation, offers information about the historical, legal and educational context of RE and gives practical help and support to ensure RE works well in your school.

Other subjects
In the Church school, there are areas of the school curriculum that offer valuable opportunities to challenge and encourage pupils to consider the values framework within which their education is to be set. In this section, approaches to teaching sex education in the Christian school are explored, and a Christian context is offered for teaching and learning in citizenship, PSHE, and careers education.

School worship
School worship, commonly known as assembly, has traditionally formed part of the school day in English schools. This section explores the legal requirements for worship in different school settings and offers support and resources for those responsible for the school's worship programme.

Ethos
The ethos of a Church school will always be difficult to define. This section considers those aspects of school life that make a contribution to its ethos. It ranges from the very practical, for example, the information about ethos that is required in school documentation, to more wide-ranging discussions on the areas of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Complaints
When things do not run smoothly, complaints procedures need to be in place. This section gives information about legal references and guidance on complaints covering a range of school issues.

Inspection
The Education (Schools) Act 1992, now consolidated into the School Inspections Act 1996, introduced a system of inspection for all maintained schools in England and Wales. This section is a guide to the process and offers support and resources for Church school governors, headteachers and inspectors.

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