What does it really mean to have life in all its fullness?
This was the question that Andy Wolfe, Executive Director of Education for the National Society for Education, explored when speaking to school leaders at the Diocesan Board of Education’s annual conference last month. It was actually the sixth question he explored in his talk, having opened his session by asking the audience their thoughts on England's chances in the Ashes, but the less said about that, the better.
The annual conference was held for the first time in partnership with the National Society for Education. It provided an opportunity for school leaders, Academy Trust teams, governors and clergy partners to share in community and hear about how to best support their schools. Attendees heard talks, seminars and panel discussions on a diverse range of topics, including ‘What does it look like for our local communities to flourish’ and ‘Deepening integration into communities’.
More than 150 people attended the gathering, which included keynote talks from Andy Wolfe and Sufian Sadiq, Talent and Transformation Officer for the Chiltern Learning Trust. It was based around the 'Flourishing Together' document published jointly by the National Society for Education, Catholic Schools Service and Confederation of School Trusts.
Bishop Neil opened the day and thanked attendees for all they do in their roles, praising them for their passion for seeing success in the lives of their students. His welcome was followed by a talk from Andy Wolfe, after which a panel discussion considered what flourishing looks like in communities before attendees headed to different workshops and took a break for lunch.
After lunch, a choir from Westbury-on-Trym Primary School treated attendees to a variety of songs, finishing by inviting everyone to join together in worship, singing ‘Here I am to Worship’. Sufian Sadiq then spoke about the future of education before Liz Townend, Diocesan Director of Education, closed the conference with a reflective talk on working together to support our young people.
Jo Willis, part of the Diocesan Education Team, said:
“The DBE Annual Conference is always such a valuable time to connect as a family of schools, partnering with the National Society this year brought a whole new perspective to the day. It is so important to be able to run events like this to show how much we value the amazing work done by all of our Church schools.”
Attendees commented that the day was ‘thought-provoking and inspiring’ and several highlighted how much they enjoyed the ‘family feel’ of the conference.
One attendee said:
“The key speakers were great! Uplifting and inspiring. The workshops were really helpful, and the small groups made it a comfortable environment to ask questions. I really enjoyed the choir - what a fabulous job they did!”
Click here to read 'Flourishing together: A collective vision for the education system'