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New Chair announced for Board of Education and National Society Council

21 November 2008

 

The Rt Revd John Saxbee, Bishop of Lincoln, has accepted the invitation of the Archbishops of Canterbury, York and Wales to chair the Church of England Board of Education and the National Society Council, with effect from 1st December 2008.

The Bishop of Lincoln will succeed the Rt Revd Dr Kenneth Stevenson, Bishop of Portsmouth, as the Bishop with lead responsibility for the Church of England’s policy on education. Bishop John will also take the lead on speaking on educational issues in the House of Lords, which he joined earlier this year. The appointment comes at an important time for the Church’s engagement with education at all levels, including ambitious plans for the development of more church secondary schools.

Bishop John said: “I greatly look forward to getting stuck into promoting the Church’s extensive involvement in all types of education, from the role of university and college chaplains through to holiday clubs for young children. In the last month in my own diocese, with the opening of a new academy in Scunthorpe, we have seen how the Church’s ongoing investment in education has the power to improve the lives of individual young people and support the flourishing of the wider community. Education is at the heart of the Church’s service to the nation as a symbol of Christ’s serving love, and it is a particular privilege to follow in the footsteps of Bishop Kenneth in this role.”

Bishop Kenneth said: “To serve the Church of England Board of Education and National Society has been an honour, not least because it has given me the opportunity to see at first hand many examples of the innovative work going on across the country within both statutory and voluntary education settings.

“It is an incredibly fast-moving sector in terms of both policy and practice, but by keeping focused on Christ’s example as a teacher the Church will continue to develop learning communities that nurture Gospel values of inclusivity and distinctiveness. I wish Bishop John, and all those who work in education, all the very best in their important and rewarding work.”

The Revd Janina Ainsworth, the Church of England’s Chief Education Officer, said: “This is an exciting time for the Board of Education and the National Society. The Church of England is engaged across the whole educational landscape, through schools, colleges and voluntary provision. We look forward to working with Bishop John to extend those opportunities, particularly in areas of greatest need.” 

 

Notes to editors

The Right Reverend John Saxbee is a Bristolian who served as a Parish Priest and Director of Training in Devon, before moving to Shropshire as Bishop and Archdeacon of Ludlow - and then to Lincoln in 2002. He is married to Jackie, who is his secretary, and their daughter Helen works for the Church Times. He studied Theology at Bristol University and his PhD Thesis (St John’s College, Durham) was on Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher.

 

Facts on the Church of England’s role in Education:

  • Around one million children and young people are educated in Church of England schools
  • Around a quarter of all state primary schools in England are Church of England schools – that's around 4,470 schools.
  • Around one in twenty of all state secondary schools in England are Church of England schools – around 220 schools.
  • 17 Church of England Academies are now open, with a further 12 now at an advanced stage in planning - the majority replacing vulnerable or failing schools and many in areas of social deprivation.
  • Answers to more ‘frequently asked questions’ about church schools can be found here.
  • There are currently 410 further education colleges in the UK and about half of these have some chaplaincy provision, with chaplains playing a key role in this work.
  • In February 2005 the General Synod agreed that the Church of England should ensure, where appropriate, that each High Education institution is served by at least one whole time CofE chaplain, to work with ecumenical and other partners.
  • Around 230,000 young people (under 16s) worship in a Church of England church on an average week, and the Church engages with a much higher number (somewhere in the region of 500,000 each week) through uniformed groups and more informal clubs and activities.