Panicking that there simply aren’t enough religiously motivated head teachers around to staff their schools, the Church of England and the Catholic Church have got together with the National College to formulate a new approach. Mark Pattison, Executive Director for Succession Planning at the National College, said: “Recruiting headteachers to schools with a religious character can be challenging.
Last year, 37 per cent of Church of England schools and 49 per cent of Catholic schools had to re-advertise at least once because they were unable to appoint first time round.
This strategy is needed because we can’t leave the identification and development of tomorrow’s school leaders to chance.”
Nick McKemey, Deputy General Secretary of the Church of England’s National Society (NS), said: "Identifying the next generation of high calibre leaders is essential to ensure the distinctiveness and effectiveness of our schools in an increasingly demanding and complex educational environment. This joint strategy is based on the understanding that nurturing leadership is about encouraging and supporting individuals to become great school leaders. I am keen to support the dioceses of the two Churches to achieve this aim.”
Oona Stannard, Director of the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales (CESEW), said: “The development of this strategy is a very significant step forward. It recognises that schools with a religious character are part of the national family of schools while actively acknowledging our distinctive characteristics. Our shared goal is to have a sufficient number of appropriate, well qualified people stepping up to headship so they can continue to make their contribution to the well being of society.”
Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: “This is more evidence of the churches’ desire to use schools as recruiting tools. Why does a head teacher have to be of a particular denomination in order to make a school work? The reason the churches are so concerned is that non-religious teachers often don’t see the inculcation of religion as being their function, when the churches think that it is.”
Mr Sanderson said it was time that these churches were confronted about their real motivation in wanting to be so deeply embedded in education.
“The primary reason is not to give children a good all round education, it is to tell them — and keep on telling them — that they are Christians.”
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