All Church of England schools are connected to a parish or
groups of parishes.
For primary schools that usually means the
vicar is closely associated with the school,
- as ex officio governor (sometimes the chair of
governors)
- leading worship regularly, including school Eucharists
- helping the school develop its Christian ethos and
foundation
- being a friend to staff and pupils and their families
Secondary Schools and Academies
Some secondary schools, including most Church
of England academies, also have a school chaplain.
They can be male or female, paid or volunteer, clergy or lay, full
or part time.
Paid chaplains are usually employed as a partnership between the
school and the diocese.
There is a wide variety of job profile and pattern tailor-made
to suit the school's need.
There are four common elements to the role of a chaplain in a
school:
- liturgical, leading and resourcing the
worshipping life of the school
- pastoral, supporting and befriending staff and
pupils
- spiritual, providing opportunities for
spiritual development for the school community in a variety of ways
(e.g. retreats, quiet days, residentials)
- prophetic, holding the school to account in
the name of its Christian foundation
Independent Schools
Independent schools with a Church of England
foundation also employ chaplains. They do all of the above but also
teach. They often head up the Religious Education department in the
school.
The School Chaplains' Association brings
together mainly independent school chaplains through a bi-annual
conference.
The Bloxham Project resources chaplains from
both independent and maintained schools.
Revd Garry
Neave's post includes a small amount of time
allocated to supporting school chaplaincy. This is a new national
initiative and we hope to be a real resource to the increasing
number of chaplains in Church of England schools and academies.