20/10/2017
The Church of England Professional Qualification for Headship (CofEPQH) has been running for a year in the South East, South West and North and was previously accredited by Liverpool Hope University.
Under reforms to the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) the Department for Education is seeking to work with new partners for delivery of professional development for aspiring and current school leaders.
The Church of England's Foundation for Educational Leadership will deliver the CofEPQH by partnering with expert schools and making use of the Church's unique and substantial network in education. The Foundation has secured a grant of £750,000 from Allchurches Trust, one of the UK's leading grant-making charities, as its principal supporter for a range of activities developing educational leaders across a three-year period.
The Revd Nigel Genders, Chief Education Officer for the Church of England, said: "We believe that the leadership of a school is critical to the academic performance of pupils and how they flourish as individuals. To work with the Department for Education to empower and inspire school leaders in their vital roles is a privilege. We look forward to sharing our skills and expertise as well as our vision for education with school leaders from across the country."
The Church of England is the largest single provider of education in England with 1 million students attending 4,700 Church of England schools.
Beginning in January the Church of England will roll out the CofEPQH to 300 school leaders over a three year period using a range of training methods including school placements and visits, seminars, online learning and mentoring.
Commenting on the purpose of professional training for school leaders, James Townsend, Director of the Foundation for Educational Leadership said: "We have identified a significant need to secure large numbers of qualified headteachers for schools - particularly small schools serving communities of rural disadvantage. This is a bold response from the Church of England, which will nurture a movement of headteachers equipped with both the skills and the vision to provide transformational leadership for our education system."
Sir Philip Mawer, Chairman of Allchurches Trust, said: "Allchurches Trust is pleased to be giving our largest grant to date to the Foundation. We're committed, as their principal funder, to helping them equip a new generation of Heads to run schools where the focus is on every child developing to enjoy "life in all its fullness" (John 10:10)."
Working with a range of partners the Foundation has provided high quality national leadership development programmes for Church of England school leaders since 2016. Harnessing this expertise, the course will be founded on the Church of England's Vision for Education which provides a unique values based framework for schools to use in shaping their communities.