Church of England as educator - an overview

Transforming Church and Community through Education and Learning

The Church of England Education Division's Mission is to promote Education and Learning that: nurture people within the church and the community; encourage the faith, vocation and participation of all; equip those engaged in all forms of ministry and service and provide opportunities of the highest quality.

The Church of England and the National Society

For nearly 200 years the National Society (www.natsoc.org.uk) has been the specialist agency of the Church of England for its work in church schools. In the first half of the 19th century it oversaw the establishment of 17,000 schools, offering education for 'the poor' from 1811 before the development of universal state-funded education. Today it is still the Education Division's close partner in the everyday provision of support and resource for schools. Some officers are shared between the division and the society, and the society's charitable funds extend the range and quality of the division's work. Revd David Whittington, is acting chief education officer of the Church of England, the head of the Education Division until the new CEO, Revd Jan Ainsworth, takes up her post after Easter. He is also acting general secretary of the National Society. You can email David Whittington direct about any aspect of the Church's educational work.

Together the Division and the Society offer strategy, support and resources for:

• lifelong learning;
• all schools, including 4,870 Church of England schools with 940,000 pupils;
• Further and Higher Education, including eleven Church Colleges of Higher Education;
• informal community-based learning;
• religious education in all schools: teaching and learning;
• work with children in Church and community;
• work with young people in Church and community;
• nurturing and resourcing Christian formation;
• training and development for clergy and laity;
• links with government and other agencies.

They do this by:

• working in partnership with dioceses, their officers and clergy;
• leading the national debate on key themes and issues;
• stimulating and supporting networks, initiatives and programmes;
• providing and resourcing training;
• advising, briefing and offering information and advice;
• disseminating examples of good practice, inspection and review;
• working with synodical, governmental, ecumenical and voluntary agencies;
• producing appropriate resources and regular publications;
• facilitating conferences and consultations;
• keeping education issues before the Church;
• maintaining and developing international educational links;
• being an advocate for all in education and a prophetic voice for the Church.

To read the Education Division's plans for the next quinquennium - 2006 - 2011, click here

For a description of the work of the teams and the work of each team member, click here

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© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2004