Church School Leadership
Whether you are new to leadership in a Church school or are an experienced Headteacher here you will find information and resources to support you. Do also look at the webpages on RE, Collective Worship and SIAMS, for key documents and training to support those elements of Church school life too.
Key Document
The Guidance document below gives information on various elements of Church schools such as:
- Admissions and Appeals
- Buildings
- Governance
- Collective Worship
- Religious Education
More Leadership Resources
Leadership Focused Reflections
Action Learning Sets
Church School Leadership Sessions
- 16th September – 10.00-11.00 – SIAMS updates
- 13th October – 13.00-14.00 – Embedding Spirituality
- 12th November – 09:30-11:30 (in person at St Martin’s House with breakfast) – headteacher carousel
- 9th December – 13:00 -14:00 – Christmas reflection and celebration
- 14th January – 10:00 – 11:00 – Wellbeing
- 11th February – 09:30 – 10:30 – Pupil led CW
- No headteacher briefing in March due to Headteacher conference
- 16th April – 13:00 – 14:00 – Creating positive working cultures
- 13th May – 10:00 – 11:00 – Inspirational Collective Worship
- 10th June – 09:30-11:30 (in person at St Martin’s House with breakfast) – headteacher carousel
Please book on to these sessions using the book when system on our website. The briefings will include a time to pause in guided reflection and a chance to connect with other senior leaders in break out rooms. The rest of the session will then be geared around discussing a certain aspect of Church school life, and these are indicated next to each of the sessions above. These sessions are also a great time to share good practice and so do let tracey.manns@leicesterdbe.org if there is something happening in your school that you would love to share. These sessions will be recorded and sent to everyone so you can access them if you miss the live meeting.
New Headteacher Induction Programme
The DBE funds an Induction Programme for all headteachers (and Heads of Schools). We encourage anyone who is new to headship in a Church of England school to access all of it regardless of whether you have worked in a Church school in the past. This programme would also be relevant to any deputy or assistant headteachers who are taking a lead on Christian distinctiveness/ethos or would like to know more about the importance of working in a Church school. If there is a senior leader who is not new but would like to be involved with this induction programme, contact Tracey at tracey.manns@leicesterdbe.org
- Welcome Meeting on what it means to lead a Church School. 24th September, 10.30-2pm, St Martin’s House Leicester, lunch included and a commissioning of new Headteacher’s by Bishop Saju.
- Essential recorded Webinars:
- Admissions
- Buildings & Governance
- New staff Church School induction programme which includes RE, vison and values, CW and SIAMS.
- Follow up online meeting (reflection Q and A of webinars) – 26th November, 10.30-11.30am
- Minster communities briefing – online, 29th January, 10.30-11.30am. Led by Tracey Manns and Stuart Burns – Director of Parish Transition & Ministry
- Follow up meeting (reflection Q and A of webinars) – 3rd March, 10.30-11.30am
- Loving Leadership Day, 21st May 2026, 10.00am – 3.30pm a face-to-face event at Launde Abbey, led by Carolyn Lewis and Tracey Manns
New headteachers will have been contacted directly with details of the above events including zoom access. If you are a new head or senior leader or an existing leader who would like access to the above and have not received the details, please email officedbe@Leicesterdbe.org
2026 Headteacher Conference
Residential from the 12th of March (11am) through to 13th March (1pm) 2026. Holiday Inn in Leicester.
This will be a very special time of gathering as a family of church schools. This year will focus on the theme of flourishing leaders with sessions to reflect on your leadership and seminar topics to choose from including:
- Key note from Andy Wolfe on what flourishing leadership looks like
- Key note from Elizabeth Olulari on leading schools of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice.
- Stuart Burns and Matt Long on authentic partnerships between school and Church to hear the voices of children and young people.
- Leading in a SEND crisis.
- Professional development
- RE and creating pupil leaders
- Bishop Saju will open the conference
Please secure your place by the end of December 2025.
