A New Church School in Paddock Wood By Lou Berwick

PLANS for a new primary school in Paddock Wood have been revealed by the head of Bennett Memorial School.

Ian Bauckham, head of Bennett and chief executive of Teanax Schools Trust, which is in charge of the schools, is proposing to open a new Church of England and Methodist primary school in the town from 2018.

"This will give Paddock Wood families a genuine choice of local primary schools and will meet growing need for places as new housing comes on stream," Mr Bauckham said.

The primary school will also include nursery provision.

"The proposal is being submitted as a free school this spring, and the outcome of the Department for Education's assessment process is expected in the summer of 2016."

"The new school will be fully inclusive and welcome all local families, regardless of background, who want a school with a focus on high quality teaching and high standards, underpinned by traditional Christian values," he said.

t will be supported by St Andrew's Church

The new school will work in close co-operation with Paddock Wood Primary School, who welcome this plan.

Mrs Ros Tucker, Chair of Governors at Paddock Wood Primary School, said: "We are fully aware of the proposal for a new Church school. We are keen to work with the Tenax Schools Trust to support the development of the school, and welcome the prospect, as the need grows, of more school places and greater choice for parents in the town."

"We are very excited by the prospect of working with the people of Paddock Wood to set up this new school," Mr Bauckham added.

"By insisting on high standards and Christian values, and by working with other local schools, including Paddock Wood School, it will help to raise standards for all children in the town, respond to the rising need for places as the town grows, and give choice to parents in the town."

The Revd Bryan Knapp, vicar of St Andrew's Church, Paddock Wood, said: "The opportunity for Paddock Wood to have a Church school, to complement existing choices, is an important one for us and for the town. We at St Andrew's Church are working closely with the Tenax Schools Trust on this proposal to create a genuinely inclusive but distinctive Church school for current and future families."

http://www.courier.co.uk/New-primary-school-announced-Paddock-Wood/story-28646899-detail/story.html

Mandatory Christian Prayers in Schools 'Should be Axed' By Chloe Farand

Schools should no longer be forced by law to hold daily acts of Christian worship, as part of major reforms reportedly outlined by an influential commission. 

A report by the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life, which includes the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, said the arguments for mandatory Christian prayers in secular schools was "no longer convincing".

Under existing laws, schools have a statutory duty to ensure pupils take part “each school day in an act of collective worship”. Parents in England and Wales have a right to withdraw their child from such services, but this is not the case in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

While faith schools are permitted to hold acts of worship in accordance with their religious character,  in secular schools the worship must be “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character”. This also applies to academies, free schools and foundations schools.

According to the Observer, a draft of the Commission's report suggests replacing this with a more inclusive "time for reflection".

The Commission includes members from all the UK's major religions, and is being led by the former High Court judge Elizabeth Butler-Sloss.

It reportedly suggests new guidelines "to build on current best practice for inclusive assemblies" which would draw upon a range of sources and "contribute to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development". 

And it warns against the greater segregation of communities as a result of the "negative practical consequences of selection by religion" in faith schools. 

The commission was established by the Woold Institute, which studies relations between Christians, Muslims and Jews and includes, Iqbal Sacranie, the former general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, and Lord Woolf, the former chief justice.

The recommendations come after a report published by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) last month, which urged for “fresh thinking” on school collective worship and more transparency in its implementation.

In that report, senior academics said the statutory duty to organise prayers in schools lacked "a clear and accepted rationale" and has been “controversial for decades”.  

The National Secular Society (NSS) says the UK is "the only Western democracy to legally impose worship in publicly funded schools".

The NSS argues assemblies should “play an important role in fostering a sense of community in schools” and “with an ethical dimension”, they can contribute to pupils’ development.

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the NSS, said: "The right to withdraw from school worship is neither a practical nor an acceptable compromise. It inconveniences schools and leaves pupils ostracised, so parents wishing to withdraw their children are left in an impossible position.

"Many schools flout the law because teachers know how inappropriate and unworkable it is, so in those cases abolition would simply formalise the arrangement that already exists, and it would give this common-sense approach a legal basis.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The current requirements for a daily act of collective worship won’t be changing – collective worship plays an important role in schools. It encourages children to reflect on belief, and helps shape fundamental British values of tolerance, respect and understanding for others.

“It is for schools to tailor their provision to suit the needs of their pupils, and parents can choose to withdraw their children from all or any part of collective worship.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/mandatory-christian-prayers-in-schools-should-be-axed-academics-say-a6762256.html