About Birmingham Diocesan Board of Education (BDBE)
The Diocesan Boards of Education Measure (2021) requires each Diocesan Synod to make a Scheme to designate the BDBE for the Diocese. The Scheme relating to the BDBE was made in November 2022 by Diocesan Synod and created the BDBE as a statutory committee of the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF).
The education team working for the BDBE is made up of 3 school-facing officers: Our Diocesan Director of Education, our Deputy Diocesan Director of Education, Fr Barrie Scott and our Church School Distinctiveness Advisor, Keith Farquhar. We are ably supported by three further team members who provide a range of administrative support to our team and our schools, including admissions and appeals, organising training events, social media and communications, as well as providing admin for all our meetings.
Our team, although having specific areas of responsibility, works closely together, supporting one another and running several joint training events. We pray together - for each other and for our schools and seek to help one another out wherever it is needed or possible.
We have 52 schools spread across the Diocese of Birmingham: 27 in Birmingham Local Authority, 4 in Sandwell, 11 in Solihull, 9 in Warwickshire and 1 in Worcestershire. Many of our schools are in densely populated inner-city areas, serving children from a variety of belief backgrounds. We also serve small rural communities and wealthier suburbs too. We have three secondary schools; the rest are a mixture of all-through primary, infant and junior schools. Currently, half of our schools are academised.
We work closely with headteachers, staff, clergy and governors, providing professional advice, leading training and supporting schools as detailed below.
Place of Work
We have central offices at John Cadbury House, in the centre of Birmingham, where we hold most of our in-person training events and meet as a team in person on a Friday morning. The rest of the week is flexible, to be agreed. We are out and about visiting schools and work from home and the office, as suits our diaries.
The work of the BDBE
The role of a BDBE is to promote education consistent with the faith and practice of the Church of England throughout the Diocese, with specific responsibilities for supporting Church schools and academies and their governors, and to ensure the responsibilities of the BDBE Measure 21 are adhered to.
To do this effectively, the BDBE works with a wide range of bodies and organisations, including parishes, other dioceses, local authorities, Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), Teaching School Hubs, the Department for Education and the National Society for Education on any matter affecting Church schools and academies, their performance, their theologically rooted Christian vision and their buildings.
Specifically, the Officers of the Birmingham DBE currently have responsibility for:
Church Schools Christian Distinctiveness
- Promoting positive relationships with all church schools and between schools, in order to foster a sense of belonging to the diocesan family.
- Communicating the vision and values of the BDBE, especially with head teachers and governors, to promote and secure a distinctively Christian approach to education.
Raising standards
- Understanding the strategies that need to be put in place to support school improvement, particularly for those schools and academies in greatest need.
- Liaising with LAs and the DFE as required over particular schools.
Governors and Trustees
- Overseeing the arrangements for the appointment of foundation governors. Ensuring that governors receive appropriate support, training and advice.
- Attending governors' meetings as required.
- To support the work of the Diocese of Birmingham Education Trust (DBET), the Diocese of Birmingham Multi−Academy Trust, Fioretti Trust and any other Birmingham Church article LMAT.
Legislation
- Maintaining contact with the DFE, the Charity Commissioners, and the Board’s solicitors on all legal matters.
- Keeping abreast of, and advising on, legislative and professional developments in education.
Admissions and Appeals
- Ensuring that church schools’ and academies’ admission policies are drawn up and implemented according to the latest legislation.
- Running an Appeal service for Birmingham Church schools.
Continuing Professional Development
- Ensuring the provision of quality training for heads, governors, staff and clergy, especially in relation to Christian Vision, SIAMS, Collective Worship and RE.
Personnel Management
- Ensuring that advice is provided to Governing Bodies about head teacher appointments.
- Ensuring quality headship appointments in all church schools and academies.
Building matters
- Ensuring a rolling programme of building work in Voluntary Aided Schools, including repairs and maintenance.
- Negotiating the development of new schools, closures, federations and amalgamations.
- Working alongside the Diocesan Strategy to support schools in planning and working towards the Net Zero targets.
The BDBE works to a three-year business plan led by the Diocesan Director of Education, which ensures the work of the BDBE is continually being strengthened and kept up to date.