School Leadership

The Board seeks to foster strong relationships with all statutory and community partners in order to develop the best possible education for children in diocesan schools. We work with the Department for Education, Local Authorities, Regional Schools Commissioners, OFSTED and many other bodies to help realise our vision. This includes our involvement in various action groups around schools detailed in the document below.

We know our schools well, with advisors visiting regularly and also providing regular networking and training opportunities. The Board is also proud of its pastoral support for schools and headteachers to help them on their own journeys.

Through its advisory service the Board offers a training and development programme aimed at supporting and developing experienced leaders and those aspiring to lead, at all levels. The Board's advisers support governing bodies in the appointment of headteachers, deputies and heads of RE departments (secondary phase).

The effectiveness of the head and deputy head teacher is a critical factor in determining the quality of education that a school provides. The Board of Education runs new leadership seminars to support all diocesan headteachers throughout their first year of headship in a Church of England school.

We are also pleased to have a thriving Southwark Diocesan Headteachers' Association (SDHTA), which aims to provide:

  • spiritual, mutual and social support for headteachers, deputy headteachers and assistant headteachers of Church of England schools within the Diocese

  • a forum for discussion of issues particularly relevant to Church of England schools.

  • an effective two way channel of communication between the SDBE and its diocesan family of schools

There is an annual residential conference, as well as Spring and Summer term meetings with the Director and Officers of the SDBE team.