‘Church schools serve the common good’

Education is at the heart of the work that the Church of England does for the common good. Through its 4,500 primary and 200 secondary schools, it educates around 1 million children a day. It is estimated that around 15 million people alive today attended a Church of England school.

The fundamental purpose of Church of England education is to nurture people to live life in all its fullness, inspired by Jesus’ message in the Gospel of John: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it abundantly.” Non-church schools also have inspiring visions – albeit articulated in different language – to inspire and educate the whole person, enabling them to flourish in the world.

As teachers across the country well know, the education of children, in church and non-church schools, is taking place against a backdrop of deep uncertainty and rapid change. This is a time for hope in the midst of uncertainty, of an expectation that education in a Church of England setting will contribute to a society founded in hope. The challenges are severe, but they can be overcome.

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