New website, new partners
Our Project Leader, Jo Stow, reports on the latest Common Good Schools news.
Welcome to this first update since the Common Good Schools website was launched. I am excited to share this news with you and to give you a flavour of the creative ways in which our partner schools are using our resource.
In the spirit of Advent, my wonderful colleague Louise and our web builder Sam have been working away preparing the website. Now that it’s here, each teacher delivering content in our partner schools can have their own login to access the lessons, assemblies and a community engagement activities guide. We are pleased to deliver a high quality experience that will remain consistent as we welcome new school partners.
When a school subscribes to Common Good Schools, staff are able to login to the new portal and after induction training, access all lesson, assembly and community engagement resources.
It was a joy to catch up with colleagues in two of our new partner schools last week. While we are working with a small number of schools, we are able to offer one to one check-in sessions mid way and towards the end of the programme. It’s mutually helpful. Colleagues in school have the opportunity to reflect on how things have gone in lessons and assemblies and review how they are building relationships with their neighbours.
Chris Wyles teaches at Worth School in West Sussex. He is leading on Common Good Schools and has taught eight of ten lessons in the programme. He is delighted to see the enthusiastic participation of students and particularly noted a change in behaviour and attitude.
Common Good Schools has made a space for students to be more virtuous and not feel shy about it. Chris Wyles, Worth School
Chris reported that students are more thoughtful, have opened up and showed genuine concern. The story of ‘The Cleaner’ in the sixth lesson had a profound impact on the students who were moved and shocked, provoking a desire for action.
The beginning of October saw the launch Common Good Schools across all year groups at Bishop Ramsey, Ruislip. The first Common Good Schools assembly was delivered by Deputy Head Malcolm Britton and Chaplain Revd Susy Dand. It was great to receive positive feedback about how easy the assembly presentations are to use.
Although the whole school are being introduced to Common Good Thinking through the ten assemblies, it’s Year 8 students who will especially focus on the common good in PSHE time. The 10 lessons will be taught across the academic year. Bishop Ramsey School have ambitious plans to partner with churches and groups from two deaneries within their school’s catchment area, facilitating students to serve and reconnect with churches where they live.
I hope you enjoyed reading about the wonderful work of two of our partner schools. Thinking ahead to 2024, we are excited to have received enquiries from overseas and we are open to more schools coming on board. Please do share this update with anyone you know working in a secondary school who might like an introduction to Common Good Schools.
Jo Stow
Project Leader, Common Good Schools
Click here to learn more and download a free sample pack to try at your school.
Prayer requests
We’d be grateful for prayers during the next few weeks.
- School staff who are planning to run the programme for the first time.
- Schools actively seeking community partners to work with.
- Students who will participate in the Common Good Schools programme.
- Jo, as she develops relationships with partner schools and seeks new partners.
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” Romans 12:5
Do you have a link with your local school? Are you a parent, student, teacher, senior leader, director of an academy trust, trustee or governor? We find the best way to engage is via a personal introduction. Please get in touch with Jo if you could help facilitate an introduction.
For more details about the Common Good Schools programme, contact Jo Stow at jo@togetherforthecommongood.co.uk or 07886 240 685