schoolsworkUK equipping programme 16/17

New schools work training programme

coming January 2017!

THE FUTURE OF SHARING FAITH IN SCHOOLSEMOTIONAL HEALTH & WELLBEING

FUNDRAISING FOR YOUR WORK

THE ESSENTIALS

COMMUNICATION & STORYTELLING

2016/2017SchoolsworkUK Equipping Programme

Introduction and AimSchoolsworkUK is launching a new training programme to resource and equip the church for voluntary work within education.

We have been delivering training since 2007, both through accredited courses and more informal training days, and have developed a well researched and comprehensive toolkit of training resources for Christians visiting schools. Our aim is to encourage the church to do more, better and different work in schools and have designed a series of equipping days to serve that purpose which will be piloted from January to July, 2017. We will live stream the main teaching sessions to a second location, locally hosted by experienced schools workers who will be facilitating conversations around each session. This will set the scene for what is to come. From 2017-2018 we hope to be able to offer excellent schools work training all around the UK, in partnership with locally hosted centres, accessible and affordable to any Christian visiting their local school.

Who is it for?This new programme is designed for Christians at any stage of engagement with school or college life in a voluntary capacity, whether they are church ministers, youth workers visiting schools, full time schools workers or other volunteers.

Where will it be held?The programme will be based at Youthscape’s brand new centre in Luton, Bute Mills, which was recently opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. There will be one other venue in January 2017, based in Leeds and hosted by LFIS (Leeds Faith in Schools). They will receive the keynote sessions streamed live from Bute Mills and host locally facilitated conversations. The local hosts are experienced schools workers who understand the surrounding schools, contextualise the training for their own settings, and be better equipped to field questions and local conversations. Our hope is also to either tap into exisiting schools networks, or to inspire new ones to be created as we encourage Christians working in schools throughout the UK to be better equipped and connected. When we launch the full programme in September 2017 we are planning on streaming to several other centres around the UK and will be recruiting those in the coming months.

Programme contentThe way the programme is structured allows for attendees to opt in to the days that will be most useful for them and attend however many they would like to out of the five days available. We are encouraging those interested to sign up for at least three days out of the five, to receive a Youthscape Certificate after completing a short assignment, and the option of joining a learning community for additional support. Each equipping day will cost just £50, with those choosing to attend three, four or five days accessing discounts. The days planned for 2016/2017 are as follows:

20/01/17: The Essentials of Schools Ministry 24/02/17: Supporting Student’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing 24/03/17: The Future of Sharing Faith in Schools 12/05/17: Effective Communication and the Art of Storytelling 09/06/17: Fundraising for Your Work in Schools

Our expectation is that we will then expand the course in 2017/2018 to run from September to July with eight equipping days available to choose from.

Each equipping day will comprise three different focuses: Knowledge, Skills and Faith. 1. We want to equip visitors to schools with the knowledge they need to act and work appropriately and relevantly in education. 2. We want to help up-skill the church to deliver excellent material in schools, to learn how to relate appropriately to staff and students, and to support children and young people overcoming challenges or exploring their faith and beliefs. 3. We want to provide space for the church to reflect on their theological understanding of Christian work in schools, and the place of faith in education.

Below is a summary of each equipping day in the pilot version of the programme. It includes a mention of the FREE brand new schoolsworkUK resource you will walk away with on each day.

Day One: The Essentials of Schools MinistrySummary and outlineA day designed for those just starting out in schools, or those seeking to get back to basics to develop a more coherent understanding for why they visit schools and the key skills they need to do that well. 1. Keynote input on the educational landscape in 2016/2017.2. Input and group discussions on key skills needed for work in schools and various approaches

Christian visitors can take when visiting schools.3. Session exploring a theological basis for work in schools (basic) and a guided reflection.Outcomes• To understand a variety of approaches to Christian work in schools.• To know key skills needed for work in schools and create a personalised development plan.• To develop an understanding of the theological basis for visiting schools (basic).ContributorsChris Curtis, Amy Tolmie, Gordon RaggettBonus Take Away ResourceGetting Started in Schools Pack (including a free game for use in schools).

Day Two: Supporting Student’s Emotional Health and WellbeingSummaryA day for any youth worker or volunteer offering pastoral support in schools, be that one to one, group work or more informal input. We will look at how we best support students in educational settings, and consider what our role could and should be with vulnerable students. We look at the big issues and identify particular areas that we can be trained to address.1. Keynote input on wellbeing in schools.2. Input and group discussions on how to work with vulnerable students. 3. Session exploring the area of self-harm and where faith fits in this approach to schools ministry.Outcomes• To understand how we nurture emotional resilience in students.• To know about where young people currently access information online and learn how to support them in navigating this area. • To better understand warning signs and triggers and be able to respond appropriately.Contributors: Kate Middleton, Lee Martin, Gordon RaggettBonus Take Away Resource: Ten exercises for use in mentoring or group work.

Day Three: The Future of Sharing Faith in SchoolsSummaryA day for those who have been visiting schools for a few days or a few years! Whether talking about the Christian faith is something you already do in your schools work, or whether you have a Christian ethos but don’t explicitly talk about faith, this is an issue we should all be considering. We will explore how to sensitively and appropriately talk about the Christian faith in school in 2017 and beyond. We will look at how to work with integrity in the eyes of school and church and explore different resources while giving you the tools to create your own. 1. Keynote input on creatively engaging young people with the Christian faith. 2. Input and group discussions on resources that serve this purpose and how to adapt these for

your own contexts.3. Session exploring a theological basis for work in schools (advanced) and a guided reflection.Outcomes• To understand the place of sharing faith appropriately in schools.• To know how to use resources well and to develop your own.• To understand development stages and how to use age appropriate resources.Contributors: Lat Blaylock (RE Advisor for RE Today), Chris Curtis, Amy TolmieBonus Take Away Resource: A creative SMSC resource.

Day Four: Effective Communication and the Art of StorytellingSummaryA day for youth and schools workers who understand the power of story, and who already use stories in assemblies and other contexts as well as those who are keen to start. This is a day to immerse ourselves in the wonder of story and to learn how to harness this for our work in schools. We will look at skills for communicating in a variety of settings, namely top tips on public speaking in everything from a small group to a full school assembly. 1. Keynote input on the power of story and the art of communication.2. Workshops and group discussions on key skills needed for telling stories in schools and top tips

on public speaking.3. Session helping you to reflect on and share your own story in schools, including a reflection on

the use of parables in the Bible. Outcomes• To be able to communciate effectively in a variety of school contexts.• To know how to tell stories with humour, depth and skill.• To understand more about the use of parables and what they teach us. Contributors: Neil Ruckman, Chris Curtis, Amy TolmieBonus Take Away Resource: Ten stories to use in your schools ministry.

Day Five: Fundraising for Your Work in SchoolsSummaryA day for anyone involved in raising money for Christian work in schools. We will guide you through principles of fundriaising and give you top tips for how to find funding for your work in schools. 1. Keynote input on principles of fundraising.2. Input and group discussions on finding funding for your own work and identifying the right

sources. 3. Session on communications, planning a budget and how to run successful events. Outcomes• To know where to look for funding, and write grant applications.• To understand better how to persuade churches to support youth projects financially. • To know how to run an event that generates income. Contributors: Chris Curtis, Gordon Raggett, Amy TolmieBonus Take Away Resource: A fundraising guide for you and your team/trustees.

Lat Blaylock

Neil is a very experienced storyteller and has worked in this medium for nearly twenty years. Neil enjoys telling biblical stories and stories from faith traditions but is equally at home with folktales and urban myths. Neil is a theatre director, writer and workshop leader. He also teaches Drama, English, Film Studies and Psychology in schools and colleges and has worked extensively with the home education network. He is an examiner and moderator in English and Film Studies and is a teacher trainer. Neil is part of the leadership team of a small independent church in North London.

Chris studied Law at the University of Bristol before deciding to work in the charity sector with young people. His first role was as a schools development worker with The George Muller Foundation, before moving to Bedfordshire to help found Youthscape in 1993. Chris speaks and writes widely on issues relating to young people and has published several books including one for teenagers on family breakdown. He has a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology (Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties) from the University of Birmingham and is CEO of Youthscape.

Kate is a psychologist with a particular interest in the way our emotions affect us. She is passionate about helping people keep emotionally healthy in spite of what life throws at them and making sure they reach their full potential. Kate is a church leader and is also a speaker and author. Kate spends a lot of time explaining that she isn’t married to Prince William but enjoys reading about her good dress sense in the newspapers. She is currently commuting from Paris where she lives with her husband and two children but promises she will be back ‘properly’ in the UK very soon.

Lat is the editor of REtoday magazine and has written many RE resources published by RE Today. Lat’s work is wide-ranging and varied, and includes advising teachers, schools, SACREs, Dioceses and Local Authorities. His CPD training courses attract several thousand teachers every year, covering themes from poetry, art and creativity to assessment, 8 levels scaling and curriculum planning. He also runs day conferences for gifted and talented pupils and for 16-19s.

Amy is the director of SchoolsworkUK, a project of Youthscape set up in 2007 to resource, inspire and train Christian visitors to schools across the UK. SchoolsworkUK is passionate about seeing more, better and different work taking place by Christian visitors in their local schools. Amy has been working in schools for 14 years; one year in teaching and the following 13 in schools both in the South West and in Luton, based with Youthscape, developing resources and training for youth and schools workers.

Gordon is the founder and CEO of CRiBS, a schools work charity working primary and secondary schools in the London Borough of Bexley. He has 25 years of experience of working in education not only as a schools worker but also as chair of governors. Gordon is an MBTI trainer and has worked with SLT teams and trained teachers in SMSC and RE delivery. He is the author of resource books for teachers and more recently helped to set up Bexley’s first Christian Free School.

Contributors

Lee initially started his career undertaking schools work in various towns and cities across Europe. After getting married he then studied theology and spent the following decade as a youth and family Pastor both in churches the UK and in the US. Lee decid-ed to retrain to become a Psychotherapist and for the last 8 years has been a therapist for a Juvenile facility and in a Secondary School. Lee has three private practices which see’s a variety of clients with complex needs. Lee is also a supervisor for counsellors and has lectured on degree courses training therapists in counselling young people.

Chris Curtis

Lee Martin

Dr Kate Middleton

Gordon Raggett

Neil Ruckman

Amy Tolmie

Equipping Programme LeaderAmy TolmieDirector, schoolsworkUK

Email amy.tolmie@schoolswork.co.uk

Phone01582 748963

OfficeBute Mills, 74 Bute Street Luton, LU1 2EY

St. Mellitus College“We are very grateful to benefit from the expertise of members of the schoolsworkUK team in delivering undergraduate level teaching on schools work as part of the Youth Ministry and Education module on our Theology and Youth Ministry degree programme”

Bishop of St. Albans“The Diocese of St Albans has worked for many years with Youthscape. Their work is professional, well informed and respectful of other faiths and beliefs while presenting the essence of Christianity in a lively way. We are pleased to commend this new venture which looks exciting and innovative.”

When will it run?The dates for the pilot run of the programme for 2016 - 2017 are below and are being hosted centrally at Bute Mills in Luton, being live streamed to a location in Leeds on the same days:

Day One - Friday 20th January Day Two - Friday 24th February Day Three - Friday 24th March Day Four - Friday 12th May Day Five - Friday 9th June Celebration and launch event for the 2017/2018 full programme - TBC

How much will it cost? Each individual equipping day £50 Attendance at three equipping days £135 (save £15 by using code ‘OFFER3’) Attendance at four equipping days £170 (save £30 by using code ‘OFFER4’) Attendance at all five equipping days £190 (save £60 by using code ‘OFFER5’)