Links to the Church community and activities

Dependant on its category, a Foundation member of the governing body of a Church school can be appointed because s/he is:

• an incumbent of the parish: the local priest is usually ex-officio a member;

• a member of the Parochial Church Council (PCC);

• a representative of the Diocesan Board of Education (DBE);

• a representative of the foundation body that relates to the trustees, or the original founders of the school.

Many schools invite their local priest to conduct school assemblies on a regular basis, and other Foundation governors may also be invited to take part. All Church schools may conduct worship in their parish church if they wish, and this is often the case at the major religious festivals. Children and young people may be encouraged to support their local community at these times of year, e.g. Harvest Festival and Christmas Carol Concerts.

Involvement in such activity supports the principles of inclusion and community cohesion Both OFSTED (Section 5) and Section 48 inspections will also report on the effectiveness of the partnership between the school, the church and the wider community, including parents.