Education
The Manchester Diocesan Board of Education provides education for over 50,000 children in 11 secondary schools and 180 primary (junior, infant and nursery) schools and academies.
Church schools and academies
The diocese’s schools seek to fulfil the Bishop’s Pilgrimage mission of passing on the gospel baton of faith, hope and love from generation to generation. They serve the diverse communities of the diocese in 12 local authorities. Church of England schools provide parishes with a unique opportunity to grow while serving their communities.
Church of England schools are distinctive from their neighbouring schools in terms of their leadership and management, their ethos, and their religious education and collective worship, which are distinctively Christian.
The Board of Education carries out statutory functions (such as the altering, opening and closing of schools) in relation to nearly 200 church schools, and provides support across a range of functions. These are detailed in the Resources for Schools section.
Support for parishes
The Board of Education also provides services for children and youth in parishes across the diocese. We have specialist officers to give advice, support and training.
Educational chaplaincy services
There are three chaplains in our universities of Manchester, Salford and Bolton, and the Director supports chaplaincy services in our secondary schools. Click here for more information.
Statutory duties of the Board of Education
The statutory duties of the Church of England, Diocese of Manchester are set out in the Diocesan Board of Education Measure, 1991. The aim is to allow the Diocesan Board to develop a strategy for church schools so that the church can be an effective and coherent partner with the state.
Our duties are:
- To establish a Diocesan Board of Education responsible to the Diocesan Synod.
- To promote or assist in the promotion of education in the diocese, being education which is consistent with the faith and practice of the Church of England.
- To promote or assist in the promotion of religious education and religious worship in schools in the diocese.
- To promote cooperation between the Board and bodies concerned in any respect with education in the diocese.
