Human Flourishing for All
By Michael Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells
‘Tell me about your school days’ is a deeply illuminating question to ask. Our experience of school shapes us deeply our whole lives long. Schools mould our character and values. They develop our skills and expectations. They influence our relationships and our life chances.
Rooted in our understanding of the Bible, Christians have been involved in schooling for many centuries. In the nineteenth century, the Church of England’s National Society set up thousands of schools all around our country, established principally for the benefit of the poor. It is largely out of this heritage that our Diocese of Bath and Wells continues to have a stake in so many of Somerset’s schools today. We have 180 Church Schools, the majority of which are for primary aged children, with nine middle, upper or secondary schools and one specialist provision. Big and small, and found in all kinds of communities, our schools educate around 60% of Somerset’s primary school children.
Our schools are Church Schools, they are not faith schools. We are open to everyone, of all faiths and none. Our schools are guided by our Christian ethos, manifested in their engagement with the Bible and worship, in prayer and Christian ethics. More recently, this is expressed most fully in the Church of England’s Vision for Education. This understands our schools’ mission to be ‘deeply Christian, serving the Common Good’. Our vision embraces the spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, moral and social development of children and young people. Our vision is of human flourishing for all.
As bishop, I am privileged to spend lots of time in our Church Schools. The most fun I have is being grilled by young people who pose me questions about ethics and doctrine, our Church’s life and faith. I’m certainly kept on my toes! What I value most is seeing played out in our young people the four main elements of our Church’s vision – wisdom, hope, community and dignity. These commitments are reflected in the stories told in this edition of Manna. I hope you’ll enjoy reading them as they illustrate our vision for education in the schools of our diocese.