The Missional and Prophetic Life of Church of England Primary Schools from four English Dioceses

Church of England (CE) primary schools may integrate missional and prophetic aspects of their Christian identity in statutory aspects (curriculum, pedagogy, inclusion, leadership) and in areas inspected under the SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) process. This study seeks to characterise links that leaders and teachers in CE primary schools make between their Christian identity and practice, exploring their understanding of intended missional and prophetic impact on their school communities.

I analyse the backdrop to CE school leadership and practice in terms of both the neoliberal/managerial demands of English education policy since 2000 and the concurrent impact of Church of England policy, particularly the 2016 Church of England Vision for Education. I use the Anglican ‘five marks of mission’ to identify and shape school’s missional actions, and a new framework to identify how schools enact prophetic ministry to their children and communities – and toward national policy.

As theoretical basis I argue for a Christian understanding of the world as a legitimate tradition of rational discourse, and an epistemology where knower and known reflexively learn from one another, in which the role of God as knowledge-giver is acknowledged. I explore that using the concept of chronotopes and refract it through a conversational methodology, where interviewer and interviewee together seek understanding.

What emerges from the study is that, building on a basis of collective worship, respect for the Christian scriptures, and enacted values education, school leaders have brought pedagogy and curriculum, behaviour management, charity and community support, into the Christian mission of the school. Through articulation of children’s createdness, commitment to teaching for formation, a determination to foster critical thinking around faith, commitment to speaking up about inclusion (especially for those identifying as LGBTQ+), and the expectation of God’s involvement with children, some schools have found ways of being prophetic.