We are a Church of England Trust
Since 2017 Watergrove has been a Church of England Trust, serving both C of E and non-religious schools in ways which respect everyone’s beliefs.
Currently 15% of Watergrove learners attend a Church of England school and our Articles of Association stipulate that between 25% and 40% of our Board of Trustees and Members are appointed by the Diocese of Manchester.
The Board of Trustees’ Ethos Committee oversees our responsibility to ensure the Christian distinctiveness of our Church of England schools but also wider initiatives including our Food for Thought and Lyfta programmes, both of which invite contributions from learners of all denominations, including those of no faith, about the deeper questions of our lives and purpose.
Moreover, the Confederation of School Trusts (which represents Trusts in England) has co-created the Flourishing Schools initiative with the Church of England, creating a vision of schools which are much more centred on respectfully honouring the individual, whether young or old, with more focus on the relational rather than the institutional. It is heartening to hear how this partnership is illuminating, on a national scale, how we might all enjoy a refreshed experience of schooling moving forward.