This year has seen the one million pupils who attend Church of England schools play their part in celebrations to mark the founding of the Church of England's National Society in 1811, including our own church school here in Adel. It offered education to the poor in every parish - 50 years before the state joined in. More than 15 million people alive today had the benefit of a church school education in England and Wales. The work of the National Society received the royal seal of approval in the Queen's speech to General Synod in November 2010, when Her Majesty spoke of its "impact on the life of the Church and the nation". Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, President of the National Society, said: "Church schools continue to serve their communities, providing an inclusive education with a distinctive Christian ethos. I am immensely appreciative of the National Society's history and its continuing role in supporting Church of England schools."
 

Today 4,700 small CofE primary schools are providing vital educational provision in isolated rural areas and working closely with their parish church to serve the local community. The CofE, through its dioceses, is also the largest sponsor or co-sponsor of academies under the first wave - the majority replacing vulnerable or failing schools and already showing a marked increase in academic achievement (latest DofE figures).

Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said: "Before the state had even considered offering free schooling, the National Society had the wisdom and the determination to make education for all a reality in this country.” So this year’s celebrations have given people the opportunity to dream, to imagine possibilities as to what the future of our schools might look like, working together to make those dreams a reality and  looking forward to the next two hundred years of enabling our young people to flourish.

"The Bishop of Lincoln the Rt Revd John Saxbee, current Chair of the National Society, added: "Church of England Schools have a special character which has matured over 200 years, and which we now celebrate and seek to consolidate in the years ahead"
The National Society's full title is The National Society for the Promotion of the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church.
Marjorie Cole
from www.churchofengland.org