The Diocesan Board of Education held its biannual Leadership Conference on Thursday 20 March, welcoming school and trust leaders, governors and clergy from across the Diocesan family of schools.
It was a thought-provoking day centered around the issues of poverty and inequality in childhood, with experts in the field sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience.
Setting up the focus of the day Bishop Simon Burton-Jones, the Bishop of Tonbridge shared some shocking statistics:
"Nine children in an average classroom of 30 are living in poverty; and this statistic is much worse for children from black and minority ethnic groups.
"Over four million children are growing up in poverty in the UK and last year, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said that four million people are now experiencing destitution – that is, deep poverty. A poverty where you can’t meet your most basic needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed. Of those four million, one million are children."
He recognised that for teachers, this was a daily reality:
"Every day you are greeting parents who cannot feed and clothe their children or heat their homes to a minimum standard in a rich country like ours.
"For those of you who went into teaching to give every child a lift up into adult life, that amounts to a deepening moral injury."
The first speaker, Paul Morrison, who is a policy advisor to the Baptist, Methodist, and United Reformed Churches, as well as the Church of Scotland, delivered a compelling talk on the current landscape of poverty and inequality.
Paul highlighted the challenges faced by communities and importance of being mindful of the stories we often hear in the media with regards to poverty, and in the inaccuracies within them.
Following Paul, Mark Russell, the Chief Executive of The Children's Society, spoke passionately about findings of ‘The Good Childhood Report’. Mark's reflections on the profound effects of childhood poverty were eye-opening and galvanising, urging all stakeholders to take action to create better childhoods for every child.
Amanda McGarrigle, an experienced Headteacher within the Diocese, shared her experiences of leading a school, in a community facing significant challenges.
Amanda’s insights were invaluable. Her personal stories and wisdom about the challenges children face in deprived areas—and how schools can support them—helped to ground the day’s discussions in practical, real-world examples.
Jaz Ampaw-farr delivered the final keynote of the day. Drawing on her challenging upbringing, Jaz shared her journey from a difficult childhood to becoming a TV presenter, TEDx speaker, stand-up comedian, and reality TV star.
Her candidness, humour, and authentic insights inspired those present to reflect on how they can lead with greater impact. Jaz’s message on leadership and personal growth resonated deeply with the audience, reinforcing the importance of empathy, authenticity, and purposeful engagement.
Both Bishop Simon and Bishop Jonathon joined the day. Each delivered poignant and heartfelt remarks, reflecting on the importance of continued action against poverty and inequality, leaving everyone with a renewed sense of commitment to driving change.
Offering thanks for all that headteachers and teachers do, Bishop Simon said:
"...The professional skill, dedication and bone crushing days put in by teachers are the oil that powers the engine of British life."
He added that as more and more is expected of our schools, as society’s problems become more complex, what teachers do often defies the odds.
"Thank you for facing up to the challenges every day. The author William Boyd said that the last thing we know is our effect on others. I think there is a lot of truth in that. If you could visualise the lasting, generous impact you make on those you educate, it would be the most encouraging of images."
The feedback from the day has been excellent, with one headteacher describing it as ‘absolutely excellent; shocking (despite living it each day) inspiring and galvanizing.’