Catholic Schools in Partnership
Maryvale enjoys a fruitful and dynamic set of relationships with individual schools and clusters of schools. Since its inception, the Institute has had a particular focus on collaboration with Catholic schools, especially in the Archdiocese of Birmingham– for example,for the delivery of Catholic in-service, through offering the Bishops of England and Wales’ Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies.
Some schools provide faculty for Maryvale’s initial teacher training and MA teacher education programmes. Around 40 Catholic schools in the United Kingdom collaborate with the Institute for the delivery of its two-year Certifi cate and Diploma in Catholic Studies, for 17-18 year olds. In other cases, a link is established when a trainee teacher who is taking the distance-learning PGCEprogramme is placed in a particular school, or a member of staff attends a course at Maryvale. A partnership contract for student practice is a standard part of the PGCE programmes.
The Schools in Partnership Forum set up by the Institute aims, through a partnership of individual schools and Maryvale, to support and develop the Catholic ethos and mission of those schools. The Forum is concerned with the enhancement of Catholic education, especially through the provision of accredited courses in educational leadership, religious, spiritual and moral education, and the Catholic vision for Schools. The Forum provides Catholic schools with an opportunity to secure the centrality of religious education, and to work collaboratively to enhance the Catholic ethos of schools, as well as ensuring that moral and spiritual development is taken seriously across all subject areas.
