Our Schools
Diocese of Chichester schools in numbers:
- Over 37,000 children attend Church of England schools across East Sussex, West Sussex, Brighton & Hove
- There are 155 Church of England schools in the diocese – 45 have voluntary aided status, 85 have voluntary controlled status, 25 are academies. In addition to this there are three further schools who have decided to affiliate to the diocese
- There are over 600 Foundation Governors in Church schools, recruited, supported and trained by the diocese
- Over 90% of Diocese of Chichester schools are rated Good or Outstanding
- FIND A SCHOOL
The Diocese of Chichester has over 200 years of successful experience as a provider of schools across Sussex as part of its mission to support and serve the whole community. The Diocese currently has 155 church schools and academies and all their school sites are held in trust for the explicit purpose of providing education in line with the tenets of the Church of England.
The Diocese of Chichester has three Affiliated Schools: Kings School, Hove, Christ's Hospital School, Horsham and Tollgate Community Junior School, Eastbourne For more information on Diocesan Affiliated schools go here.
The Diocese of Chichester Education team works closely with church schools and academies to support and sustain them. It also works in partnership with the three local authorities in Sussex (West Sussex, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove), Universities, the National College, the Department for Education and also with the national Church of England network.
There are over 37,000 children in our schools at any one time. They have a wide range of ability and come from diverse social settings. We welcome those of Christian faith, other faiths and those who as yet do not profess a faith. Those who wish to come to one of our schools are welcome if there is a place.
Over 90% of our schools are rated OFSTED good or outstanding.
Whatever the status of our schools we want them to unite under a common end which is that of:
“Learning with meaning and purpose: to know God and shape the world”
We expect all our teaching and learning to be rooted in the Christian narrative of creation, redemption and future hope. We want our curricula and pedagogy to foster a spirit of enquiry, creativity and to walk the talk of Christian belief and values in every aspect of school life. Our aim is for all our schools to perform well as part of their Christian responsibility to do their best by all the children and families in their care.
Church schools depend on highly capable staff and good governance.
Church schools employ a whole range of school staff from headteacher to midday supervisors, cooks and cleaners. All staff members, whatever their role, have a vital part to play in ensuring that pupils learn and develop successfully.
Schools may choose to employ practising Christians in some key and non-teaching posts. These usually include the headteacher and, where appropriate, the head of RE and chaplain.
Staff members generally come from a wide variety of social, cultural and religious backgrounds which adds to the rich tapestry of the schools.
Governors set the strategic direction for the school. They work closely with the senior staff to set the strategic framework and to set aims and objectives for the school. Although they make key decisions they do not run the school on a day to day basis, that is the role of the headteacher. In church schools, Foundation Governors have a particular role in ensuring that the school is both inclusive and Christian in nature.
Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust
The Trust was established in 2014 as a sponsored academy trust with an initial focus on the Hastings and Rye areas. The Trust aims to bring together local church schools, to drive and maintain improvement and share economies to maximise resources for teaching and learning in the classroom. There are now nine primaries, one infants and one secondary school within the Academy Trust, across both the Diocese of Chichester and the Dioceses of Portsmouth and Winchester.