Diocese Of Ely

Petersfield School, as its full name suggests, is 'aided' by the Diocese of Ely. The term 'Voluntary Aided' dates back to the 1944 Education Act and relates to the Church being responsible for maintaining the fabric of the buildings. The relationship between the school and the Diocese is however much more than just about buildings. As a Church school, an emphasis on Christian Values is at the centre of the school's ethos and highlighted in all Church schools' Mission Statements:
'Recognising its historic foundations, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church at parish and diocesan level.'

On the Governing Body of a Voluntary Aided school, are a group of governors called the Foundation Governors and they form an overall majority. Foundation Governors help to develop the school's Christian character and to uphold the Anglican ethos.

For the pupils and staff at Petersfield, this Christian character forms an intrinsic part of daily school life. Every school day includes a short act of Collective Worship. This is carefully planned in themes by term and can take place in assembly time or in class. The Reverend Felicity Couch, our parish priest, visits us each week to lead an act of worship. The Methodist minister also leads Collective Worship. Visitors from other faiths are of course also welcome. We promote Christian faith as a guiding principle for life, whilst also recognising that mankind is made up of many different races and creeds, all of whom are equal in the sight of God.

The pupils enjoy celebrating the major Christian festivals throughout the year, often in imaginative and creative ways, such as making prayer-wish decorations for the St Andrew's Christmas tree or designing a quilt square for the Diocese's "Church Schools' Quilt".

Some facts about the Ely Diocese that may interest you:

• The Diocese of Ely covers an area of 1,507 square miles
• The area incorporates Cambridgeshire, part of West Norfolk and some parishes in South Peterborough
• In the Diocese of Ely, there are 334 church buildings providing places of worship for their local communities
• Ely Cathedral dates back to Saxon Times with the life of its founder St Etheldreda
• Work on the present cathedral began in the 11th century
• 250,000 visitors come to Ely Cathedral every year
• There are over 80 Church Schools in the Ely Diocese

For more information you can visit the Ely Diocese website.