Christian Distinctiveness

"Life to the Full" by Hannah Dunnett

Chester Diocesan Academy Trust is focused on delivering the Church of England Vision for Education in its church schools, and ensuring that all pupils are able to achieve the best possible outcomes.

CDAT's vision and ethos are firmly rooted in Christian values, but we provide inclusive church schools that welcome people of all faiths and none. We offer an educational experience that is rooted in faith, hope and love. We support our schools to ensure that their vision permeates all aspects of school life. Children are at the heart of CDAT. We want each individual to develop knowledge, skills, understanding and wisdom, underpinned by values based on principles that are important to people of all faiths and no faith.

The Church's involvement in education flows out of the Church of England's vision to provide education and learning to all. Today the Church continues to deliver this vision through the support of 4,600 Church of England schools, and this legacy is set to strengthen and grow. With the Vision for Education at its core, CDAT schools are working together to develop the best possible all-round education for every pupil in every school. Just as the Church began, educating children to help them flourish regardless of their background or starting point, so we mean to continue as we move forward and provide our children with an education that enables 'life in all its fullness'.

Life to the Full

The picture "Life to the Full" is by the artist Hannah Dunnett and has been reproduced for this site by permission.

Scripture verses in the picture are from the NIV translation, copyright 2011 Hodder and Stoughton.

'Life in all its fullness' John 10:10

CDAT's schools are all subject to Ofsted inspections, and our church schools also undergo a SIAMS inspection. This is a 'Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools' which inspects all aspects of school life but has a particular focus on Christian Distinctiveness.

Our schools benefit from sharing their experiences and learning from these inspections. CDAT provides challenge and support both from within the CDAT family and from our partnerships with Chester Diocese, other academy trusts and educational experts.

CDAT wants every child to experience outstanding learning opportunities. In partnership with our school leadership teams, we have developed a supportive, creative network of educational specialists with which we will enable all pupils to achieve the highest possible academic standards.

'Now that I have already obtained all this, or have arrived at my goal, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me... forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal.' Philippians 3:13

School improvement is a key focus, whether schools join as a sponsored academy or a converter academy. There are outstanding examples of best practice within our schools to learn and develop from. Our aim is to develop an in-depth understanding of the best practice in education and Christian Distinctiveness, and cascade this Trust-wide.

Chester Diocesan Board of Education Church of England's Vision for Education