17th of June 2026

Something to reflect on....

Dear colleagues

A poem-prayer this time, with no prompts or comments from me, just an invite to perhaps read aloud and reflect on it for a few minutes.

For a World Where All May Flourish

May I never become indifferent

Toward a world where people are

Trapped in debt, or overwhelmed

By hunger, poverty or despair.

May I never be silently complicit

In a world where people are judged

By the colour of their skin, or by

Gender, sexuality or disability.

May I never sit by while Mother

Nature is depleted and diminished,

While the earth suffers climate disruption,

Or while precious creatures and species

Are abused or driven to extinction.

God grant me holy anger at injustice

And fervent will to work tirelessly

For a kinder, fairer world where all

Can thrive and flourish.

Dave Tomlinson

With thanks for all you are and do in your places of service and influence to help establish a world a world where all may flourish.

Jeff

Jeff Williams

Director of Education

Book recommendation : Refugee Boy - Benjamin Zephaniah

Selected for The Pleasure List 2026 - Hay Festival's crowd-sourced list of the 39 most unputdownable books ever. 'Playful, obstinate and courageously humorous ... hilarious and later heartbreaking' The Guardian.
This poignant but funny tale of a young refugee is marking its 25th anniversary. Acclaimed performance poet and novelist Benjamin Zephaniah's honest, wry and poignant story of a young refugee left in London is of even more power and pertinence today than when it was first published. Life is not safe for Alem. His father is Ethopian, his mother Eritrean. Their countries are at war, and Alem is welcome in neither place. So Alem is excited to spend a holiday in London with his father - until he wakes up to find him gone. What seems like a betrayal is in fact an act of love, but now Alem is alone in a strange country, and he must forge his own path......

Book recommendation: In Every House, on Every Street

You may have seen Harry Styles read this book by Jess Hitchman & Lili la Baleine on CBeebies Bedtime Story! In every house, on every street... there is laughter, and tears. There are friends. There is family. And there is love. A heartwarming celebration of homes... and all the families that make them.

Featuring Partners who are receiving our Paddington Backpacks and Soft Toys

We have a number of organisations and charities who will be receiving the Paddington Backpacks and Soft Toys you’ve donated. I’m featuring just a few here so you can see where they will be well-received. Normal Bulletin items are after these this week!

International Care Network

(ICN) supports refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants, helping individuals and families to rebuild their lives and feel part of their local communities. Many of the people ICN works with have experienced significant disruption, trauma and uncertainty before arriving in the UK. ICN provides practical, one-to-one support tailored to individual needs, helping people navigate housing, healthcare, education and employment. Alongside this, ICN also offers emotional and wellbeing support, creating safe and welcoming spaces where people can build confidence, connect with others and begin to recover from their experiences. Families are a key part of this work. ICN supports parents through English (ESOL) classes, helping them develop language skills and confidence so they can better support their children at home and engage with schools and services.

Through its resettlement and community programmes, ICN also works alongside whole families, recognising the importance of stability, emotional wellbeing and routine for children adjusting to life in a new country. Partnership working is at the heart of ICN’s approach, collaborating with local organisations, faith groups and statutory services to ensure support is joined up and responsive. Through its work, ICN helps to foster dignity, resilience and hope, supporting individuals and families to rebuild their lives and contributing to more inclusive communities across Dorset. You can find out more about ICN’s work at www.icn.org.uk.

The Children's Family Trust (The CFT)

The Children's Family Trust (The CFT) is a charitable, independent fostering agency dedicated to providing safe, loving, and stable homes for children and young people who are unable to live with their birth families. Our South Central team works closely with foster carers across the region, offering comprehensive training, ongoing support, and guidance to help children in care thrive and reach their full potential. Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a nurturing family environment, and foster carers play a vital role in making that possible. If you have ever considered fostering and would like to learn more about fostering with a charity that puts children at the heart of everything it does, we would love to hear from you. To find out more, visit thecft.org.uk or speak to a member of our friendly team.

The Foster Care Charity – Child Centred, Morally Driven

The Foster Care Charity helps children find a new safe and caring home when they cannot live with their own family. There are many reasons why a child might need foster care. Sometimes their parents are very unwell, or there may be problems at home which mean the children cannot stay their safely. Our foster carers welcome these children into their homes and families, helping them feel safe, loved, and cared for. They make sure children have everything they need, including clothes, meals, toys, and a place to learn and grow. They also help children enjoy new experiences, such as swimming, sports, music, and days out.

When children first move into foster care, they may have very few belongings of their own. A new home can feel unfamiliar, and they often have lots of questions. You can see some of the questions children ask in this short video Childrens Questions 2. To help them settle in, we provide special welcome boxes filled with comforting gifts, such as toys, blankets, pens, stickers, and activity books. The Paddington backpacks and soft toys that you are collecting will help make a real difference. They will be given to children who need extra comfort and kindness at an important and challenging time in their lives. Your generosity shows them that other children are thinking of them and want them to feel safe, welcome, and included. Thank you for helping children in foster care feel that they belong.

Hampshire LA : Your spare room could mean a new beginning

Becoming a foster carer starts with a simple thought: Could I make a difference for a child who needs support, stability and kindness? At Hampshire County Council, we make the journey clear, supportive and reassuring from the first moment you reach out.

It begins with an informal conversation – relaxed and focused on your questions, with no pressure or commitment. From there, we guide you through each step with clarity and care, helping you understand the process and what fostering involves. You’ll learn about different types of fostering, the needs of Hampshire’s children, and the support available to you. One common worry is whether you’re “qualified enough”. The truth is, you don’t need specific experience – just patience, compassion and a willingness to learn. We provide training and ongoing guidance, giving you the skills and confidence to support a child through challenges. And you’re never alone - our fostering team supports you at every stage, alongside a network of carers who understand the experience. Fostering with Hampshire County Council means being part of a local service that puts children first and values carers. We’re here to ensure you feel supported, informed and appreciated. If you’re ready to explore a new chapter that changes lives, we’re here to help you take the first step. To discover more and start your journey, visit hants.gov.uk. Your journey could begin today. Make a difference in a child’s life while gaining a truly rewarding experience too.

Capstone Foster Care

Capstone Foster Care supports children and young people across the South West by finding and supporting local foster families. For more than 14 years, we have worked alongside local authorities and communities across the region, helping children stay in safe, stable, and nurturing homes close to the people and places that matter most to them. With more than 6,000 children currently in care across the South West, the need for local foster families has never been greater. At the same time, the number of children entering care continues to rise while the number of foster carers is falling. This means more children risk being placed further away from their homes, schools, friends, and support networks. When so much else in a child's life is changing, remaining connected to their community can make an enormous difference.

For a child arriving at a foster home, even a small act of kindness can have a lasting impact. A gift of a backpack and a Paddington soft toy provides comfort and reassurance at what can be a frightening and uncertain time. It offers a sense of belonging and sends a powerful message that they are cared for, valued, and supported by a wider community that wants them to feel safe and welcome. If you would like to learn more about our work and how you can help build brighter futures for children in care, please visit www.capstonefostercare.co.uk.

Whitchurch parents see Bags of Hope work and QR code!

The labels from Whitchurch Primary that will be part of our Cathedral Installation all have this QR code alongside. It takes visitors (and you!) to a brief summary of what children in every Year Group from YrR to Yr6 have been doing as part of our Bags of Hope project. Parents and carers were invited into school last week to view all that had been studied and created. Great opportunity! Well done Whitchurch!

National Professional Qualification

The National Society for Education have released their 2026-27 NPQ course information. They offer: specialist NPQs in Leading Teaching, Leading Behaviour and Culture, Leading Teacher Development and Leading Primary Mathematics; Leadership NPQs in Senior Leadership, Headship; Executive Headship and the Statutory Qualification for SENCOs. They are also introducing a new 20-hour Reception Teaching course, designed to give existing Reception teachers the skills, confidence, and network to drive positive change for all children. All courses are due to begin in November 2026. Visit NPQ — National Society for Education to find out more.

Books to open up conversations about race

Our ‘All are welcome’ project and the many resources we’ve created on Racial Justice are being used across our dioceses and beyond. We remain committed to this important work and are always happy to advise any schools or parishes and offer support in this important area of Christian presence and ministry. We have countless book recommendations, but we have a handout here featuring some you might want to consider for churches, school libraries, classrooms and as presents for children in your families.

SIAMS Inspections

The list of schools likely to be inspected in the next academic year (2026 – 27) has now been published on the National Society website and can be downloaded here.

These are schools that were last inspected eight years ago (2018 – 19) or five years ago (2021 – 22). The dual cycle is because the SIAMS team is still catching up following the pause to inspections during the pandemic. Please get in touch with members of the Diocesan Education Team if there is any way that we can support you with your SIAMS preparation.

You are receiving this message because you are: a Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, RE Lead, Chair, Foundation or Ex Officio Governor, Children and Youth Worker, or have requested to join our mailing list in the Diocese of Winchester or the Diocese of Portsmouth.

Our resources and further information are available at:

https://winchester.anglican.org/education-schools/resources-for-schools/

https://www.portsmouth.anglican.org/education/resources/