News Release

Issued 13.11.10                         For immediate use

Celebrating 200 years of education

Local school children take part in National Society celebration services across the diocese
 

Children and young people from across the diocese of Ripon and Leeds will be taking part in three special services next week to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the National Society.  The National Society was founded on October 16, 1811, at a time when there was no state education provision with the aim of creating a church school in every parish in England and Wales. It began a national system of education establishing nearly 17,000 ‘National Schools’ supplemented by the State from 1870 onwards. The Society funded building, enlarging and equipping classrooms through grants to prospective founders.

Today 4,700 Church of England schools (95 in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds), educate almost a million children and young people.

The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, Rt Revd John Packer, will lead the Leeds celebration service which will be held at Leeds Parish Church at 10.30am next Monday 17 October.  Local schools will take part, contributing music, songs, dance and prayers to the service of celebration.  

Two days later on Wednesday 19 October, the Bishop of Knaresborough, Rt Revd James Bell  will take part in two celebration services at Ripon Cathedral (at 10.30am and 1.30pm) for church schools across North Yorkshire.   The theme for all the services is 'Rock&  Sand - Remembering, Celebrating and Committing'. To mark the anniversary each participating school will receive a certificate and a cross created by the Jennyruth Workshops at Ripon.

Westminster Abbey Service

Meanwhile, students from church secondary schools in the diocese have been taking part in workshops to create a diocesan banner which will be paraded at the national service for the 200 anniversary celebrations in Westminster Abbey, tomorrow Friday October 14th.  Seventy pupils from the area will travel down to London to take part in the national service.

The Revd Clive Sedgewick, the Diocesan Director of Education, said the services would be an exciting celebration of the achievements of church schools. “We look forward to taking part in all these wonderful celebrations which reflect the traditions and commitment of the Church of England in education.”

Held at St Aidan’s High School in Harrogate, pupils from Abbey Grange, David Young Community Academy, St Francis Xavier schools take part in the workshops which were organized and run by art consultant, Jo York

ENDS

More details and  information from the Diocesan Education Team on 01423 817553

Issued by John Carter (Rev)
Press and Communications Officer, Diocese of Ripon and Leeds

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