Church of England education officials have welcomed the Government\u2019s new Model Articles of Association, which sit alongside an updated national Memorandum of Understanding, as a recognition of the historic relationship between Church and State in education. They describe it as a move that offers \u201cbroad and expansive hope\u201d for the development of church multi-academy trusts (MATs) \u201cin a way that suits the local and regional context\u201d.<\/p>\n
But the new model documents, published on Monday, have also raised significant concerns. Writing in the Church Times this week, Howard Dellar, who is senior partner and head of the ecclesiastical and education department at Lee Bolton Monier-Williams, describes some of the changes as \u201cexceedingly unwise\u201d, and warned that the new model articles represent a sea change into \u201cvery choppy waters\u201d.<\/p>\n
One key change is the removal of Single Academy Trust Clauses to support the growth of MATs. Another is that there is now one consolidated model Article of Association, predicated on a majority governance structure, with flexibility to adapt governance provisions according to diocesan policy; previously, there were two separate models for majority and minority C of E governance, reflecting the difference in context between schools converting from voluntary aided and voluntary controlled status.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n "The embedding of the diocesan strategy in these core documents offers a broad and expansive hope for the development of Church of England MATs in a way that suits the local and regional context" https:\/\/t.co\/vEanFj8C2t<\/a><\/p>\n — Church Times (@ChurchTimes) September 22, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n