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The Church Colleges Certificate is a nationally recognised Certificate and is awarded by the Council of Anglican Church College Principals and the National Society. It consists of three modules: Religious Education, Collective Worship and Church School Ethos. To be awarded the Certificate students must complete all three modules. Bishop Grosseteste runs this certificate, working closely with local diocesan education teams and with strong endorsement by local bishops The overall aim of the course is to provide opportunities for practical and theological reflection on the distinctiveness of Church schools. More specifically, it aims to: • Provide in-service training for teachers; • Provide a working knowledge of the key beliefs and practices of Christianity and the other major religions in the UK; • Develop understanding of the distinctive nature of religious education, worship and ethos in Church schools; • Explore the practical and ethical issues arising from state-funding of 'faith' schools; • Provide opportunities for governors, clergy and other church members to develop understanding and skills in order to better service their local Church schools; • Promote study skills for personal and theological reflection; • Offer a forum for action research and reflective practice.
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Just over 35% of schools in the United Kingdom are affiliated to a Christian denomination, employing just over 52,000 teachers. The Church Colleges’ Certificate has been developed nationally by the Church Colleges and Universities as an expression of their Christian foundations to meet the needs of both full-time undergraduate students and external students in churches, church schools and the wider community. The certificate helps to equip the many teachers intending to teach in Church Schools and enhances employment opportunities. Each module of the Church Colleges Certificate consists of three distinct strands: a) the core focus of the module (e.g. Religious Education or Collective Worship); b) application of that strand to the realities of everyday school life (e.g. for Collective Worship, a consideration of both the ideal and the practicality of links between the school and the life and worship of the local parish church); c) understanding of the Christian tradition and other faiths, with a focus on Jesus in each of the modules, and other aspects of Christianity as they relate to the particular module focus (e.g. for Collective Worship, a consideration of Christian worship and the sacraments). The Religious Education module will also contain teaching about the other major faiths and how to approach them in the classroom. Each module consists of six 2.5 hour taught sessions, held at Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln. These consist of visits, lectures, presentations, discussions, and practical activities. Between sessions students will be required to complete additional independent activities, including on-line tasks. All modules have two assessment tasks of 2,500 words each (or equivalent), including a research task, essay or portfolio, and a coursework activity. Ongoing guidance and tutorial support is provided for each of the assignments. The assignments are graded against a pre-published set of marking criteria for which the pass mark is 40%. Certificates are normally awarded on a pass/fail basis; however students gaining more than 60% in all of their assignments are awarded a Certificate With Distinction.