Partnership Conference Success
St Edmund Arrowsmith hosted the annual CCRS Conference for all of the trainee teachers in Wigan and West Lancashire Catholic Schools Direct. As part of their year-long training course, the trainees complete a double module of the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies and the day-long conference gave them training in a number of aspects of the course.
SJR is part of the Catholic Schools Direct partnership and every cohort of trainee teachers to date has included at least one former student of the College.
The day began with a welcome from the Head Teacher of St Edmund Arrowsmith, Mr Mark Dumican. He outlined to the trainees what he, as a Head Teacher, believes makes a Catholic school so special. The trainees then enjoyed a thought provoking session from Deacon Paul Mannings from the Archdiocese of Liverpool who focused on what makes Catholic schools distinctive.
Fr John Gorman celebrated Mass in the school chapel and then in the afternoon, the Chaplain of St Edmund Arrowsmith High School, Maria Ruane, led a session on the role of the Chaplain in Catholic secondary schools.
The response from the trainee teachers about the day was overwhelmingly positive and they felt really secure in their understanding of what makes Catholic schools and colleges such special places in which to work.
