Payhembury Primary School

Church of England and Methodist schools have a long and rich history of serving local communities through the provision of a broad education, shaped by the Christian faith. In recent years, the theology that underpins this work has been brought into sharp focus through the Church of England Vision for Education, as well as through diocesan visions and the Methodist Transforming Lives Strategy. Having a clear Christian vision for education enables the translation of a school’s original foundation and purpose into its present-day policies and practices, thereby enabling people to flourish.

For Church schools, all aspects of this are rooted in theology. The 2023 SIAMS Framework shines a spotlight on these key elements – theology, school context, and vision. It allows inspectors and school leaders, together, to gather evidence to answer the Inspection Questions, in turn enabling inspectors to reach fair and accurate judgements. In doing so, it moves the Church of England and Methodist Church’s inspection practice forward, respecting the knowledge and expertise of school leaders, allowing them to tell their stories, and holding them to account,