Our Diocese
As 1 of 103 schools and academies, we value being part of the Canterbury Diocese and enjoy many of the links we share.
Not only do we subscribe to staff training opportunities, leadership and governance support and development, but the Diocese produces a comprehensive set of termly resources for Collective Worship which we adapt.
Support for Religious Education and Collective Worship is offered with network meetings attended regularly by our staff.
In the last few years, staff have attended Diocesan training on collective worship, Spirituality, R.E and SIAMs training. Governors have also attended Foundation Governor and SIAMS training provided by the Diocese.
Policies and guidance documents are available from the Diocese which form the basis of staff and governor discussion and help us to produce our own versions.
Every November we usually attend the Y6 School’s Day at Canterbury Cathedral. Here, our children eagerly take part in various hands on activities but our children have also helped lead parts of the worship in recent years.
With a ‘virtual schools day’ in 2020, a small group of children sang the song, ‘Give us hope, Lord, for each day’ for the final act of worship which was viewed by all the participating schools.
In 2022, three of our worship team wrote a talk which they gave in front of 400 children in the cathedral’s nave.
The school have welcomed some of the senior clergy from the diocese over recent years including: Archdeacon Jo who joined us for worship and answered the children’s question on her Archdeacon role; Archdeacon Will Adams who opened and dedicated our new Learning mentor’s suite, ‘The Discovery Den,’ and Bishop Rose twice including one visit with Nat Ralph and Domenica Pecoraro for our Refugee Week.
15 members of our choir, sang at Bishop Rose’s installation in the cathedral in November 2019.
A group of singers contributed to a collective worship recording in Christmas 2020 which was viewed by church schools in the Diocese.
Our RE lead has worked on various projects with other church school leads in partnership with the Diocese including ‘Progressive Vocabulary’ for Religious Education and ‘Cultural Heritage.’
One of our governors, Priscilla, is currently on Deanery and Diocesan synod.
Our Vicar, Rev Chris Carnaby-Denyer, is a member of Reculver Deanery as is one of our teachers, Mrs Parrett, who was ordained in June 2024.
During the St Martin’s vacancy, clergy from a neighbouring parish, helped deliver weekly worships which was highly valued.
The headteacher and Chair of Governors attend Diocese Leadership conferences on an annual basis. This enables vital support, networking and information sharing to take place.
Lately, these have taken the form of virtual meetings, the most recent of which included the
expectations members of the Diocese should have on tackling climate change.
Click here to see the latest Diocesan newsletters/ weekly ebulletin
https://www.canterburydiocese.org/our-life/news-events/
As a school, we love to take part in any Diocese events if we can.
Watch out for Herne Juniors at 0.37 secs and 2 crazy Herne Junior teachers at 1.57min!
It was great fun to take part in this diocesan event for the Day of Prayer and Pilgrimage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hTNzXxglYY
One of our teachers was ordained deacon on 29th June 2024 at Canterbury Cathedral.
