AGM: NAPCE Annual General Meeting Agenda & Chair/Secretary Reports – Meeting is Taking Place on May 18th in London
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NAPCE Annual General Meeting Agenda & Chair/Secretary Reports
Annual General Meeting 2024
Saturday 18th May 2024
13:00 –14:00 hours (BST)
All 2024 members of the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education are invited to attend the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM). This will take place at 1-00pm on Saturday 18th May at Mixing Networks Unit 2.15, East London Works, 65 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1DU.
Please email events@napce.org.uk to confirm that you will attending the 2024 AGM and you will be emailed the agenda and documents for the meeting. We are hoping to be able to arrange a live stream on the internet for the AGM. If you are unable to attend in person but would like to be sent the link for the meeting, please email events@napce.org.uk
We are pleased to announce that current members of NAPCE will have free entry to the Annual Conference which takes place in the Graeme Hick Pavilion at the Worcestershire County Cricket Club on Friday 11thOctober 2024. Please email admin@napce.org.uk to request information about the 2024 conference.
Thank you for your continued support for the Association.
Phil Jones, National Chair, the National Association for Pastoral Care in Education
Annual National Conference
‘Good Practice in Pastoral Care in Education’
October 11th, 2024
In the Graeme Hick Pavilion
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcester
The 2024 Annual conference is included in the membership fee for 2024 and entry is free to all 2024 NAPCE members. Follow the link to https://2024-napce-annual-conference.eventbrite.co.uk
NAPCE AGM 2024 – National Chair / Secretary Reports
Chair/Secretary Report 2023/24
For The National Association for Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE) AGM – May 2024
The Association through the National Executive Committee (NEC) continues to maintain strong financial management and governance. The NEC at its meetings and through the work of its members ensures sound strategic planning and internal accountability for the activities of the Association. The NEC ensures, (that as a non – profit making charity which aims to support pastoral care in education), the work of its members, NEC and sub committees including the Editorial Board (EB) has the support needed to achieve its aims including administrative, financial, and appropriate insurance. The National Executive has the responsibility for ensuring that the Association meets the governance expectations of the Charities Commission. The strategic priorities for the NEC this year have been.
- Planning events and conferences, where appropriate in partnership with other organisations to ensure that NAPCE is active in the educational world.
- To expand the activities of the NAPCE to enable the Association to interact with an increasing number of people with an interest in pastoral care in education.
- To develop the role of NAPCE as a provider of training and professional development, to share theory and good practice in pastoral care.
- To continue to develop the structure and organisation of the Association to meet the current and future needs of its members.
- To raise the profile of NAPCE and the Journal in the educational world
The Association like many organisations has faced many challenges in recent years because of the global pandemic and cost of living crisis. The strategic aims during this period have been.
- To be financially secure.
- To continue to engage and interact with people with an interest in pastoral care in education.
- To sustain interest in the work of NAPCE, to maintain and increase membership.
- To support professionals with an interest in pastoral care and explore new ways to support professionals, to ensure that the Association continues to have positive role in a changing educational world.
These strategic aims have been achieved because of the hard work and contributions made by the National Executive (NEC), Editorial Board (EB), NAPCE Admin support, NAPCE members and people who support the work of the Association. In recent years, the Association has adapted to changing situations and been successful in responding to these challenges. The NEC and EB have taken advantage of opportunities to promote NAPCE online and to return to live events and face to face meetings. This ensures that NAPCE is taking advantages of all opportunities to raise awareness about its work and to engage people in supporting the aims of the Association.
The NEC continues to work closely with the EB to support their work in developing the Journal and to maintain its excellent reputation. The Association has a positive relationship with the publishers of the journal, Taylor and Francis. They continue to be an important partner in the future development of NAPCE and by providing a regular income to provide financial stability. Discussions have started with Taylor and Francis, about a new contract for the journal, from December 2025, to enable the Association to make an informed decision and to consider all options. This decision will include consideration of issues, such as, the management of the website, (as this is no longer going to be part of the support provided by the publishers in a new contract agreement with societies for the publication of the journal). This will be a priority for the Association in 2024 to make a decision that continues to secure the future of NAPCE. Professor Noel Purdy continues as the Editor of the Journal and is assisted by Associated Editors, Caron Carter, Amanda Hatton and Mark Shields who was appointed in 2023 to provide the administrative support for the Journal. James Coggins continues to be the Association’s contact Taylor and Francis and his support and guidance is appreciated by the NEC and EB. The Association was proud in October to have a new pastoral book edited by NAPCE published by Cambridge Scholars Publication. It was a great pleasure to see ‘Pastoral Care in Education, New Directions for New Times’ published after months of demanding work editing the manuscript and NAPCE thanks everybody who contributed. The book has had complimentary reviews and will be a valuable resource for anybody interested in pastoral care in education and is available from all ‘good book’ sellers and Amazon.
Following the success of similar events in recent years NAPCE once again organised an online conference in March. The event attracted 461 views on the NAPCE Eventbrite page, and sixty-four links were reserved for the evening. Delegates joined from the UK and a number of places across the world including USA, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, and Moldova. Delegates came from all parts of the UK including Belfast, London, Manchester, Norwich, Lincoln, Bolton, Burnley, Guildford, and Sheffield. The guest speaker was Shaun McInerney, School Leadership and Strategy Lead at the University of Worcester.
In his interesting and stimulating presentation he explored how pastoral care can unlock potential. He talked about the need for a pro-active approach to pastoral care and the importance of listening to children and young people to be clear about their needs and how effective pastoral care can build their confidence to communicate with other people. He examined the concept of social capital and explained how it can open future social mobility opportunities. Sean commented on the need to build relationships that connect the academic and pastoral work of schools and that leaders need to create the conditions and positive relationships to unlock potential in learners. A “Pastoral Question Time” followed the presentation. The members of the panel were.
- Professor Noel Purdy, Director of Research and Scholarship, Stranmillis University College, Belfast
- Dr Mark Diacopoulos, Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Leadership, Pittsburgh State University, USA
- Dr Caron Carter, Senior Lecturer in early childhood/childhood, Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University.
- Victoria Raynor, Director Raynor Safeguarding Ltd,
- and Shaun McInerney
The questions were put to the panel by Phil Jones National Chair of NAPCE.
These included.
- Is conformity the goal for pastoral leaders and pastoral systems in 21st century schools?
- Do all learners need pastoral care and support?
- Is there time to care in the pastoral work of schools in 2024?
Does new technology and social media always have a negative impact on well-being and mental health?
Comments made by delegates about the event included.
“Thank you all, a really well considered conversation by the panel and the chat.”
“Thanks to all speakers and to Phil for organising this conference, much appreciated.”
“Such a fantastic conference! Thanks everyone!”“Thank you, very interesting.”NAPCE organised a Symposium in Belfast on Wednesday 21st June 2023 with Stranmillis University College to explore the title ‘. Who Cares About Pastoral Care?’ The aim of the Symposium was to share good practice in pastoral care and to address the challenges being faced by schools in Northern Ireland. The inspiration and motivation for planning the event came from Professor Noel Purdy who is the current editor of NAPCE’s academic journal ‘Pastoral Care in Education’ and a member of both NAPCE’s National Executive and Editorial Board. National Chair Phil Jones, National Executive member Eilleen Donnelly and Anne Jones from the NAPCE Admin team attended the event and joined a room full of delegates for the sold out event
The first speaker was Koulla Yiasouma, the former Children’s Commissioner for Northern Ireland, who spoke on the title “Education needs pastoral care to succeed-addressing pastoral care challenges facing schools in Northern Ireland”.
In an honest and passionate presentation, she reminded the audience that every child is a unique person with rights that include the right to be safe and the right to be heard.
She explained how there is a link between pastoral care and academic progress and how pastoral care is an integral part of education and needs to be part of a whole school approach to meeting the needs of children and young people.
She talked about how different language is used to describe pastoral care in schools. She reminded the audience that all children have pastoral care needs and some vulnerable children have more than others. The next speaker was Catherine Davidson, Vice-Principal of Ballysillan Primary School. The title for her presentation was ‘The Importance of a nurturing approach to primary schools.’ Another speaker was Claire Breen, Principal of Tor Bank Special School, in Dundonald. The school was the winner of the NAPCE Award in 2020 for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Pastoral Care’. The title for the presentation was ‘Supporting the school community through their bereavement journey.’ The final speaker was Catherine McHugh, who is Principal of St Patrick’s College in Dungannon. The school was the winner of the 2022 NAPCE Award for Pastoral Team of the Year and Pastoral Development of the Year. The event was a brilliant opportunity to share good practice taking place in pastoral care and to bring people together who despite the many challenges currently being faced by schools, had a determination to improve the learning experience and future life chances of all children.
The Association organised the ‘National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education’ for the fourth year in 2023. This is an important initiative to raise awareness about NAPCE and to engage with more people who share an interest in pastoral care in education. It has become an important part of the education calendar which was demonstrated by the number of nominations increasing for the 2024 Awards. We continue to see a connection between people who make nominations for the awards and then become more actively involved in NAPCE and interested in becoming members. Nominations came from different regions in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. The 2023 Presentation Event took place in Worcester in September 2023 in the Graeme Hick Pavilion at Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Awards were presented to the winners selected by the judging panel, in eight categories to recognise the achievements of people working in different areas of pastoral care in education. The sponsors of the awards included, Taylor and Francis, Association of School and College Leaders and Crown House publishers. This was only the second time that the awards have been presented at a live event and NAPCE was pleased to see the number of people attending double from the previous year with 140 guests in the room as the winners were announced in each category. The guest speaker was Ronald Skelton the Headteacher and CEO of Broadway Academy in Birmingham. He spoke about the challenges faced by the school and their work to support young people to enable them to achieve their full potential. Entertainment was provided by performers from Alderbrook School in Solihull, Sienna Evans Cook, a student at Chipping Campden School and Irish Dancers from the McCarthy- Felton School of Irish Dance. A huge thank you to Susana Cervera, Anne Jones and Iain Johnson for their work to make the awards and the presentation event an enormous success. Thank you to Noel Purdy, Anne Emerson, Julianne Brown, Margaret Mullholland and Jill Robson, for being part of the judging team. The finalists for 2024 will be announced in June and the grand presentation event will take place in Worcester on Friday 11th October. More details will be shared in future editions of the NAPCE monthly newsletter.
The Association was once again actively involved in the planning and delivery of the Association of School and College Leaders, (ASCL) annual conference for Pastoral Leaders in January 2024. The conference which took place in Birmingham was sold out and NAPCE contributed with Phil Jones representing NAPCE by chairing the panel of invited educationalists to answer questions from delegates. Anne Jones from the admin team was available on the NAPCE display desk to talk to delegates and tell them about the work of NAPCE. This was an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of NAPCE, with delegates in leadership roles in primary and secondary schools, attending the conference, from all around the country. NAPCE was once again invited to contribute to the planning of Safer Internet Day and was a registered supporter of the event. This is an annual event involving schools and organisations from across the country. As Chair of NAPCE, Phil was invited to attend the online event in February, that was streamed live from the top of the BT Tower in London. It is good to see NAPCE taking an active role in educational events and activities and that other educational organisations are now approaching NAPCE to ask for our support and contributions to important educational events.
Future events that are being planned by the NEC include another Symposium in Belfast on 24th June. The annual conference on 11th October in Worcester with the title ‘Good Practice in Pastoral Care in Education’ and the Presentation Event for the National Awards for Pastoral Care in Education in Worcester on the evening of October 11th.
The NEC have continued to take positive action to enable the Association to interact more effectively with other people who share an interest in education and the contribution that pastoral care can make to the learning experiences of children and young people. The Association continues to form partnerships with organisations with similar interest and values. The sponsorship of the National Awards has provided opportunities to form partnerships, and these have included The Schools Consent Project, Connect to Purpose and Global Equality Collective. The increase in contact with NAPCE administration by email and telephone has continued this year and demonstrates how NAPCE has raised its profile. There have been requests for advice and guidance on a wide range of pastoral issues that members of the NEC have responded to. Contacts have been about advice on good practice in pastoral care and guidance about the roles of pastoral leaders, pastoral staff, and designated safeguarding leads. NAPCE through its Twitter (X) page and other social media platforms encourages the sharing of good practice in pastoral care and discussion and debate about current pastoral issues.
The Association is pleased to continue working with Iain Johnson from Noise PR. Iain is managing our social media and supporting the Association with its publicity and marketing. Iain has made a huge contribution to raising awareness about the work of NAPCE and is making a real impact in helping us to achieve our aim of interacting with more people who share our interest in pastoral care. The impact of his support can be seen in increased followers on social media and people contacting NAPCE. Iain produces the monthly newsletter for the Association, which has seen a growing number of people requesting a copy and an increase in the number of people opening and reading the newsletter each month. The Newsletter has published a wide range of articles on pastoral care, written by guest educationalists from other educational organisations as well as contributions from members of the NEC and EB. The newsletter has become a valuable resource for the latest thinking and sharing of ideas about pastoral care in education and ensures that members and supporters of NAPCE are kept up to date with current information about pastoral care and news about NAPCE events and activities. This increased interaction has seen more interest, in membership of the Association and there has been an increase in the number of members and subscribers to the journal. This demonstrates that the work to increase awareness about the work of NAPCE is having an impact. There have been challenges this year with our contact with external organisations such as Santander our bank and the Charities Commission. There are increasing requirements from external organisations who do not seem to understand in this age of trusts that NAPCE has always referred to executive members as officers and not trustees. For this reason, an amendment to the constitution is proposed for the AGM with the addition of the statement instatement six. For clarity with external organisations the trustees of the Association will be the officers.
Members of NEC this year have contributed their energy, skills, and expertise to the Association to enable it to continue to expand its activities for its members and raise its profile in the educational world. The NEC welcomes suggestions about how to raise awareness, of the work of NAPCE, and any views or opinions from our members about future developments in policy and practice in pastoral care in education. NAPCE as a charity follows the guidance and advice of the Charities Commission to ensure that it has good governance and that decisions are made in the best interest of achieving the aims of the Association. Thank you to all members of the National Executive Committee, Editorial Board, Anne Jones, Communication Administrator, Susana Cervera, Meetings and Events Administrator, Iain Johnson at Noise PR, Mark Shields, for administrative support for the journal and James Coggins and his colleagues at Taylor and Francis, for your support, contributions, energy, and ideas this year. NAPCE continues to raise its profile in the educational world and to make a positive contribution to the sharing of good practice and developing effective policy and practice, in pastoral care in education.
Phil Jones, National Chair
Jill Robson, National Secretary
NAPCE |