What is the Justice and Courageous Advocacy Network?

By partnering with the Justice and Courageous Advocacy Network, schools can help their students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to speak out against injustice, promote equality and human rights and work towards a more sustainable and equitable future.

Through expert webinar sessions, engagement and discussions, the Justice and Courageous Advocacy Network can help school leaders empower their students to become powerful agents of change, inspiring them to take action and positively impact their communities and beyond.

One of the key benefits of this network is connecting schools with organisations with expertise in this field. They can offer their own programmes, resources and materials, which schools can access to deepen their knowledge of these topics in much greater depth. A fuller overview of the network can be accessed here.

Establishing local COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE which create ‘collective teacher efficacy’

Alongside the learning input given from the expert speakers outlined in the programme booklet, schools and academies in Lichfield Diocese will be invited to join a local community of practice, to respond to the national input, sharing practice of what has worked well and considering where the challenges might lie in this work, and co-creating solutions together.

The local context of our Church Schools in Lichfield:

In 2023 – 2024 48 Church School received their SIAMS Inspection. 31 of these inspections featured a development point in their SIAMS Inspection report linked to IQ5 and how schools continue to develop their work in creating a culture of justice and responsibility responding to their context and Christian vision.

Session overviews and time commitment:

Each national input session will run from 4:00pm – 5:00pm. A local community of practice will be delivered roughly two weeks later, with the first and last sessions bringing school leaders together in person.

Session	National Input	Local Input
What is Courageous Advocacy, and  how does your schools vision drive  and create a culture of JUSTICE?	13th January 2025 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm Online	29th January – In person event 2:00pm – 4:00pm
What is Social action? How to define justice and why it matters for education. How to support pupil voice and agency in addressing local and global issues.	10th March 2025 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm Online	27th March 2025 4:00pm  – 5:00pm Online
Advocating for Poverty Justice Exploring some of the challenges and  opportunities for promoting poverty justice and advocating in your school.	29th April 2025 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm Online	15th May 2025 4:00 – 5:00pm Online
Advocating for Racial Justice – Exploring some of the challenges and  opportunities for promoting racial  justice and advocating in your school.	9th June 2025 4.00pm – 5.00 pm Online	26th June 4:00 – 5:00pm Online
Practical Strategies – Supporting  pupils and students to advocate for social justice	7th July 2025 4.00pm – 5.00 pm Online	16th July 2025 4:00 – 5:00pm Online
Advocating for Restorative Justice – How to repair the damage and prevent future harm.	29th September 2025 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm Online	15th October 2025 4:00 – 5:00pm Online
Advocating for Environmental Justice – How to define environmental justice  and why it matters for education. How  to support pupil voice and agency in  addressing local and global  environmental issues.	3rd November 2025 4.00pm – 5.00 pm Online	19th November 21, 2025 2:00 – 4:00 In person

Costs and sign up.

As this network is in partnership with the National Society, there is a cost associated with joining this network. The network will not run locally without at least 10 schools. At this minimum number the cost of the network will run at £75, however, this cost will reduce, using an economy of scale as more schools join.

The links for the national and local networks will be sent out in mid-December, before schools break up for Christmas.

If you have any questions please contact Matthew Welton: [email protected]

Booking Form