About Transforming Lives

Aims and Objectives

The Transforming Lives Project exists to promote teaching as a Christian vocation. It has three objectives:

1. To encourage more Christians to become teachers.
2. To support Christian teachers currently in post.
3. To encourage churches to support Christian teachers in their important ministry in school.
   

Strategy

The main strategy for the Project is to develop, disseminate and promote a clear understanding of the role of Christian teachers in British schools. We believe that Christian teachers are integral to the ministry of the church in the wider world. The purpose of this ministry is to serve others by offering the Christian message in ways that transform society for the benefit of all.

To achieve this we are:

1. Working in partnership with the main Christian denominations and a number of Christian organisations.
2. Providing this comprehensive website.
3. Producing a DVD for use in a range of contexts.
4. Publishing various support packs for use in churches, youth groups and Church colleges and universities.
5. Writing articles for a range of journals, magazines and newspapers.
6. Available to speak at events and meetings. Contact Trevor Cooling, the Project Director, for further information.

History

Transforming Lives is funded by the Jerusalem Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Charities. The project is based at the Stapleford Centre in Nottingham.

The first phase of the project culminated in a major consultation in February 2004. This brought together over 200 educationalists to consider the role of the Christian teacher in today's schools. Papers given at that consultation and the subsequent report are available in the website library.

The second and current phase of the project runs from January 2006 to December 2008.

Project Team

The Project Director is Dr Trevor Cooling. Trevor has been a secondary school teacher, Director of The Stapleford Centre, a university principal lecturer in Theology and the secondary schools adviser for the Diocese of Gloucester. He is widely published on Christian education topics and regularly lectures in Britain and overseas. Trevor can be contacted about the Project with requests for speaking engagements or writing articles at tcooling@stapleford-centre.org.

Alison Farnell leads the team supporting the Transforming Lives project at The Stapleford Centre. She can be contacted at afarnell@stapleford-centre.org.

The Project Steering Group is made up of people working in Christian Education and representatives of Christian denominations.

Chair: Canon Mrs Ann Holt OBE; Executive Director of Bible Society (England and Wales Programme)

Revd Carver Anderson; Director of the Shalom Consultancy

Sarah Lane; Education Officer for Churches Together in England

Geoff Lawson; Education Consultant

Professor John Sullivan; Professor of Christian Education at Liverpool Hope University

Revd Jan Ainsworth; Chief Education Officer for the Church of England

Revd Mark Woodruff; The Jerusalem Trust

Credits

The Transforming Lives team would like to thank the following people for their help in creating this website:

The team at Melchior Telematics for building our website.

Chris Morgan for his cartoons and invaluable advice on the quiz.

Richard Hanson for the photographs from Trinity School, Nottingham.

Creative Images for the photographs from primary schools

Ignite Creative for the production of the video material.

The Teaching Awards for permission to use footage from an award ceremony.

The Jerusalem Trust for its financial support of the Transforming Lives Project.

The Hinchley Charitable Trust for support in developing the website and video material

Liz Gibson for reading early drafts of every page and providing really helpful comments.

Jenny Baker for writing a number of the pages.

The teachers and others who have contributed in so many different ways; by appearing on the website, by writing and by giving us advice.

The pupils and staff from the schools that are featured in photos and video clips:

The Trinity School, Nottingham

St Andrews Church of England Primary School, Chedworth, Gloucestershire

St Matthew's Bloxam Church of England Primary School, Rugby

The Willink School, Newbury

Babington Community Technology College, Leicester

Northgate Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham

Round Hill Primary School, Nottingham