Who we are

The National Society is made up of a group of individuals who are passionate about working towards the flourishing of all in our education system.

Our Vision for Education

"life in all its fullness" John 10:10

Educating for wisdom, knowledge and skills; educating for hope and aspiration; educating for community and living well together; educating for respect and dignity.

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Our Hope for a Flourishing Schools System

In 2024 we outlined our hope for the flourishing of children, young people, adults and institutions, as the further outworking of the 2016 Church of England Vision for Education, ‘Deeply Christian, Serving the Common Good’.

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Leadership

Charlie Lang is the Chief Education Officer for the Church of England and Chief Executive of the National Society for Education.

As a former senior civil servant and education leader who has spent more than 20 years at the Department for Education, he has led major policy and reform programmes across education and children's services. His work has included oversight of the SEND and Alternative Provision Review, the Timpson Review of School Exclusion and the Munro Review of Child Protection. As well as the Maximising Value for Pupils Programme he has led a range of national initiatives, including the expansion of the Free Schools Programme and the establishment of Behaviour Hubs and Alternative Provision Taskforces.

Alongside his career in public service, Charlie has served in the Church of England for more than two decades and is a Churchwarden in East London. He and his wife previously fostered children and are parents of two children who attend Church of England schools.

Senior leadership team

Rachel Rigby, Head of Operations

Andy Spens, Head of Professional Learning

Dr Margaret James, Director of SIAMS

Sarah Shreeve, Head of Policy

Hannah Cook, Head of Growing Faith and FLOURISH

Heads of strategic teams

Lucy Moore, Head of Growing Faith Foundation

Emily Norman, Head of Curriculum and Inclusion

Catherine Walmsley, Joint Head of Partnerships and Engagement

Isla Johnson, Head of Partnerships and Engagement

Kate Sicolo, Head of NPQs

David Tait, interim Head of SIAMS

Stephen Beamond, Head of Younger Leaders

Ashley Chaplin, Head of Finance

Governance

Peter Ballard, National Society Council Treasurer

Bishop Jonathan Frost, National Society Council Chair

The National Society is governed by a Council, and a range of committees and governance groups.

Bishop Jonathan Frost is our Chair of the Council. He has been Bishop of Portsmouth since January 2022. Jonathan took up this post having previously being Dean of York and Suffragan Bishop of Southampton. Jonathan was ordained priest in 1994 and served his curacy in Nottingham before becoming Rector of Ash in the Diocese of Guildford. In 2002 he became chaplain to the University of Surrey and a Residentiary Canon at Guildford Cathedral. In February 2024 he was appointed Lead Bishop for Education and Chair of the National Society Council. Jonathan is married to Christine and has three adult children. He is a lifelong Fulham Football Club fan.

The Council meet regularly for formal governance meetings, and meet for one residential meeting each year. There are additional formal governance groups for key areas of work such as SIAMS and the delivery of NPQs. The Council provides robust accountability for the work of the National Society and offers sound advice to the strategic leadership team.

Trustees:

Grahame Davies, Douglas Dettmer, Jean-Noël Ezingeard, Rachel Howie, Addy Lazz-Onyenobi, Rosemary Lyon, Chris Penn, Marion Plant, Sonia Thompson.