Research & hubs
Growing Faith research projects further our understanding of growing faith in the intersections between household, schools, and churches. Find out more about the Growing Faith research projects.
Learning Hub Applications 2026
Does your school, church, trust or Diocese have an idea which enables young people at the heart of what church and school do together? Find out more about this creative opportunity and apply.
We are delighted to be launching a third application process for our Growing Faith Learning Hubs. The Growing Faith Foundation is seeking to resource a further 14 Learning Hubs across the country starting in January 2026. They will act as strong developmental communities of practice from which schools and church leaders (both regionally and nationally) can learn.
The Learning Hubs will become centres of innovation, where schools/churches are resourced to further embed creative practices that build the strategic partnership between school, church and home. Hubs are creative spaces, with an emphasis on imaginative approaches that champion the voices of children and young people and embed inclusion and hospitality. as we seek to put children, young people and families at the heart of all the mission and ministry of the Church by changing the culture of the Church of England.
In 2026 The Learning Hubs will be funded in two different models:
· an annual grant of £10,00 each year for two years. There will be 10 location places available
· a smaller grant of up to £2500 for 3 months to 1 year projects, where local partnerships want to undertake a smaller piece of work as part of their wider Growing Faith shaped development. There will be 4 location places available in 2026 and 4 in 2027.
Please do consider whether your church/school partnership, whether based in a Diocese, a deanery, a school trust, an individual church or school or other iteration might become a suitable Hub. Read more about the application process in our guidance document.
Please share with anyone who may be interested and submit applications by 31st October 2025
If you have further questions or an informal chat would be of help, please contact mandy.christopher@churchofengland.org
Research Digest 2024
Please find different ways of accessing the research. The Research Digest provides summaries and reflections on the projects. The individual chapters are available separately. There are ‘at a glance’ overviews of each project’s findings. You will also find the 2024 research on chaplaincy: ‘Encountering the Christian Story’.
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Chapter 1 - The Child at the Centre or the Centre of the Child
Chapter 2 - The Child in Church
Chapter 3 - The Child in the Intersection between Church and School
Chapter 4 - Empowering Parents
Chapter 5 - Hearing the Voice of Children
Prefer to hear from the researchers themselves? Listen to our podcast.
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Research projects
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What happens to children’s faith if you invest in their spiritual leaders? A fascinating project from Leicester Diocese, where teachers’ spirituality is given the chance to grow.
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A fun-filled intergenerational cross-church/school experiment in Peterborough Diocese, giving older people the chance to work alongside younger ones, with everyone gaining skills in wellbeing.
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In York and Durham Dioceses, very young children were asked about their concept of holiness, with some fascinating findings.
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This small-scale study drew out the joys and difficulties of trying to be an intergenerational worshipping community in an ordinary parish setting.
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In Durham Diocese, the researchers asked to what extent can children become spiritual leaders and agents of change?
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Research like this project in Canterbury Diocese builds on in-depth interviews to grow mutuality in mission between the key stakeholders in a church/school relationship.
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In a project spanning the country, researchers from Liverpool Hope University look into the joys and difficulties of practising faith at home in Christian families.
Mid-project report | Summary of research findings and recommendations
Produced by Dr. Sarah Holmes (lead researcher) for the Kitchen Table Project.
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A project in Ely Diocese examines the impact of a model of hybrid intergenerational church, including Forest Church, on the faith development of children within it.
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The quiet bubble of children’s prayer lives at school, home and in the great outdoors was respectfully observed in this project from Hereford Diocese. Possibly the only existing evidence of prayer happening on horseback…
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Are children’s voices being heard and if so, what difference does that make to the worshipping community? A project from Manchester Diocese looks at practice in school and church.
Full report | Summary report | Video
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In Guildford Diocese, the team gathered fascinating insights into what helps children grow spiritually, listening to children, teachers and parents.
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This study from Blackburn Diocese listened to hundreds of children at that crossover point between primary and secondary school to hear how their faith develops during that time.
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School chaplains are key players in the relationship between home, school, and church: how effective are they and what makes them even more effective in their ministry?
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This research team came up with four simple principles when working across home, church and school: relationships, voices, rhythms and purpose.
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Unfortunately, this project could not be brought to completion, but the team behind this research, (as well as all of us here at the Growing Faith Foundation), learnt some fascinating lessons along the way.
New Research Projects for 2024-2025
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This project aims to provide evidence of the spiritual and faith impact of children’s involvement in the Liverpool Cathedral choral program and develop a transferable measurement model to share with other Cathedrals and the Major Church network.
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Exploring how singing can nurture children’s faith, inspire the worshipping life of a school, enrich collective worship and bring together children, families and the local church community.
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Examining young men's ability to engage with worship in a way that is transformational, and how this is affected by the rising popularity of sexist influencers and misogynistic themes online and in music.
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A project seeking to clarify what makes partnerships between churches and schools successful in pursuit of helping disadvantage families, which will work to develop some practical advice for those seeking to partner in future.
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A small-scale, mixed-mode study exploring parents' perspectives on nurturing faith life at home in a semi-rural/rural team ministry, with a middling church tradition and without a strong discipleship culture: what would these parents find most useful, and what barriers and challenges do they perceive in helping to nurture the faith of their children?
Hubs
The Growing Faith Foundation is resourcing Learning Hubs across the country to act as strong developmental communities of practice from which other school and church leaders (both regionally and nationally) can learn. The first Hubs were launched in 2023, located in the dioceses of Carlisle, Derby, Durham, Ely, Guildford, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Norwich, Salisbury, Sheffield, Southwell and Notts and a shared hub across Portsmouth and Winchester. In 2024, more Hubs began in the dioceses of Bath and Wells, Exeter, Gloucester and St Albans. In 2025 we are privileged to work with the dioceses of Carlisle, Bristol, Leicester, Chelmsford, Gloucester, Chester, Coventry, St Edmundsbury & Ipswich, Lichfield, Oxford, Chichester, Truro and York.
Hub profiles
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Young people as leaders in rural areas.
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Church in Schools.
Report | Video
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Young and Christian: Supporting young people to live out their faith more boldly at school, home and church.
Report | Recipe book | Video
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Transition to secondary school and engaging with young people.
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Developing a dedicated research and training centre.
Report | Video
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From isolated to flourishing communities: growing disciples in a rural area.
Report | Video
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Creating innovative spaces to connect church, family, and school.
Report | Video
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Plan, build and grow together in an estate context to create welcoming spaces for the formation of faith and discipleship.
Report | Video
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Pupil chaplaincy in schools.
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Collaborative working between rural churches.
Report | Video
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Growing youth provision across church, household and school.
Report | Video
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Seeking to alleviate poverty through supporting children in schools to improve their mental health.
Report available soon.