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blue_cogWhat is Connect?

Connect is passionate that by connecting children and communities in the areas of faith, this produces whole people who understand themselves more effectively and can relate to others of all faiths and of no faith with a deeper understanding and celebration of the links that bring people together.

Our focus is in developing a child’s sense of their own spirituality and how schools can connect with them in helping to make this happen in an authentic and meaningful way.

We believe that the local church can be a key place of connection in supporting schools to help children develop with their life questions and personal spirituality in order to make sense of who they are and how they connect with the world around them.

red_cogWe aim to:

Equip and train schools to produce a meaningful spiritual experience for a child where they gain more than knowledge, but can reflect and respond to the ever changing world around them

Equip and train churches to understand the needs of their local schools and how helpful, relevant and meaningful relationships and connections can be made to support the work of developing children spiritually.

Get Connected

Interested so far?  If so feel free to download this Connect Information and/or use our contact form to get in touch.
You can also see some examples of CONNECT projects here.
Here is also a CONNECT School Draft Plan for a programme in a school in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Donate & Support

Many schools are benefitting from CONNECT – but we’d love to offer this project further – to do this we need finances to offer the project at a rate that works for schools.  Can you help?

PAYPAL

Linds Ledger

CONNECT Co-ordinator

Linds Ledger B Ed (Hons) QTS
Linds has been Deputy Head Teacher in two Oxfordshire Primary schools, and acting Head in one.  She has taught across the whole Primary age range.  She brings her degree in RE and theology together with this teaching experience to the Connect team.  Whilst teaching part-time she is a consultant for churches developing children’s programmes and running events.
Mail Linds

Nick Jackson

Project Support

Nick Jackson BSc (Hons) QTS
Nick brings a wealth of experience from his Primary leadership roles, including Deputy Head teacher and his present role as the UK Director for a Children’s Charity running local and national events; he is also a local school Governor, and leader of REInspired Oxford. Nick is experienced in training and mentoring teams and has experience of working overseas.
Mail Nick

BIble Detectives – Year 5 Photo Gallery

Year 1 and 2 Teacher

The RE teaching and encounter activities were amazing and helped children to see faith and consider God in relevant and exciting ways. Thank you!

Mrs S Vidovic (Bishop Loveday Primary)

Staff valued time to discuss and reflect on their own experiences as part of the training session. Teachers were shown a range of activities and approaches, allowing them to explore the purpose and benefits of the Connect Worship Matters Workshops.

Mr G Brigg (Deputy Headteacher)

For the last two years Lindsey has been working in my Year 6 class covering the RE curriculum in line with the Oxfordshire agreed syllabus. She has also recently carried out a Connect project with our Year 5 children. Lindsey always conducts herself with the highest levels of professionalism. She is an excellent communicator and has always shown herself to be very flexible when adapting to the stresses and strains of a vibrant and busy primary school. Her planning and preparation has been particularly impressive. Sessions are well differentiated and cater for all abilities. She always follows up the work she has undertaken with careful and considered feedback.

Mrs F Browne (Headteacher)

‘Bible Detectives’ was delivered to our Year 5 children. The process that they were taken through enabled the children to reflect upon and talk about their own perceptions and beliefs about Christianity and the Bible. As the sessions developed, the children grew spiritually with the level of their thinking deepening and becoming more thoughtful and thought provoking in both their responses and their questioning. They engaged wholeheartedly in the activities and whilst there was a range of depth in their engagement, this too deepened through the course of the sessions. The children enjoyed the opportunity to explore the Bible through the activities provided and have gained in their own knowledge, understanding and beliefs.

Tom Brice (Children’s Pastor, Buckingham Parish Church)

Linds came to work with me and my team to help develop the work we were doing with children. Working with Linds was always fun and her desire and ideas to help children reach their full potential in Christ was inspiring. She has a wealth of knowledge at her fingertips to draw from and knew how to create opportunities for children to engage in meaningful experiences with God during creative and thought provoking activities. She helped to develop a team that shared the same heartbeat and vision and helped me personally realise a call I have had on my life to work closely with children, helping them experience something special of who God is in their lives. Through her support I have been appointed as Children’s Pastor in a growing Church of England Church and the experience I have gained with her has been invaluable.

Parent of Year 5 and 6 boys

Mrs Ledger is a very passionate and skilled communicator who has engaged both of my boys in her sessions. It is encouraging to hear how excited they now are about developing their own faiths. A great experience.

Year 3 Teacher

The Connect training was fresh and exciting and helped us to think about the importance of creating space for children in a very busy curriculum. Well worth attending.

Parent of Year 4 Child

My daughter Mia was very cross that she missed a Connect session for our family holiday! She loved the whole experience, learnt a lot and enjoyed time to have space to think about her own beliefs and questions

Year 4 Teaching Team (Bishop Loveday Primary)

The children thoroughly enjoyed the practical nature of the workshops. They were given the opportunity to share, respond and reflect during these interactive sessions. This included drama, games, singing, outdoor learning, discussion, writing poems/songs and...

Parent of Year 4 Boy

Thank you to Mrs Ledger who has impacted my boy Charlie. From the ‘Worship Matters’ course that he did with Connect in school, he was able to implement his experience to a challenging situation at home with the death of his Nan. Charlie knew that God still loved him...

Worship Matters – Year 4 Photo Gallery

Connect Contact Form

We would love to hear from you! Please fill out this form and we will get in touch with you shortly.