It is simply that no-one has provided suitable resources to enable parish churches to be used not simply for religious education but for history, mathematics, art, music and science. This toolkit for teachers is revolutionary. It will offer activities for a full cross-curricular day within a church, and suggestions for learning before and after the event.

Our churches are living buildings and yet many of them have been around for centuries. There is nowhere else quite like them. This project began in the Diocese of Norwich in the Aylsham and District Team Ministry where twelve parishes and eight schools are in frequent contact. Only two of them are church schools but all the schools, primary and secondary are equally enthusiastic about what can be achieved.

Our young people deserve the very best experiential learning. Cathedrals and churches have a “wow” factor for young children. That’s good, but we also want to make them places of learning and discovery too. They are inspired classrooms in themselves. I hope and pray this project will help us all rediscover that our parish churches are inspired classrooms.

The Rt Revd Graham James,
former Bishop of Norwich