Membership

Strengthening and safeguarding your school

Membership with CEN supports Christian schools to govern wisely, form their people well, and steward their mission faithfully.

Christian schooling carries both spiritual conviction and operational responsibility. If you serve on a board or lead a school, you know the weight of getting it right, not only for today, but for future generations.

CEN membership is designed specifically for Christ-centred, parent-governed schools. It provides shared frameworks, trusted relationships, and practical support that help boards, associations, and leadership teams navigate pressure with clarity and steward their school with confidence over the long term.

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CEN Membership at a glance

Membership establishes the baseline infrastructure and relational access schools rely on throughout the year. Where deeper or more tailored support is required, additional consulting and professional learning can be engaged alongside membership.

Faithful formation across the whole school

Support the formation of staff by integrating biblical foundations with curriculum, leadership, and daily practice. Staff gain shared language, clarity, conviction, and theological grounding, rather than fragmented or ad hoc approaches.

Governance and leadership advisory

Provide your board and senior leaders with practical governance infrastructure, assurance frameworks, and access to experienced guidance that attends to both biblical conviction and regulatory responsibility.

Strength beyond your own school

Connect with a national Christian education movement. Through shared research, advocacy, and collaboration, schools participate in safeguarding and shaping the future of Christian schooling in Australia.

What membership includes

Membership strengthens schools proactively and provides stability during seasons of challenge or complexity. 

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Included with membership:

  • CEN Christian School Governance Standard
  • Governance Green Tick recognition framework
  • board training modules and courses
  • CEN Board Members’ Handbook
  • board governance performance surveys
  • Flint and Steel governance webinars
  • whistleblowing service
  • advisory support and guidance
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For boards and business managers, membership also includes participation in the Annual Financial Survey conducted by Somerset Education. This enables:

  • benchmarking against comparable Christian schools
  • stronger Board reporting
  • financial trend analysis
  • early identification of sustainability risks

Selected board training modules and conferences are available to members at reduced cost. Further governance reviews, constitution reviews, and consultancy services are available by quotation where deeper support is required.

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Through membership, schools gain access to foundational formation resources and learning pathways.

Included free with membership:

Available at an additional cost:

These resources are designed for practical use within school rhythms, with facilitator notes, video inputs, discussion prompts, and flexible delivery formats.

Where deeper or more tailored formation is required, additional professional learning and in-school formation experiences are available separately for an additional cost.

Each member school is supported locally through a State Executive Officer (SEO), providing relational guidance, contextual insight, and a clear access point to other CEN services.

Membership includes:

  • direct access to a State Executive Officer (SEO)
  • mentoring and advisory conversations
  • support and advice to schools managing critical incidents or times of crisis
  • local networking groups
  • discernment around when deeper support may be required

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Membership connects your school into a national Christian education movement committed to shared responsibility for the future of Christian schooling, including membership with AACS, who advocate for Christian schools in the political arena.

Being part of CEN means being connected to like-minded educators, support staff and leaders. The CEN Job Vacancy Register gets our schools and talented Christian staff connected.

Member schools have access to the following at a reduced rate:

  • National Conference and AGM
  • Executives Conference
  • Godly Governance Conference 
  • study tours
  • national forums and networks
  • state-based conferences
  • international collaboration
  • Job Vacancy Register

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Some schools choose to deepen their partnership with CEN during periods of growth, complexity, or transition. These tailored engagements sit alongside membership and are quoted separately.

Examples include:

  • governance and constitution reviews
  • board consultancy projects and onsite governance workshops
  • strategic planning facilitation
  • financial and structural reviews
  • executive recruitment
  • leadership consultancy and 360 degree reviews
  • community sentiment surveys
  • custom professional learning programs
  • pedagogy and curriculum development
  • large-scale reviews
  • Teaching & Learning Summits

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Why CEN membership works

Respond wisely, hold fast to your mission, and contribute to a faithful and growing movement of Christian education across Australia

Membership supports schools not only through tools and programs, but through shared conviction, theological depth, and collective accountability. Because our work begins with the lordship of Christ, formation, governance, and leadership are shaped together, rather than treated in isolation.

Through the National Institute for Christian Education, membership also connects schools into a living research ecosystem. Postgraduate scholarship and applied research continue to strengthen practice across the movement, ensuring that formation remains intellectually rigorous and practically grounded.

Why CEN?

Taking the next step

To explore membership or discuss how it might serve your school, contact the CEN team to begin a conversation.

Contact CEN