The Catholic Education Service (CES) acts on behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference to support Catholic education. We have a strong and positive working relationship with the British and Welsh Government, sharing the aims of high academic standards for all and increased parental choice.

Catholic schools make up 10% of the national total of maintained schools. There are 2,169 Catholic schools, academies and colleges in England and Wales educating over 850,000 pupils. The Catholic Church and the Church of England together provide one-third of all of the schools in the country and account for 98% of all schools with a religious character.