The annual CES Census is the source of all school data collected by the CES. No data on individual pupils is collected in the census. The name of the headteacher is collected, also a contact name and email address which are used solely for census communications the following year.

A document that describes the extent to which the CES census falls within the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can be downloaded below. This document addresses questions that the CES has received from schools that raised concerns about the CES census and privacy of schools data.

“In their General Election manifesto, the Conservative Party made a commitment to the Catholic community that the unfair rule effectively stopping the opening of new Catholic free schools would be lifted. Today the Government has broken this promise, dropped the pledge they made to our country’s six million Catholics and ignored the tens of thousands of Catholics who campaigned on this issue.

“This U-turn disregards the Government’s own data showing the 50% cap doesn’t create diversity, and sides with a vocal minority of campaigners who oppose the existence of Church schools. Catholic schools are popular with parents of all faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds, despite this we will remain barred from participating in the free school programme.

“The Catholic Church has had a long and positive relationship with the State in the provision of education and we see today’s decision as a regressive step in this historic partnership.

“We remain committed to our vision of education which consistently delivers high-quality schooling and contributes to the common good. Therefore we will continue to work with the Department for Education to address the urgent demand for new Catholic schools. This commitment means we will pursue the possibility of new Catholic voluntary aided schools despite the direction of travel for nearly a decade being towards academisation.

“Voluntary aided schools are an important part of the Catholic sector and it is significant that the Government has singled out Catholic education as an area to fund directly. This is rightly in recognition of the importance of Catholic schools to local communities and the contribution they make to the wellbeing of society.”

The Most Rev Malcolm McMahon OP

Archbishop of Liverpool and Chair of the Department for Education & Formation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Statement from the Church of England, Catholic Education Service, Methodist Church in Britain & The Board of Deputies of British Jews

We are the organisations that represent 99% of all schools with a religious character in England and our communities’ experience of providing education stretches back centuries.

Our schools embrace both excellence and academic rigour set within the wider framework of the formation of the whole child. This includes spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, moral and social development and enables children to flourish.

It is precisely because of our faith ethos that our schools remain exceptionally popular with parents.

Our schools are drivers of community cohesion, whether that is through educating children from all cultures, creeds and communities, or the impressive programmes they run to connect their pupils with children from other religions and beliefs.

As the representatives of the faith communities which actually run the vast majority of these schools, we reject the suggestion that they are divisive and are proud of what they achieve for their pupils and for our country as a whole.

Rev Nigel Genders, Chief Education Officer, Church of England
Paul Barber, Director, Catholic Education Service
Barbara Easton, Director of Education, Methodist Church in Britain
Gillian Merron, Chief Executive, The Board of Deputies of British Jews

St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School in Garforth were very honoured to receive a visit from Theresa May, Prime Minister. The visit took place under high security in February as part of a school INSET day. The Prime Minister had a round the table discussion with senior leaders and teachers from the school. She was keen to understand the positives and challenges of the current primary education agenda. Staff took the opportunity to give examples of the challenges in the current system for all teachers as well as celebrate the strengths of St Benedict’s. The visit was a real recognition of the great community of St Benedict’s in its staff, governors, children, parents and the wider community.

In their November Plenary meeting, the Bishops of England and Wales reaffirmed their opposition to the 50% admissions cap.

Since 2010 the 50% cap has effectively banned the opening of any new Catholic Free Schools. This is because the Bishops couldn’t countenance the opening of Catholic school which turned away Catholic children because they were Catholic.

Their full resolution read:

Further to its resolution of November 2013, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales reiterates its position that the imposition of the 50% cap on the control of admissions is not a secure basis for the provision of Catholic education in England.

The provision of education is fundamental to the mission of the Church in England and Wales and, in line with their canonical responsibilities, Bishops will continue to strive to provide a Catholic school place for every Catholic child in their respective dioceses.

Prior to the June 2017 General Election, the Bishops’ Conference welcomed the Government’s commitment to remove the 50% admissions cap as set out in the Conservative Party manifesto.

The principle of parental choice is fundamental to both Catholic education and the current educational policy in England and Wales, and for more than 150 years Catholic parents have had the opportunity to choose a Catholic education for their children.

Therefor the Bishops’ Conference welcomes the supportive comments made by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education about Catholic schools and their acknowledgement that the admissions cap is an issue which actively targets the Catholic community, as Catholic parents are the principle religious minority adversely affected by the admissions cap.

We therefore call on the Government to honour its Manifesto commitment.

The Bishops are now urging Catholics to write to the Secretary of State for Education urging her to keep the Government’s manifesto commitment.

You can write to the Secretary of State by clicking on this link: http://catholicnews.org.uk/education-cap  

Available to download below is a series of documents for Schools Chaplains. These include the CES national standards as well as chaplaincy job descriptions for both primary and secondary phases.

CES National Standards for School Chaplains

CES School Chaplain Job Description Secondary

CES School Chaplain Job Description Primary

Sixth Form Colleges

There are 14 Catholic sixth form colleges across England and Wales, all of which deliver further education. More information about them may be found in our schools' directory. Many Catholic secondary schools also have sixth forms.

These Catholic sixth form colleges are collectively known as ACVIC (Association of Catholic Sixth Form Colleges). They are listed below:

Catholic Universities

There are four Catholic universities:

• Leeds Trinity University
• Liverpool Hope University
• Newman University
• St Mary's University Twickenham

Ecclesiastical Faculties

The Ecclesiastical Faculties of Philosophy and Theology, formerly at Heythrop College, were transferred to St Mary’s University in 2019:

• Mater Ecclesiae College

The Cathedrals Group

The Cathedrals Group (also know as The Council of Church Universities and Colleges (CCUC)) is an association of sixteen universities and university colleges with Church foundations.

Members share a common faith heritage and a strong commitment to values such as social justice, respect for the individual and promoting the public good through their work with communities and charities.

The CES is a partner of the Cathedrals Group. You can find out more about its work on its website: http://www.cathedralsgroup.ac.uk/

Institutions in membership of the Cathedrals Group which have Catholic connections are Leeds Trinity University, Liverpool Hope University, Newman University, St Mary's University Twickenham and the University of Roehampton.

Institutes of Higher Studies

There are a number of higher education institutes and study centres which have Catholic connections. These are listed below, with links to their websites. 

• Blackfriars Studium, Oxford
• Campion Hall, Oxford 
• Centre for Catholic Studies, Durham University
• Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge
• Maryvale Institute, Birmingham
• Von Hugel Institute St Edmund's College, Cambridge

The Catholic Church in Wales

 The Catholic Church in Wales is divided into three dioceses; the Diocese of Wrexham, the Diocese of Menevia and the Archdiocese of Cardiff. Together they are referred to as the Catholic Provence of Cardiff and have an estimated Catholic population of 208,146.

The Diocese of Wrexham consists of the 6 Counties of North Wales and the district of Montgomery in the County of Powys in Mid-Wales. It has a Catholic population of 37,050.

The Diocese of Menevia covers Swansea, Carmarthen, Llandrindod wells, Haverfordwest and Port Talbot. It has a Catholic population of over 27,096

The Archdiocese of Cardiff has eight deaneries covering Cardiff, the Welsh valleys, Bridgend, Hereford, Newport, North Gwent and Pontypridd. It has a Catholic population of over 144,000.

Catholic schools in Wales 

The Catholic Church is one of the oldest providers of education in Wales. Together with the Church in Wales, they are the only providers of denominational education in the country.

There are 82 state-maintained Catholic schools in Wales (all Voluntary Aided) educating more than 28,000 pupils and employing over 1,600 members of staff.

This includes 68 Catholic primary schools, 14 Catholic secondary schools, and a Catholic sixth form college. 

Welsh Catholic schools are some of the most ethnically and religiously diverse in the country - just under half of pupils in Welsh Catholic schools are not Catholic.

Catholic schools remain extremely popular with parents of all faiths and none and therefore expand parental choice in education for Welsh families.

Click the links to find out more about Religious Education, Relationship and Sex Education, and Collective Worship in Welsh Catholic schools

Latest News from Welsh Catholic Schools

Welsh Government risks ‘losing the trust of the Catholic community’, CES tells Senedd 

Welsh Catholic school heads unite to oppose RE changes

Message from the Rt Rev Marcus Stock, Bishop of Leeds and Chairman of the Catholic Education Service

Catholic Education Service Criticises Welsh Government RSE Announcement

Campaigns

Stop the Welsh Government revoking parents' rights as the primary educators of their children: it is important that sensitive subjects like Relationship and Sex Education and Religious Education are taught in accordance with parents' views. Removing the rights of parents' to withdraw their children from these subjects will undermine their role as parents.

Welsh language strategy

As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting the Welsh langugage and Welsh Catholic heritage within the education sector, the CES has created a Welsh language strategy.

St Richard Gwyn

St Richard Gwyn was one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales. Born in Montgomeryshire, he was a schoolteacher in Wrexham and is also believed to be one of a handful of Martyrs who was a fluent Welsh speaker. He is the Patron Saint of teachers in Wales

His feast day is 16 October and is an occasion where Catholic schools across Wales celebrate their members of staff. 

More information about St Richard Gwyn