Education Select Committee Chair confirms support for Catholic Schools
The chair of the Education Select Committee, Neil Carmichael MP, has reiterated his support for Church schools.
Mr Carmichael confirmed his support for faith-based education at a fringe event organised by the Catholic Education Service (CES) in conjunction with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) at this year’s Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.
The panel also included IEA director, Professor Philip Booth, Schools Week editor Laura McInerney, Daily Telegraph journalist Dr Tim Stanley and CES director Paul Barber.
The panel was unanimous in its support for the continued state funding of Church schools, with many citing the fact that Catholic schools are the most ethnically diverse in England and take higher than the national average of children from the poorest backgrounds.
During the discussion around the subject ‘should the state fund faith schools?’ Mr Carmichael commented on the important role Church schools play in providing parental choice in education.
He said: “Church schools play a big and important role in our wide range of schools.”
Mr Carmichael went on to stress the importance of strong leadership and governance in these schools, especially at the hands of parent and foundation governors.
He added: “It is necessary for Catholics, as well as members of other religions, to understand what they need to cultivate in schools is a culture of strong leadership and governance, and Ofsted has every right to inspect schools on this.”
CES Director, Paul Barber commented: “Our event at this year’s Conservative Party Conference was a great chance for us to promote the fantastic work Catholic schools do and I warmly welcome Mr Carmichael’s comments.
“The panel discussion was really interesting and I’d like to thank all our key speakers for their robust defence of Church schools. I would also like to thank the IEA for co-hosting this event with us.”
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CES Responds to BHA Report on Admissions
Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service commented: “School admissions are extremely complex and are accompanied by hundreds of pages of legal framework, so the most likely causes of breaches in the code are unintended admin errors.
“The BHA ‘research’ only takes into account a small cross-section of schools and fails to represent the national picture outlined by the Office of School Adjudicator in its most recent report.
“We expect all Catholic schools to comply with the code and local dioceses provide support for schools to do so. It is because of our admissions system that Catholic schools are the most ethnically diverse in England and contain higher than the national average of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
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CES responds to Government’s free school announcement
CES responds to Government’s free school announcement
The Catholic Education Service (CES), is disappointed that it’s prohibited from the Government’s push for free schools due to an arbitrary cap on admissions.
The largest provider of secondary education in England and Wales, the Catholic Church, is unable to open new free schools despite significant demand from many thousands of parents.
Whilst the CES welcomes the provision of 9,000 more school places, announced today by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education, it is concerned why an education provider such as the Catholic Church, with a strong track record of providing high quality schooling, is being stopped from participating in this flagship Government policy.
The cap prohibits any potential Catholic free school from accepting more than half their pupils on religious grounds.
Paul Barber, Director of the CES, said: “Catholic schools are some of the best performing educational institutions in the country and there is a significant demand from parents.
“We are not opposed at all to the principle of free schools, however today’s announcement will be disappointing news to the thousands of parents who are unable to get their child a place at a Catholic school.
“If it is a question of diversity and promoting community cohesion, it would be worth the Government remembering that 36% of pupils at Catholic schools come from ethnic minority backgrounds, six per cent higher than the national average.
“We share the Government’s desire to provide hundreds of thousands of quality school places and its plan to give parents more choice in education.
“Providing high quality schooling is something the Catholic Church already does and the CES would ask the Government to remove the barriers which hinder us continuing to do this.”
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Notes to editors
The Catholic Education Service is an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
Key statistics:
83% of Catholic schools have been rated good or outstanding by Ofsted
At GCSE Catholic schools outperform the national average by eight percentage points
At age 11, Catholic schools outperform the national average English and Maths scores by five percentage points
Our Lady of Pity Roman Catholic Primary School wins UK Mathematics Challenge.
On 22 June 2015, four children from Our Lady of Pity Primary School in years 5 and 6 won the UK Mathematics Challenge at Birkenhead School against other local Wirral Primary schools.
The UKMT Team Challenges promote mathematical dexterity, teamwork and communication skills. They also give pupils the opportunity to compete against pupils from other schools in their region. Activities included a group round, cross-number and a mathematical relay.
Singapore mathematicss techniques are currently being implemented at Our Lady of Pity and the children had great fun using Singaporean methods to answer the questions.
Katie Hogan, a trainee teacher who led the children from Our Lady of Pity said, 'this was a fantastic opportunity for the children to demonstrate their mathematics skills in a competitive environment. All of the children thoroughly enjoyed the day and we would like to thank Birkenhead School for organising the event.'
Notes to editors:
• For more information and pictures after the event, please contact Katie Hogan at Our Lady of Pity School. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Visit from Mike Kane MP
Following an invitation from the School Parliament, local MP Mike Kane visited Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe where he spoke to a group of Year 9 and Year 10 pupils about his role as an MP.
After talking about his experiences, Mike then opened the floor to questions from the students. As expected from Saint Paul’s, the questions dispelled any lingering myths about political apathy amongst the young. Topics covered a wide range of current affairs with the pupils showing that they have a very lively interest in politics and what is happening in the world.
Ms Una McCaughey from Saint Paul’s said: “The question and answer session was fantastic, it was a heated debate and an amazing experience. Mike Kane said he'd happily take some of our pupils to be part of his future campaigns!”
“The pupils asked some very thought provoking and apt questions; they engaged really well and I was proud of them,” commented Mrs Fiona Minshall, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “They had obviously given some thought to their questions and I think it’s excellent that they are interested in, and have a passion for, politics and current affairs.”
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Notes for Editors
- Saint Paul’s received congratulations from the Rt Hon David Laws MP Minister of State for Schools when they were recognised as one of the 100 most improved schools in the country.
- On 1st April, 2013 Saint Paul’s Catholic High School joined with St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School and St John Fisher and Thomas More Catholic Primary School to form the Wythenshawe Catholic Academy Trust (MAT – Multi Trust Academy). St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School later joined the Trust.
- Saint Paul’s was the first school in Manchester to be awarded Engineering College status.
- The work of Saint Paul’s drama teacher, Ms Ellie Brookes, was recognised with her winning the much coveted North West Teacher of the Year Award. Also Head of Humanities at Saint Paul’s, Ms Ursula Gallagher, gained third place in the Outstanding New Teacher of the Year category of the Northern Area Teacher of the Year.
- Lively approaches to teaching maintain vigour and ensure that firm foundations are established for higher level work. The school has a modern approach to learning supported by a programme of constant refurbishment and development of its facilities and resources.
- The aims of the school are to:
- Teach and foster a Christian perspective in all that it does
- Provide teaching of the highest calibre
- Promote excellence in all areas
- Develop the ability, talents and character of each pupil, enabling them to make their own unique contribution to school life
- Encourage boys to play their part in helping the community run smoothly and effectively, by taking on responsibility and leadership
More information about Saint Paul’s Catholic High School can be found at www.st-paulshigh.net or contact Jane McAuliffe-Hall (Marketing and Publicity Manager) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 0161 499 0000.
CES Response to Westminster Faith Debates report A New Settlement: Religion and Belief in Schools
Press Statement - 15 June 2015
"The Catholic Education Service welcomes the Westminster Faith Debates report A New Settlement: Religion and Belief in Schools as an important contribution to the debate on the place of religion in schools. The report acknowledges the important role which Church schools play in the public sector and supports Catholic parents' right to send their children to Catholic schools.
"We welcome the report's support for the admission and employment criteria in Catholic schools. Catholic schools serve first and foremost the Catholic community, reflecting the vast contribution that the community makes in terms of their provision and ownership of the land and school buildings, financial contributions and support given by parents and governors.
"The purpose of Religious Education (RE) in Catholic schools differs from that of community schools. RE is at the core of a Catholic school and must make up 10% of curriculum time. Catholic RE equips students with the skills to discern and deepen their faith and teach them about the faiths of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them. Regular Diocesan inspections of this curriculum holds Catholic schools publicly accountable.
"Given the distinctive nature of RE in Catholic schools, any national RE curriculum would not fulfil the purposes of RE in both Catholic and community schools. Catholic schools will continue to follow the RE curriculum as set out by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales."
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Get Caught Reading at Saint Paul’s
Staff and pupils at Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe have taken part in a “Catch Me Reading” programme which is designed to promote a reading culture and really get students engaged in any form of reading.
Initiatives, to encourage and develop the pupils’ enjoyment of reading, so far range from:
- Staff visiting form rooms to catch students reading and then awarding small prizes
- A Catch Me Reading campaign for students to upload photos
- Raising the awareness of reading areas around school for students to just relax and read
- Part of the chapel has been refurbished into a reading hub
- Reading clubs for all ages have been launched
- An Accelerated Reading programme has been promoted to improve student reading ages
Andrea Williams who is leading the campaign at Saint Paul’s explained: “Obviously, we would love that students read books, but we just want them reading so we are raising awareness of reading, be it Manga comics, magazines, online article etc. We know it will take time to encourage non-readers and weaker readers but the more we push, hopefully, the more enthused students will be. At the moment it is still in its infancy but we are hoping that, in time, students will become more receptive and automatically bring books into school.”
Ms Williams added: “The hope when everything is up and running is that carrying a book and reading becomes a second nature to our students.”
“At Saint Paul’s, we encourage all of our students to read, not just in lessons but also for pleasure,” commented Mrs Fiona Minshall, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “We have put together a number of initiatives to help our students not only understand the importance of reading but to also help them gain an interest and passion for reading. We are working with parents to encourage reading at home we are positive we will have many happy, keen readers.”
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Notes for Editors
- Saint Paul’s received congratulations from the Rt Hon David Laws MP Minister of State for Schools when they were recognised as one of the 100 most improved schools in the country.
- On 1st April, 2013 Saint Paul’s Catholic High School joined with St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School and St John Fisher and Thomas More Catholic Primary School to form the Wythenshawe Catholic Academy Trust (MAT – Multi Trust Academy). St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School later joined the Trust.
- Saint Paul’s was the first school in Manchester to be awarded Engineering College status.
- The work of Saint Paul’s drama teacher, Ms Ellie Brookes, was recognised with her winning the much coveted North West Teacher of the Year Award. Also Head of Humanities at Saint Paul’s, Ms Ursula Gallagher, gained third place in the Outstanding New Teacher of the Year category of the Northern Area Teacher of the Year.
- Lively approaches to teaching maintain vigour and ensure that firm foundations are established for higher level work. The school has a modern approach to learning supported by a programme of constant refurbishment and development of its facilities and resources.
- The aims of the school are to:
- Teach and foster a Christian perspective in all that it does
- Provide teaching of the highest calibre
- Promote excellence in all areas
- Develop the ability, talents and character of each pupil, enabling them to make their own unique contribution to school life
- Encourage boys to play their part in helping the community run smoothly and effectively, by taking on responsibility and leadership
More information about Saint Paul’s Catholic High School can be found at www.st-paulshigh.net or contact Jane McAuliffe-Hall (Marketing and Publicity Manager) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 0161 499 0000.
Wolrd-renowned opera singer to sing with acclaimed school choir in Te Deum
At 7.30pm on Wednesday 29 April, the Schola Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School will be singing alongside one of the leading singers of our day, counter tenor Iestyn Davies, and the exciting period instrument ensemble Spiritato! in Te Deum at St John's, Smith Square.
This will not be the first time that Cardinal Vaughan has performed at St John's, Smith Square. The School has a long tradition of singing and the School's choirs regularly appear at London's major churches and concert halls. A masterpiece of English Baroque architecture, St John's will be the perfect venue for the concert's spectacular programme of seventeenth and eighteenth century English and French Baroque Music.
Concert conductor and Director of Music at Cardinal Vaughan, Scott Price, said:
We are very excited about the prospect of working with Iestyn Davies, one of the most in demand singers in the world and also of giving our first concert with early music group Spiritato! It promises to be a wonderful evening.
Ticket prices range from £10 to £20 (with a 10% discount available for concessions). They are available to buy from St John's, Smith Square on 0207 222 1601 or online at www.sjss.org.uk.
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Press contact:
Hannah Staff (Communications & PR Officer)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
020 7603 8478
Saint Paul’s Pupils are Starry Eyed!
An incredible journey through time and space was taken by pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe when they watched a spectacular planetarium show at Trinity Church of England High School in Manchester.
The event, funded by The Ogden Trust which promotes the studying of Physics, introduced the wonders of the universe to the Year 8 pupils with an amazing and engaging display of the Solar System and the Universe. They were presented with a guide to the movement of the planets, the phases of the Moon and even the mythology of some famous constellations.
Pupils were encouraged to investigate the wonders of the Universe including how the Earth formed and developed. They explored our place in the Universe and “visited” the inner and outer planets of the solar system. They also took a journey into the night sky and its wonders as seen from Earth.
Mr Stephen McMahon, Head of Science at Saint Paul’s, said: “The pupils saw a very exciting presentation on The Solar System, stars in the night sky and the origin of the Universe and were able to immerse themselves in the wonders of space at this unique event. The pupils listened and watched intently as the presenters brought science to life for them. They were able to examine motions of the Sun and stars across the sky and their sense of awe at the beauty and mysteries of the Universe was palpable.”
Mr McMahon added: “The pupils gave excellent answers to the questions that were posed by the presenter and asked many thought provoking questions about the wonders of space.”
“The trip to the planetarium provided a unique opportunity for pupils to engage with the wonders of the universe and explore and experience the amazing night sky,” commented Mrs Fiona Minshall, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “Astronomy is part of the National Curriculum and this visit provided a very valuable experience for our pupils and enhances the learning curriculum. Such visits are greatly appreciated by both the staff and the pupils.”
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Notes for Editors
- Saint Paul’s received congratulations from the Rt Hon David Laws MP Minister of State for Schools when they were recognised as one of the 100 most improved schools in the country.
- On 1st April, 2013 Saint Paul’s Catholic High School joined with St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School and St John Fisher and Thomas More Catholic Primary School to form the Wythenshawe Catholic Academy Trust (MAT – Multi Trust Academy). St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School later joined the Trust.
- Saint Paul’s was the first school in Manchester to be awarded Engineering College status.
- The work of Saint Paul’s drama teacher, Ms Ellie Brookes, was recognised with her winning the much coveted North West Teacher of the Year Award. Also Head of Humanities at Saint Paul’s, Ms Ursula Gallagher, gained third place in the Outstanding New Teacher of the Year category of the Northern Area Teacher of the Year.
- Lively approaches to teaching maintain vigour and ensure that firm foundations are established for higher level work. The school has a modern approach to learning supported by a programme of constant refurbishment and development of its facilities and resources.
- The aims of the school are to:
- Teach and foster a Christian perspective in all that it does
- Provide teaching of the highest calibre
- Promote excellence in all areas
- Develop the ability, talents and character of each pupil, enabling them to make their own unique contribution to school life
- Encourage boys to play their part in helping the community run smoothly and effectively, by taking on responsibility and leadership
More information about Saint Paul’s Catholic High School can be found at www.st-paulshigh.net or contact Jane McAuliffe-Hall (Marketing and Publicity Manager) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 0161 499 0000.