Press release – Tuesday 10 February 2015

The Catholic Education Service is providing schools and teachers with resources to use in the run up to the general election. The resources follow the theme of ‘Active Citizenship’.

The CES has produced a collection of resources for schools and teachers to use in order to encourage Catholics of school-age to take part in active citizenship. The resources are available to download from the CES website www.catholiceducation.org.uk and include: lesson resources on the political process, lesson resources on the Church and politics, theological resources on what the Church says about ‘active citizens’, saints and prayer cards, profiles of Catholics in public life, and useful links.

The director of the CES, Paul Barber, said, “These resources are an excellent way for schools and teachers to encourage active citizenship in their pupils from a young age. The range is age-appropriate and uses the Catechism of the Catholic Church to reflect the ways in which Catholic values assist and support the objectives of active citizenship.”

As the general election approaches, the work of the CES links to the call of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales for all Catholics "to think about the kind of society we want here at home and abroad." For Catholics over the age of 18 and eligible to vote this means to engage positively in the democratic process, but for Catholics of all ages this means to reflect on and act to ensure we are all active citizens. 

Press release – CatholicYouthWork.com Launch, Feast of St John Bosco, 31st of January

Don Bosco Goes Digital! A Fresh Resource For Youth Ministers

Today, on the feast of St John Bosco, the Salesians re-launch CatholicYouthWork.com a resource for everyone who is involved in working with young people in the Church. It offers a place for resources, jobs, a forum to share ideas and find support as well as somewhere to keep up to date with the latest youth ministry news and events. Dermott Donnelly, Chair of CYMFed, the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation in England and Wales, said, "this is a fantastic resource that will help strengthen and support the Church's important work with young people".

"We know there are lots of people out there doing great work with young people", Chris Knowles, Editor of the site said, "they're all doing fantastic things, having amazing ideas and putting exciting plans into action, but the problem is that we're too often disconnected from one another. This site is a place we can all come together to share ideas, resources and good practice, and was designed specifically to facilitate this. So we invite you to come onto the site, join the forum and start to share ideas and resources!"

The Salesians have invested in the site since taking it on last summer, Provincial Fr Martin Coyle thought it was important to start this new project because "it's a great way to use new technology to help those who minister to young people, there really isn't anything else like this out there. This year we celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of St John Bosco, so while he wouldn't recognise a website if he saw one, he did love new technology like the railways and the modern printing presses of his time, things that made it easier to bring people together and share the Gospel. This project is particularly appropriate way for us to continue to live out his mission today"

The site is a resource that is offered completely free of charge, anyone can register to get involved in the forum and receive our resource and ideas emails. The site is strengthened by more people getting involved because as they get involved in sharing resources and ideas, we can better resource and support people in their work. Last year we attracted between 5 and 11 thousand page views each month, and we hope this will grow as we keep the site up to date with new resources and ideas for people who work with the young in the Church.

Notes for editors

• http://CatholicYouthWork.com - new site live now
• The site relies on local practitioners getting involved in the site, sharing resources, ideas and good practice as well as being there to support others.
• CatholicYouthWork.com has over 900 registered users and last year attracted between 5 and 11 thousand page views each month. 
• Jack Regan created the site in 2007 out of a desire to use the internet to bring people in Catholic youth work together to share ideas and resources. Over the years the site grew and had a thriving community forum, but in time became too big to be managed on a voluntary basis alongside full time work. Jack Regan is now Youth Advisor for Arundel and Brighton Diocese.
• The Salesians bought the site in the summer of 2014, and they have been planning and developing the new site in consultation with many people involved in youth ministry. Responsibility for it going to Salesian Link, the Media and social communications office of the Province.
• Chris Knowles, the new editor has been involved in youth ministry for many years, having worked as a Lay Chaplain at Loreto 6^th Form College in Manchester and Savio House, the Salesian Retreat Centre in Macclesfield
• The site is supported by donations, paid job adverts and a substantial contribution from the Salesians of Don Bosco in Great Britain.
• The bicentenary of the birth of St John Bosco is on the 16^th of August 2015, a series of events celebrating it are planned, more information about this can be found here http://www.salesians.org.uk/bi-centenary/2015-celebrating-the-bi-centenary-of-don-boscos-birth.html

For more information, contact Chris Knowles at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 07732442308

Flame2 is the largest National Catholic Youth event of 2015, taking place in the SSE Wembley Arena on Saturday 7th March 2015.

Doors open at 11, and Flame2 starts at 12, finishing at 5.30pm.
The SSE Wembley Arena will be filled with 10,000 young people from across the country, receiving faith-filled inspiration from world class speakers. Confirmed speakers include Cardinal Luis Tagle from Manila, Philippines; Baroness Sheila Hollins; Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP; and David Wells.

Throughout the day speakers will give bursts of input, interspersed with world class music and drama, in an atmosphere full of joy. Music will be provided by double grammy award winning Matt Redman and his band. The day ends with a time of Adoration led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
Flame2 is open to anyone in school year ten and above, up to young adult (i.e. aged approx. 14-21).
Bookings will be accepted from groups of ten or more.

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For more infomation please see CYMFED's website

Below is a letter from Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbiship of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.

Press Release - 15th December 2014

The goal of Parliament Week is to engage young people with the democratic process, and this was certainly embraced by the pupils of Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe. As part of Parliament Week the pupils engaged in a multitude of activities aimed at raising awareness and understanding of Parliament and democracy in the UK.

The aim of Parliament Week is to highlight the work and history of the UK Parliament, how it is relevant to UK citizens and how pupils can get involved in the democratic process. The event was founded in 2011, and is co-ordinated by the House of Commons with support from the House of Lords.

At Saint Paul’s, the pupils took part in an open debate group, a Question Time with the Head Teacher and the week culminated with whole school parliament elections.

“We were very keen to get our pupils involved in Parliament Week and raise their awareness of the democratic process,” explained Ms Michelle Davies, School Parliament Link teacher. “The programme of events at Saint Paul’s was designed to inspire, engage and connect our pupils with parliamentary democracy. It’s been a fantastic opportunity for them to take part in a nation-wide initiative that helps them become better informed about their Parliament.”

“Parliament Week was a great opportunity for our pupils to engage and connect with politics and their Parliament,” commented Mrs Fiona Minshall, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “The Week also offered a fantastic opportunity to highlight the work and history of the Houses of Parliament and to discuss Parliament’s relevance with students.”

Ends.

Press Release - 15th December 2014

St Benedict's Catholic School in Bury St Edmunds was shocked to learn that the school has been placed on an Ofsted list of schools that are not dealing effectively with extremism and radicalism, despite Ofsted inspectors highlighting none of these concerns in their recent no-notice inspection in September.

Mr O'Neill, Headteacher of St Benedict's, said, "I can only suppose that the inclusion of St Benedict's on the list was the result of the first "flawed" inspection report. I could just about understand how that error might have occurred. What worries me is that Ofsted were informed of the mistake two weeks ago, and have failed to provide an adequate response. It is also very disturbing that, if they do maintain that the dangers of radicalisation and extremism still exist at St Benedict's, they have done nothing to inform me, the governors or the Diocesan Education Office of the danger.

"We have had to accept that the no-notice inspection was not triggered by the "Trojan horse" affair, but was a routine inspection- despite the fact that it took place less than 18 months after our previous inspection. The continuing accusation that this school is one of a handful identified with radicalisation and extremism concerns is hugely disturbing. I think parents and the local community deserve to know why St Benedict's Catholic School remains at the centre of this Ofsted focus, when their Senior HMI, Asyia Khazmi, assured both me and the governors that she was satisfied that no such concern remained.''

Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service, said, "We are extremely concerned that Ofsted is publicly listing St Benedict's as one of the eleven schools which 'were not preparing pupils for life in Britain today.' These concerns cannot be found in the School's Ofsted report. This is an unjust and unsubstantiated accusation and we hope Ofsted will clarify this matter and apologise to the school and parents for the confusion and upset caused.

"We are proud that Catholic schools promote values that are both Catholic and British, including: respect for the individual, democracy, individual liberty, respect, tolerance and inclusiveness. Our schools promote cohesion by serving more ethnically diverse and poorer communities. Catholic schools provide high standards of education which are popular with parents from all social, economic and faith backgrounds.

"We welcome the role of Ofsted in ensuring accountability, transparency and inclusive education for all, regardless of belief. However it is essential that Ofsted provides support and clarification for their own staff on the matter of British Values to prevent mistakes like this from reccurring."

Ends

Thursday 29 and Friday 30 January 2015

At the Thistle Hotel, Marble Arch
Bryanston St, London W1H 7EH

"Be Ambitious for the Higher Gifts"

Please contact David Dawson for more infomation and to book a place: dtdawson100 @ hotmail.com

Press Release – 28 November 2014

Today the Catholic Education Service (CES) published its annual census of Catholic schools and colleges in England and Wales. This year the response rate from Catholic schools reached 100% making this data the most accurate ever.

Paul Barber, Director of CES, said “It is a testimony to the hard work of all involved that this year’s census had a 100% return rate. This means that our data is much more reliable than many other sources of national data and provides a clear indication of the important role that Catholic schools play in the education sector. As the largest provider of secondary schools and the second largest provider of primary schools, we will continue to work to raise education standards and provide an inclusive education for all.”

The Census revealed a growth in the size of the sector with an increase of 3795 pupils educated in Catholic maintained schools and an increase of 1322 teachers working in Catholic maintained schools in England since last year. The Catholicity of pupils and teachers remained constant from previous years.

The Census also showed that Catholic schools continue to serve more diverse communities and there has been an increase in the proportion of pupils from ethnic minorities. 35.9% of pupils in Catholic maintained primary schools are from ethnic minority backgrounds (29.5% nationally) and 31.4% of pupils in Catholic maintained secondary schools are from ethnic minority backgrounds (25.3% nationally).

The proportion of pupils from deprived areas has also increased from last year. 17.9% of pupils at Catholic maintained secondary schools live in the most deprived areas (12.0% nationally). In primary schools the gap has widened considerably since 2013.  19.2% (18.4% in 2013) of pupils at Catholic maintained primary schools live in the most deprived areas (10% (13.8% in 2013) nationally).

Note to editors

The Catholic Education Service (CES) is an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

The CES Census digests for England and for Wales and a Key Facts summary bookmark can be found on our website http://www.catholiceducation.org.uk/ces-census

Press Release-  Friday 7^th November 2014

The Catholic Education Service (CES) has welcomed the Government’s proposals for a new academically rigorous Religious Education GCSE and Religious Education A Level. The proposals, which are out for public consultation, put forward a more academically rigorous GCSE which includes the teaching of two religions. The widely welcomed A Level reforms propose increased religious content to ensure the right breadth and depth of study to support students progressing to higher education.

The Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP KC*HS, Archbishop of Liverpool, and Chairman of CES said: “Theologically rigorous RE is a core part of Catholic education. These reforms to GCSE RE and A Level RE provide us with an opportunity to ensure that Religious Education at GCSE and A Level in Catholic schools is academically and theologically rigorous in accordance with Canon Law.

“Catholic schools account for 25% of the entries at RE GCSE and 20% of the entries at RE A Level. As the single largest provider of entries to both RE GCSE and RE A Level, we have worked in partnership with the Government to ensure that these proposals are fit for purpose in Catholic schools.  We welcome the assurances from the Secretary of State that these proposals do not undermine the autonomy of the Catholic Bishops to determine and inspect religious education in Catholic schools.

“All Catholic schools are required by Church teachings to raise pupils’ awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to understand and respect them. These new proposals will facilitate Catholic schools in this duty.”

RE must make up at least 10% of curriculum time in a Catholic school and is inspected separately under long-standing arrangements currently set out in the 2005 Education Act.

Notes to editors

The Catholic Education Service (CES) is an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

Catholic schools represent 10% of state maintained schools and currently make up 25% of all entries to GCSE RE and 20% of all entries to RE A Level. (Source: Department for Education ‘KS4 qualification and subject data’ KS5 qualification and subject data http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/download_data.html )

Church teaching on the requirement for all Catholic schools to teach interreligious-dialogue can be found in the following Vatican and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales documents:

• Congregation for Catholic Education (for Institutes of Study), Educating to Intercultural Dialogue in Catholic Schools Living in Harmony for a Civilization of Love, Vatican City (2013)
• The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Meeting God in Friend and Stranger, CTS, London (2010)
• The Department of Catholic Education and Formation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Religious Education Curriculum Directory (RECD), 2012,

The Religious Education Curriculum Directory states the aims of Religious Education (p6):

1. To present engagingly a comprehensive content which is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith;
2. To enable pupils continually to deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively;
3. To present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching so that pupils can make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society;
4. To raise pupils’ awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them;
5. To develop the critical faculties of pupils so that they can relate their Catholic faith to daily life;
6. To stimulate pupils’ imagination and provoke a desire for personal meaning as revealed in the truth of the Catholic faith;
7. To enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum;
8. To bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture.

The outcome of excellent Religious Education is religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.