Press Release- 30th January 2014

The Catholic Education Service (CES) is encouraging schools and parishes to use Education Sunday 2014 as a time to come together and celebrate the success and achievements of Catholic education.

Education Sunday will take place on the 16th February following the theme 'Going Above and Beyond'. Education Sunday provides an opportunity to give thanks for all those in our communities who go 'above and beyond' to work so hard in and for Catholic schools and colleges across the country.

Paul Barber, Director of the CES said, "The Catholic Church is proud of its nationwide network of schools and the contribution they make to our communities. It is therefore important to pay tribute to the many teachers, leaders, support staff and governors, without whose dedicated commitment it would be impossible for us to provide such a service to society."

Education Sunday is also an opportunity to strengthen the links between schools and parishes, so that both are able to continually share in the success of Catholic Education.

Bishop Malcolm McMahon OP, Chairman of the CES said, "I hope and pray that, as we celebrate the work of our Catholic schools, our schools and the parishes which they serve will draw even closer together, since both are one family, called to give glory to God and work for the common good of the wider community."

The CES has produced a collection of resources, including prayer and worship ideas, to assist schools and parishes in their Education Sunday celebrations.
The resources are available to download from the CES website www.catholiceducation.org.uk and include: Mass and Liturgy booklets, a letter from Bishop Malcolm McMahon OP, Prayer cards and a Catholic education information leaflet.

For over a century Education Sunday has been part of an ecumenical initiative in which the Catholic Church participates. Education Sunday is a national day of celebration for all those involved in in the world of education and is held on the ninth Sunday before Easter.

ENDS

For more information please contact:
Alexandra Jarvis
Public Affairs Officer
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
0207 901 1904

Notes to Editor
• The Education Sunday 2014 theme was devised by an ecumenical steering group co-ordinated by the Churches Together in England.
• The Catholic Education Service (CES) is an agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW).
• Ecumenical resources are available to download from www.educationsunday.co.uk

Statistics
• The Catholic Church is the largest provider of secondary schools, and second largest provider of primary schools (behind the Church of England) in the country.
• Catholic schools funded jointly by the State and the Church make up 10% of the total maintained sector in England and Wales.
• Catholic maintained schools in England employ 46,664 teachers, 37,263 support staff and educate 770, 83 pupils.

Press Release - 6th November 2013

More than 2100 Catholic schools are being encouraged and supported to turn their schools into a Living Wage employer, following a resolution passed by the Catholic Bishops' Conference. The resolution has sparked a landmark agreement between UNISON, the UK's largest union, and the Catholic Education Service of England and Wales (CES) to celebrate Living Wage Week (4 – 8 November). The schools are being given a step-by-step implementation plan produced by the union, covering both directly employed and contracted out staff to help them win Living Wage accreditation.

The 2012 Living Wage resolution recognised "that fair wages are essential to the common good of our society. In accordance with Catholic social teaching, and as part of its mission to support the poor and vulnerable, the Bishops' Conference fully endorses the principle of the Living Wage and encourages Catholic organisations and charities in England and Wales to work towards its implementation."

This year, UNISON's evidence to the Low Pay Commission included testimonies from low paid workers across the country, highlighting the misery and stress on millions of families struggling to cope on poverty wages.

In addition to encouraging schools to pay the Living Wage, the CES have produced school resources on the Living Wage for use in the classroom and the wider Catholic community.

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON said:

"I am delighted that UNISON is working so closely with the Catholic Education Service to encourage schools to pay the living wage. Times are tough and low paid workers are struggling under the burden of rising prices for basics like food and fuel.

"Schools and heads are under a lot of pressure and that is why UNISON wants to make it easier for them to win Living Wage accreditation by producing a step-by-step guide. Having that accreditation sends out a strong message that this school is one that takes its responsibilities to its staff and the wider community seriously."

Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service said:

"The Living Wage is an inherently Catholic concept and the importance of paying a just wage to the worker and their family can be found in Catholic Social Teaching for over a century.

Our online resources examine the Catholic Social Teaching behind this family wage as well as providing practical steps to becoming a Living Wage employer.

"I congratulate those Catholic schools, colleges and universities who are already Living Wage employers and thank them for the great example they set us in their work for the Common Good."

Notes to Editors

The new Living Wage rate for outside London is £7.65 per hour and is set by Loughborough University using Minimum Income Standard methodology developed by the Family Budget Unit and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation;
The London Living Wage (LLW) is set by Greater London Authority (GLA) and is £8.80 per hour.
The Living Wage Resources can be found at www.catholiceducation.org.uk

In the last few days, Heythrop College has received copies of decrees of the Congregation for Catholic Education dated 17 September 2013 re-activating the ecclesiastical faculties of Philosophy and Theology.

Since the 1920s, Heythrop has been dedicated to St Robert Bellarmine, the sixteenth century Italian Jesuit, Cardinal and Doctor of the Church. The ecclesiastical faculties together form a specialist institute of the College known as the "Bellarmine Institute". The decrees were signed on St Robert Bellarmine's feast day.

The ecclesiastical faculties were first approved almost 50 years ago in November 1964 when the College was located near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire. On joining the University of London in 1970, the College focussed on the award of University degrees rather than on teaching for ecclesiastical programmes and the ecclesiastical faculties have since then been in suspension.

More recently, those in the Heythrop student body preparing for the Catholic priesthood and engaged in ministry, who are an increasingly international group, have looked for civil and also church qualifications which enable them to teach in seminaries and Catholic universities. Consequently, the College has for some years offered the 60 or so Jesuit scholastics, seminarians and members of other religious congregations studying for the priesthood, the opportunity to prepare for an ecclesiastical bachelors degree (STB) in conjunction with the University of London Bachelor of Divinity (BD) programme. This has been possible through an arrangement with the Catholic University in Leuven and the Westminster diocesan seminary, Allen Hall.

Success with this initiative led the College to investigate how it might be extended. Now the faculties have been revived, students will be able to study for ecclesiastical bachelors (STB, BacPhil), licentiate (STL, PhL) and for doctoral degrees in Theology (STD) and Philosophy (PhD) in conjunction with degrees of the University of London.

The work of the Bellarmine Institute will be informed by responsible scholarship, fidelity to God's Word and the teaching of the Catholic Church. All programmes of the ecclesiastical faculties will be subject to the College's full quality assurance procedures.

A ceremony to mark the re-opening of the faculties will take place in January 2014.

Archbishop Nichols, the Patron of the Bellarmine Institute and Visitor of Heythrop College, University of London commented: "I am delighted that Heythrop College will once again be offering the full range of ecclesiastical qualifications alongside its existing University of London degrees. This development will give new opportunities to those training for the priesthood and those already in ministry to study for ecclesiastical licentiate and doctoral degrees in philosophy and theology."

Fr Michael Holman SJ, the Principal of Heythrop College said, "The mission of Heythrop College is to serve the Church and the common good. The additional ecclesiastical programmes and qualifications will enable the College to be of greater service to those engaged in ministry not only in this country but also overseas and that pleases us very much, not least as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of our foundation."

Contact: Michael Holman SJ, Principal, on 020 7795 4203; Elizabeth Thussu, Director of Administration, on 020 7795 4269 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Press Release – 15 October 2013

The Catholic Education Service and Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales have produced a series of theological and practical resources for schools that are interested in discovering more about the Living Wage campaign.

The focus on the Living Wage stems from last November's Catholic Bishops' Conference Plenary meeting in Leeds during which the Bishops passed a resolution endorsing the principles of the Living Wage and encouraging Catholic organisations and charities in England and Wales to work towards its implementation.

Bishop Malcolm McMahon, Chairman of the Catholic Education Service, said "A Living Wage is essential in the promotion of family life in our society. It ensures that the worker has enough money to cover the basic living costs for both themselves and their family. Catholic organisations have the responsibility to promote human flourishing through the dignity of work and the Living Wage plays an important part in this. I congratulate those Catholic schools, charities and universities who are already Living Wage employers and thank them for the great example they set us in their work for the Common Good."

The collection of online resources includes a series of videos of guest speakers looking at the view of Catholic Social Teaching and the Living Wage, downloadable copies of the Papal encyclicals which focus on the Living Wage, a downloadable HR and implementation guide for schools and colleges who are considering becoming a Living Wage employer, and a short film produced by the students of St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College, London on the Living Wage. The resources are available on the Catholic Education Service and Catholic Bishops' Conference websites.

Notes for Editors

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

2. The Living Wage is an independently calculated hourly wage rate designed to pay employees enough to cover their basic living needs (eg. cost of food, housing and basic needs). For more information please see The Living Wage Foundation website (www.livingwage.org.uk/)

3. Resolution from the Catholic Bishops' Conference Plenary Meeting in November 2012 in Leeds:

The Bishops' Conference recognises that fair wages are essential to the common good of our society. In accordance with Catholic social teaching, and as part of its mission to support the poor and vulnerable, the Bishops' Conference fully endorses the principle of the Living Wage and encourages Catholic organisations and charities in England and Wales to work towards its implementation.

4. The resources can be found online www.cbcew.org.uk/living-wage & www.catholiceducation.org.uk/campaigns/living-wage

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release – 5 November 2013

To coincide with Living Wage Week, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales together with three of its leading Catholic Agencies: the Catholic Education Service, CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) and CAFOD, have reiterated the Church’s teaching on just wages and its support for the Living Wage and its importance for the support of workers’ families.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Catholic Education Service have produced a Living Wage Resource encouraging Catholic organisations, schools and charities in England and Wales to work towards its implementation.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, the Catholic Education Service, CSAN and CAFOD are all accredited Living Wage Employers.

Quoting the resolution which the Bishops’ Conference passed in 2012, Mgr Marcus Stock, General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said:  

“The Bishops’ Conference fully endorses the principle of the Living Wage and invites Catholic organisations and charities in England and Wales to work towards its implementation.”

Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service, said:

“We welcome the Bishops’ invitation to support the Living Wage. The importance of a ‘just wage’ can be found in Catholic Social Teaching, spanning over 100 years.”

“Schools and colleges play a central role in our Catholic communities and we recognise that, though schools often face financial pressure, this is one way in which we can live out our faith in service to the Common Good.”

Helen O’Brien, Chief Executive of CSAN, the domestic social action agency of the Catholic Church, added:

“Many Catholic Charities are increasingly witnessing more families living in ‘in-work poverty’ and struggling to afford the very basic costs of living such as food, utilities and rent payments. We recognise the importance of just wages as well as fair terms and conditions of employment”

“CSAN is committed to the principle of a Living Wage, which not only enables individuals to provide materially for their families but also allows them to spend quality time with their children”.

Chris Bain, Director of CAFOD, commented:

"Scripture makes many references to the importance of paying a right and just wage for work done. Although we were already paying the Living Wage for our staff before the joining the campaign, our Facilities Manager was also able to secure a Living Wage for the contract staff who deliver some of the services for CAFOD through third parties. We also feel that it was important to become a Living Wage employer as an expression of our solidarity with the principles of a paying a living wage and with those individuals and organisations striving to achieve fair pay."

Ends

Notes to Editors

1)    The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, CES, CSAN and CAFOD are all accredited Living Wage Employers.

2)    The Catholic Education Service (CES) is an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in England and Wales, and works closely with the 2300 Catholic schools, colleges and university colleges, which the Church is responsible for across England and Wales.

3)    Caritas Social Action Network is the official domestic social action agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and comprises over 40 Catholic Charities, many of whom work closely with children and families living in poverty.

4)    CAFOD is the official overseas development and relief agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, working in countries across Africa, Latin America and Asia to support local communities in their fight against poverty and injustice.

5)    The importance of paying a ‘just wage’ is central to Catholic Social Teaching:

Rerum Novarum (1891) Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII on Capital and Labour

Quadragesimo Anno (1931) Encyclical of Pope Pius XI on Reconstruction of the Social Order

Mater et Magistra (1961) Encyclical of Pope John XXIII on Christianity and Social Progress

Laborem Exercens (1981) Encyclical letter by Pope John Paul II on Human Work

Centesimus Annus (1991) Encyclical letter by Pope John Paul II on The Hundreth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum

Press Statement – 23 July 2013

“As the agencies of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales concerned with the education and welfare of children, we welcome yesterday’s announcements on increased online protection for children.

“We welcome the proposals to filters potentially harmful content unless an adult ‘opts-in’ following age verification and the steps further taken to make public Wi-Fi’s safer for children; namely the participation of the six companies which provide 90% of public Wi-Fi’s to introduce family friendly filters and adopt a ‘Family Friendly Wi-Fi’ symbol.

“We feel these are important steps in assisting parents to keep their children safe online, which should be complimented with education on online safety.

“At this point it is important to recognise that inappropriate online content is not solely limited to pornography. Websites containing extreme violence or promoting self-harm, suicide and eating disorders also present great risk to children. Governmental figures show that 13,231 childhood admissions to hospital last year with the primary diagnoses of deliberate self- harm and 1,141 childhood admission to hospital with the primary diagnosis of an eating disorder. 

“We hope these safeguards will work to ensure that children are protected from the dangers posed to their development, mental health, relationships and self-esteem from harmful and explicit online material.

“The Catholic Education Service and CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) have been campaigning for greater online safety for children and we welcome these steps from the Government to increase protections for children.”

Ends

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

CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) is the social action arm of the Church in England and Wales. CSAN comprises 41 member charities who work with prisoners, homeless people, refugees, travellers, victims of trafficking and domestic abuse as well as with children living in poverty.

Press Statement – 18 June 2013

The Catholic Education Service and CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) welcome the government’s focus on protecting children from harmful and explicit online content.

Today’s meeting at Downing Street chaired by Culture Sectary, Maria Miller provides an opportunity for the government to consider the impact that pornographic, violent or other harmful online content has on children’s’ development, mental health, relationships and self-esteem.

As the Catholic agencies with responsibility for education and welfare we hope that both the Government and internet service providers will take steps to allow children to explore the online world without fear of accessing adult or inappropriate content.  

Detailed research by the Children’s Commissioner shows that significant numbers of children are still exposed to pornography, despite efforts to increase online safety, through the removal of adult content on public Wi-Fi and the appointment of Claire Perry MP as the Online Safety Advisor.

Parents have a duty to educate their children about online safety. However, it is important to provide them with necessary support to help them in this role.  We support Baroness Howe of Idlicote’s Online Safety Bill as a means of providing this protection. The Bill proposes that Internet Service Providers and Mobile Phone Operators provide an opt-in service for adult content and we hope the government will offer support to the Bill and its proposals.

Ends

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

CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) is the social action arm of the Church in England and Wales. CSAN comprises 41 member charities who work with prisoners, homeless people, refugees, travellers, victims of trafficking and domestic abuse as well as with children living in poverty.

Note to editors

Online Safety Bill, sponsored by Baroness Howe of Idlicote, makes provision for the promotion of online safety; to require internet service providers and mobile phone operators to provide a service that excludes pornographic images; and to require electronic device manufacturers to provide a means of filtering content. The Bill has completed second reading and it Committee stage.

The Children’s Commissioner for England - “Basically... porn is everywhere” A Rapid Evidence Assessment on the Effects that Access and Exposure to Pornography has on Children and Young People – highlights children’s exposure and access to pornography and  makes a series of recommendations to the government.

We welcome the announcement today by the Secretary of State for Education concerning the reform of qualifications at 16. It is clear that the government’s own consultation regarding examination reform showed broad consensus, accepting the need for reform yet rejecting the initial proposals for that reform. That the Secretary of State proposes to reform exams ‘with the help of school and university leaders’ is particularly welcome. Working closely with education professionals will help ensure that any reform will enjoy the widest possible support and confidence.

We are, however, disappointed that Religious Education remains effectively relegated to outside the ‘core’ under these proposals when it is at the very heart of the curriculum in every one of our more than 2000 schools in England. GCSE RE is a valuable and worthwhile subject, but it could be better, and we hope to be able to work with Ofqual and Examination Boards to ensure that it becomes so.

It remains to be seen, of course, how examination reform will now proceed. We are therefore unable to comment further until the detail becomes clear.

Mr Paul Barber, currently the Director of Education for the Diocese of Westminster has been appointed as the new Director of the Catholic Education Service.

Commenting on the appointment, Bishop Malcolm McMahon, Chairman of the Bishops’ Conference Department for Education and Formation, and the Chair of the Catholic Education Service, said: ‘I am delighted that Paul Barber has accepted the appointment of Director of the Catholic Education Service. He will bring to the post his considerable experience and a proven track record of commitment to the furtherance of the Church’s vision for Catholic education.’

Mr Barber will take over after Easter 2013 from Monsignor Marcus Stock who has been the Acting‐Director of the Catholic Education Service since November 2011.

ENDS

Short Biography:

Paul Barber MA (Cantab), MA (Canon Law), JCL

Paul Barber is the Director of Education for the Diocese of Westminster, a post he has held since 2003.

Paul read Law at Jesus College, Cambridge, won an Exhibition to the Middle Temple and was called to the Bar in 1992. He taught law at Sussex University, King’s College, London and Westminster University, where he was also a Visiting Fellow. He has studied canon law at Cardiff, Heythrop College (MA with distinction) and Louvain (JCL summa cum laude) where he is currently undertaking a doctorate on temporal goods in the Church in England and Wales.

Paul served as the national Legal Officer for the Catholic Education Service for five years before moving to the Diocese of Westminster. He is a committee member both of the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland and the Ecclesiastical Law Society, and a member of the Editorial Board of the Christian Law Review “Law and Justice”. He is frequently involved in legislation policy at national and European level, and is a member of the Legal Affairs Commission of the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union. His current research interests include the canon law of education, jurisdiction and comparative canon law.

Today the Catholic Education Service launched its Digest of 2012 Census Data for Schools and Colleges. The data shows the prominent role of Catholic education in England and Wales with 2257 Catholic schools and colleges educating 838,756 pupils and employing 52,436 Teachers and 39,102 support staff.

The finding build upon previous year’s census which asks all Catholic schools and colleges in England and Wales to provide data on the number, Catholicity and social background of their pupils and teachers.

The data shows a number of positives:

•20 % of pupils at Catholic secondary schools live in the most deprived areas (17% nationally).

•Catholic schools are more ethnically diverse than national averages (33.5% of Catholic primary school pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds compared with 27.6% nationally.)

•The Catholicity of both the pupil and teacher population has risen slightly from previous years with 71% of pupils and 55.6% of teachers at Catholic schools stated as Catholic.

Additional research into school performance continues to show that Catholic schools and colleges are outperforming national averages. 

•74.7% of Catholic primary schools have Ofsted grades of good or outstanding (64% nationally)

•At age 11, Catholic schools outperform national average English and Maths SATs scores by 6%

•At GCSE, Catholic schools outperform the national average by 4.9%

Bishop Malcolm McMahon OP, Chairman of the Catholic Education Service said “We are very pleased to welcome these figures which show the enormous and important contribution that Catholic education makes to the common good of our society. The strength of our Catholic sector is based upon the respect for the individual, as a Child of God. Our Catholic schools continue to be a reflection of the diverse communities which we serve.”

Ends

Further data on Catholic education can be found in CES’s Digest of 2012 Census Data for Schools and Colleges available at www.catholiceducation.org.uk. (The Census return rate from Catholic schools and colleges was 98%).  

Performance statics for Catholic Education can be found in the Key Facts 2012 available at www.catholiceducation.org.uk