The most powerful storm ever to hit land has caused devastation on an unprecedented scale in the Philippines. 9.8 million people have had their lives torn apart. But we can still help them as they try to recover and rebuild their lives. CAFOD is working with its partners Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Philippines to provide urgently needed food, emergency shelter and essential household goods.

There is a short film for you to use in class or assembly to encourage your pupils to pray and fundraise for people affected by Typhoon Haiyan >>

Your support will help local Church partners throughout the region provide emergency shelter, food, clean water and essential household items such as blankets, clothes and cooking equipment to those who have been left with nothing.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference has expressed its full support for the CAFOD emergency appeal. Chris Bain, CAFOD Director says: "However distressing the images of devastation and stories of suffering caused by Typhoon Haiyan, we cannot waste time on despair or shock – not when there are still lives to be saved, and communities in such desperate need of help."

Thank you so much for your support.

"Sadly, there are many, many victims and the damage is huge. Let's try to provide concrete help." – Pope Francis

Thursday and Friday, 30-31st January, 2014
Thistle Hotel, Marble Arch
"Where All Are Valued"

Our speakers so far include Bishop Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, Fr. Christopher Jamison, OSB, Director of the National Office for Vocation; Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools; Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales (CES); and John Pridmore, a former East End 'enforcer' who became a Christian, joined a Franciscan order, and now devotes his life to fighting gang culture.

Also joining us will be representatives from CAFOD, CES, the DfE "Pupil Premium" Team, and the CATSC President, Mary Sainsbury, and other members of the Executive.

For more information and the booking form, please click on the attachment below.

Taizé is an international and ecumenical monastic community founded in 1940 in the village of the same name, in Burgundy (France). From the 1960s the Community has welcomed young adults (minimum age 15) for week-long international meetings. 80,000 young people from all over the world participate in these meetings each year.

In 2014, some weeks in June and July are designated as school and college weeks for which school groups (Years 10-13; Scotland: S3 - S6) and 6th-form college groups are especially invited.

For more infomation please click on the link below.

What the week is about?

A stay at Taizé helps young people mature in a safe but challenging environment. Each day includes biblical reflection, small international discussion groups, some practical activity and prayer with the whole community. It is a kind of slice of Christian community life which, because it is experienced rather than just talked about, is accessible to those who do not think of themselves as religious, or who are of other faiths. Nearly all school groups in previous years have included non-Christian young people.

Dates and times 2014

• Any of these weeks are suggested for schools and colleges in England and Wales: 22-29 June, 29 June - 6 July, 6 - 13, 13 - 20 or 20 - 27 July.
(Scottish schools can also come earlier in June.)
Easter break is also possible. Other weeks by arrangement.

• Groups should arrive if possible on Sunday and leave the following Sunday, from midday on. Groups may leave instead around 10pm on Saturday, after the evening service, if students need to be home on Sunday.

For more infomation please click on the link below.

Living Wage week is approaching quickly and the CES, as an active participant in the Living Wage initiative, are eager to support it. We have been working recently alongside various organisations to help promote and implement the Living Wage resolution in dioceses and schools. The Living Wage week, which will begin on 4th November 2013, is aimed at promoting the concept of the Living Wage and celebrating the achievements of the initiative so far. In the lead up to 4th November we have produced a range of resources containing information for schools on how the Living Wage may affect them and also how to become accredited. So what exactly is the Living Wage?

As we all know employers must pay workers at least the national minimum wage, in order to ensure fair and just payment for their labour. Unfortunately however, we are seeing living costs rise year upon year and it is becoming increasingly difficult for people on the lower end of the pay scale to survive on the national minimum wage. This is where the Living Wage comes in...

The Living wage rate has been calculated by independent authorities and reflects an amount which is considered to be necessary to cover the costs of basic everyday living. There are two Living Wage rates; the current Living wage rate outside of London is £7.45 per hour, while the London rate is slightly higher at £8.55 per hour. This is due to living costs in London being higher than other parts of the country. These rates are adjusted annually to make sure that they remain in line with living costs, and so these rates will change in November, with the new rates being announced during Living Wage week.

Why are The CES supporting Living Wage Week?

In November 2012 the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales endorsed the Living Wage and passed a resolution encouraging its organisations to work towards its implementation. As a result, there are now many Catholic organisations taking an active interest in the Living Wage initiative.
The Church has a mission to the poor and a commitment to combating poverty. In the current economic climate wages are simply not stretching far enough and as a result of this 60% of the children deemed to be living in poverty in Britain today are growing up in working households. The Church wants to strive to ensure that work will always provide a way out of poverty. Therefore, we at the CES believe that paying the Living Wage is a practical step that we can take to support the Church's mission to the poor; putting our Catholic Faith into action.

Citizens UK, who are a founding member of The Living Wage Foundation, have stated that over the past decade 45,000 families have been lifted out of working poverty as a direct result of the Living Wage. This shows just how much of a positive impact implementing the Living Wage can have and for this reason, we are encouraging Catholic schools and colleges to consider taking steps towards becoming accredited Living Wage employers.

The internet can provide us with a vast world of knowledge, education and entertainment but, like most things, it comes with its risks.  Children can often be exposed online to harmful content, such as sexually explicit or violent images.  While it is the responsibility of the parents to protect their children online, it can be a complex task, which is why the government are putting measures in place to support parents in the protection of their children. 

In recent months Catholic organisations such as the Catholic Education Service and CSAN have been supporting the government’s focus on online safety.   There has been a conscious effort made to improve the online safeguarding of children and young people through putting in place measures such as a block on pornography through public Wi-Fi as well as the appointment of Claire Perry MP as the Online Safety Advisor.  Whilst the Catholic Church greatly welcomes these changes we feel that there is more to be done to protect the wellbeing of our children and young people.

Exposing children to harmful or explicit content can potentially damage their ability to build relationships and can create mental health issues, as well as having an impact upon the child’s emotional state and wellbeing.  Recent research by the Children’s Commissioner has shown that a significant number of children and young people are exposed to unwanted sexual content online despite the efforts taken to increase internet safety. 

In light of this, many Catholic organisations and agencies are showing their support for the Online Safety Bill sponsored by Baroness Howe of Idlicote.  The bill proposes an ‘Opt-in’ system which will require internet providers to provide a service which automatically excludes adult content, but will provide access to such content to adults who want it and can provide notification and proof of age. 

We sincerely hope that the government will offer its support to this bill and the actions it proposes.         

The Cathedrals Group 

20 May 2013

A new study of the implications for RE of the ongoing changes to Initial Teacher Education and follow up concerns about the state of Primary provision in RE is underway by Janet Orchard and Lesley Prior. This follows Janet's previous work on secondary RE teacher education. Find out more about the study and how you can be involved in it by downloading background information here.

In 1941, Polish priest Maximilian Kolbe entered the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz.

A gifted man, Kolbe was the founder of monasteries in Poland and Japan, produced a monthly magazine with a circulation of over one million, and formed an international movement to help bring people to the Catholic faith. Then, a chance encounter with an ordinary soldier, Franek Gajowniczec, led Kolbe to an extraordinary act – walking away from all that he had and could have achieved.

David Gooderson’s powerful play tells the true story of these two men. One became feted across the globe. The other faded into obscurity. This is their story.

***

“Kolbe’s Gift” will be a fully-staged by Ten Ten Theatre, including a cast of seven professional actors and a full professional creative team.

The Leicester Square Theatre is a 400-seat theatre in the heart of Central London staging an eclectic range of music, comedy and theatre.

Notre Dame de France Church which sits directly above the theatre, will host a range of related events including a photographic exhibition, a post-show talk and education workshops.

Ten Ten will run Education Workshops free of charge for secondary school students. These workshops will enrich the experience of watching the play for your students.

See the flyer below for more information.

News from The Cathedrals Group

At the Group's 2012 AGM, Janet Orchard gave a presentation on work she and Hugo Whately were conducting, funded by the Culhan St Gabriel's Trust, into initial teacher training for secondary RE teachers. This study has now been completed. It criticises reductions in the numbers of specialist RE teachers trained each year and calls for a richer professional formation that equips teachers to handle moral and ethical judgements in the classroom and enables pupils to understand the significance of religion in the modern world together with the beliefs and values that shape it.

Click here for the report.

Future Leaders is a fully funded leadership development programme for senior leaders working in challenging schools. Participants are committed to closing the achievement gap through the belief that every child can achieve.  In 2006, we launched our flagship leadership development programme in challenging secondary schools in London.  Since then we have expanded the programme to include six regions and we now have more than 300 Future Leaders working in over 200 schools across England.

We realise that the attainment gap starts early and that this issue needs to be addressed at the beginning of a child’s education. With this in mind we have extended our flagship programme to include 25 primary participants from challenging schools in London and the North West to join Future Leaders Cohort ’13.

The Future Leaders programme is for current, qualified teachers, who have the talent and commitment to become headteachers of challenging primary schools within two years. Successful applicants to the programme, which is delivered at no cost to the school or the participant, receive 17 days of residential facilitated training, bespoke career support as they progress to headship, on-going coaching from an experienced headteacher, regular training opportunities, an online social network providing tailored support and best practice and visits to exemplary schools across England. This programme gives participants the skills and resources to lead schools that improve the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are looking for schools to nominate staff and to pass on this information to your senior leadership teams for the opportunity to take part in this fully funded programme, where the participant will remain in your school.  For more information, please see the attached brochures and our website – www.future-leaders.org.uk.  The application window is open until Monday 22nd April.  To apply, or if you have any questions about the programme, please contact us on 0800 009 4142 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Future Leaders are holding two information sessions as follows:

North West       Thursday 18th April        5.30-7pm

Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College, Urban Road, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 8HT

London            Tuesday 16th April         6-7.30pm 

Surrey Square Primary School, London, SE17 2JY

For anyone interested in hearing more, please RSVP by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 0800 009 4142

19 March 2013 

The Cathedrals Group* 2013 Conference and Choirs Festival was hosted in Birmingham by Newman University. 

The highlight of the 2013 Choirs Festival was a performance of the ‘German Requiem’ by Brahms, sung by a massed choir of 350 singers drawn from eleven Cathedrals Group universities. Conducted by Derek Wroughton, Choir Director at Newman University, and accompanied by the Birmingham Chamber Orchestra, the professional soloists were Mark Saberton (Baritone) and Caroline Lester (soprano). 

The Choirs Festival, held in Birmingham Symphony Hall on Saturday 9 March, also featured a variety of choral pieces performed by the individual choirs. Distinguished guests included James Macmillan CBE, the celebrated composer and conductor who is an honorary graduate of Newman University, and The Most Reverend Bernard Longley, Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, who studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Photos of the Choirs Festival will be available shortly in the Feature Gallery of The Cathedrals Group website*.

This year’s residential conference for the Vice Chancellors and Principals of the 15 member institutions of The Cathedrals Group, focused on plans for collaborative projects and activities and how recent changes to the system of higher education created challenges and opportunities for member institutions, their staff and students. External speakers included Steve Egan, Deputy Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England; 

Dr Graeme Atherton, Head of AccessHE and Director of the National Education Opportunities Network; Revd Janina Ainsworth, Chief Education Officer for The Church of England; and Revd Stan Brown, Chaplaincy Officer – Education for The Methodist Church.

Professor Joy Carter, Chair of The Cathedrals Group and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winchester said: ‘The Choirs Festival has a long history. Professor Grenville Hancox MBE founded this event 25 years ago. In 1988 he came up with the inspirational idea to bring together the choirs from the different institutions to meet each other and share their love of choral music. Since that time the festival has been held in venues around the country and we are delighted to be in Birmingham this year for a very entertaining and inspiring evening.

‘The Cathedrals Group is a group of 15 universities who all share a strong commitment to values. The values of social justice, respect for the individual and promoting the public good. These values are embedded in our histories as Church Foundation institutions. But they are also part of our futures, as we equip new generations of public servants and responsible global citizens. At our conference today we agreed our strategic plan and we look forward to further developing and promoting higher education rooted in our values.’