One of the first Initial Teacher Education (ITE) schemes specifically aimed at teaching in Catholic schools is set to launch in September. 

Learn Locally is for trainee teachers who want to learn to teach in Catholic schools in the Greater Manchester area. 

It will be delivered by Liverpool Hope University and Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust (CAT), as part of the Formatio partnership of dioceses, Catholic multi-academy trusts and the four Catholic universities in England.

Alongside the delivery of the accredited curriculum required by Ofsted and the Department for Education, enhancements to the curriculum are being developed that will add a Catholic element and the distinctive ethos of the CAT.

Emmaus will recruit trainees with the potential to be strong, high quality Catholic teachers and future leaders for the CAT family. Staff have been identified and trained to become mentors and curriculum tutors for the new trainees, with continuing professional development provided by Liverpool Hope University.    

Professor Cate Carroll-Meehan, Executive Dean of Liverpool Hope University’s Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, said: “We are delighted to partner with Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust to launch the Learn Locally programme. This innovative initiative aligns with the University’s strong commitment to working in partnership with schools and dioceses to design, deliver and quality assure training which produces passionate and talented teachers.

“We have a long history in teacher education in the North West and look forward to working with Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust to develop the next generation of outstanding Catholic teachers in the region.”

Daniel Copley, Chief Executive Officer of Emmaus CAT, said: “Working together with Liverpool Hope, Emmaus CAT recognises that the ITE partnership can create strong foundations for the future Emmaus workforce. 

"It forms part of the strategic development plans of Emmaus to ensure it attracts, retains and supports the flourishing of the best Catholic teachers and leaders for the Emmaus CAT and the wider Diocese of Salford.”

Similar teacher training schemes have also been set up with the Catholic universities by the Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust and Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, within the Formatio regional hub structure.

The Formatio partnership supports the CES and diocesan schools commissions to work with the four Catholic universities and Catholic multi-academy trusts in implementing strategies for school leadership and governance, as commissioned by the Bishops in 2017.

To find out more about establishing a similar ITE scheme contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Sue Cronin, Director of Quality and Accreditation at Liverpool Hope University, atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Train to be a teacher with Learn Locally

Thousands of Catholic school staff have completed CES-led National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) training recently rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. 

Based on an inspection taking place during May, 2024, the report states ‘participants benefit greatly from the exceptional training’ which is delivered by ‘highly skilled and expert trainers, facilitators and coaches.’

The CES and Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL) were named by the Department for Education as lead providers of a revised suite of NPQs. Curriculum design was shaped around leadership development to fit the needs of Catholic and Church of England school contexts. 

So far 40% of the approximately 7,000 attendees have been from Catholic schools, equating to around 2,800 staff members being trained in high quality leadership. 

The report states: “School leaders overwhelmingly state that participants apply their knowledge with conviction and confidence as a result of the training they have received during their NPQ programme. This, in turn, consistently benefits their school communities.”

The CES has developed the curriculum design around the NPQs, providing a vision-driven additionality option unique to the CEFEL/CES offer.  The Catholic NPQ+ offers three modules, Form, Nourish and Sustain, based on formation, the Catholic character of a school and sustaining leadership roles in Catholic education.

Catherine Bryan, Assistant Director of the CES, said: “We’re delighted with this ‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted, which demonstrates the excellent joint working with colleagues across the Catholic sector and with the Church of England. 

“The Formatio partnership continues to assist the dioceses with strategies for school leadership development, and we hope many more staff will continue to be supported to attend this training.”

NPQs are provided by 28 delivery partners across the country including teaching school hubs and multi-academy trusts. There is also the opportunity for dioceses to act as delivery partners for the additional support, either individually or as part of the four Formatio regional hubs.  

The Formatio partnership of dioceses, Catholic multi-academy trusts (CMATs) and the four Catholic universities in England supports the CES and diocesan schools commissions in implementing strategies for school leadership and governance, as commissioned by the Bishops in 2017. 

Find out more about the NPQs

Four Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Catholic multi-academy trusts (CMATs) in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle recently shared their thoughts on how their schools had academised.

The 12 July panel discussion was part of a conference for school leaders organised by the diocese’s Department for Education, and the third immersion day for the Catholic Academy Trust Training Collaborative (CATtColl).

CATtColl is the national network of CMATs, and the largest network of academies in the country. It delivers continuing professional development in collaboration with the four Catholic universities on behalf of the Formatio partnership of dioceses, CMATs and universities.

The following is a summary of some key points of the discussion:

Common ownership and co-creation by school staff is essential in developing a new curriculum, along with enabling schools to adapt them to meet their local context.  

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for all school staff has proved an effective way for CMATs to communicate directly with employees at all levels. Posting information on school computer screensavers is also a useful communications channel.

A way of explaining academisation is a shift from school services provided by a non-Catholic body [a local authority], to a Catholic body [a CMAT].

CMAT ‘schemes of delegation’ have proved helpful for governors, to understand their different responsibilities within a multi-academy trust system.

Staff members of CMATs can also attend the governing body meetings of every school within the CMAT, albeit a big undertaking. This has enabled strong lines of communication.    

Trust boards had found that being provided with detailed statistical information on all schools within CMATs was unnecessary for a single meeting – instead a detailed focus on particular schools was proving more useful. 

In some CMATs the development of Key Performance Indicators is also being explored to assist trust boards with their strategic remit, while others prefer clarity around expectation and quality statements to ensure progress is secure. 

Some small schools may not be financially viable, but it is important to retain Catholic education in these communities. 

None of the CMATs operated General Annual Grant (GAG) pooling. 

An equitable model can help small schools develop a budget, supported by schools across the CMAT.

A strong focus on children at the Early Years Foundation Stage was seen as essential in reducing attainment gaps that significantly widen in later years.  

Find out more about Formatio

MyNewTerm is the applicant tracking system of choice for thousands of schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs) across England, including many hundreds of Catholic schools since MyNewTerm began collaborating with the CES.

Working extensively with the unique requirements of Catholic schools and MATs, MyNewTerm has streamlined the recruitment process for both candidates and employers to ensure compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) and ensure that the application forms, in particular, are appropriate for use in Catholic schools and MATs and approved by the CES.

Change within school recruitment is needed more than ever today; the labour market continues to remain challenging, with recruitment processes for many Catholic schools still time-consuming, costly and labour-intensive, and the concern of losing the best candidates also often looms.

MyNewTerm’s Catholic partner MATs and schools have already innovated with speed and ease to improve their education provision, by attracting the best candidates and deploying a fully digitalised process; all offered by the MyNewTerm platform.

Founded by a former teacher, MyNewTerm is the leading applicant tracking system for schools and MATs and provides employers with some of the following benefits:

• Improved efficiency
• Ensured compliance with KCSiE
• CES-approved application forms
• Fully digital application process for candidates
• Integration with the DfE Teaching Vacancies Service

Joe Richardson is Strategic Executive Leader at St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust, which is made up of 17 schools within the Diocese of Northampton and has partnered with MyNewTerm for several years. He said: “MyNewTerm has sensitively and thoughtfully adapted the platform to reflect the distinct needs of Catholic schools, ensuring that specific needs are met in full. They constantly update the platform to reflect KCSiE and, for that reason alone, I cannot imagine being without it!”

Wayne Cartmel, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at MyNewTerm, said: “We are proud to have worked collaboratively with the CES to deliver on the specific requirements for Catholic schools to provide the benefit of being able to fully digitise the recruitment process. Removing barriers for prospective candidates is essential in a challenging recruitment market and we are pleased to be able to provide an online application process for all Catholic schools to benefit.”

Paul Barber, Director of the CES, said: “The CES has been pleased to work with MyNewTerm to ensure that its application forms are suitable for use in Catholic schools. It is important that the CES provides support to enable Catholic schools to attract the best candidates for roles in their schools.”

To learn more about the applicant tracking system of choice for the education sector and the bespoke online application process developed for Catholic Schools, get in touch here with the MyNewTerm team today.