The Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust, has a board of directors that are responsible for all the academies in the trust. The majority of the directors are appointed by the Bishop of Lancaster to ensure that:
The Multi Academy Trust is the employer of all the staff who work in the academies and retains the current commitment to appoint practising Catholics in the key leadership positions of head teachers, deputy head teachers and heads/co-ordinators of Religious Education. As per current expectations, all staff working in the academies are expected to support their Catholic ethos. The local governing bodies/academy boards also have the majority of members appointed by the Bishop of Lancaster.
These “non-negotiables” are written into the Articles of Association and Supplemental Agreement that forms the contractual arrangements which are enforceable in law. The Catholic Education Service has prepared documents alongside the Department for Education which addresses these key “non-negotiable” issues and these are highlighted in the Lancaster RC Diocese briefing paper on academies.
Non Negotiables
There is general acceptance across all Dioceses that certain rights afforded to Catholic schools are non negotiable and such was confirmed at the National Symposium held on 16 December 2010 attended by Archbishop Nichols, CESEW officers, representatives of the Bishops’ Conference and Diocesan Commissioners.
In more specific terms some of these rights include
The ‘non-negotiables’ cannot by definition be set aside. The rights therein are at present protected by legislation in Voluntary Aided Schools as originally instanced in the 1944 Act.
(Diocese of Lancaster Education Service, Briefing Notes, Academies – Information & Analysis, 2012)
Sr. Margaret Atkins wrote a short paper for the Lancaster RC Diocese Academies Working Group discussing the possible dangers and opportunities of academy status for a school's Catholic ethos. A copy of the document may be found at the link below (Adobe PDF, 58KB)
Tel: 01253 396286
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St. Walburga's Road, Blackpool, FY3 7EQ.