Stephen Pound, MP for Ealing North, praised Catholic Education at a reception in Parliament yesterday, designed to celebrate the achievements of Catholic schools and 6^th form colleges in England and Wales. 

As a parent and as a parliamentarian he said that he had witnessed at first hand that something remarkable happens in Catholic schools, not only in terms of value added, but also the work that is done outside the school within the community. 

Far from being divisive, he said that Catholic Education couldn’t be more inclusive, exemplifying a Catholic school from within his own constituency, which draws in pupils from around the globe, including, for example, Iraq, Poland, Syria, as well as England and Ireland. 

To a packed audience of Catholic parliamentarians – both peers and MPs, Bishops’, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools, Principals of 6^th form colleges, head teachers of Catholic schools, diocesan directors of education, and other colleagues supporting the work of Catholic education, the Chair of the Bishops’ Department for Education and Formation, The Most Reverend Archbishop Vincent Nichols said: “Catholic and Church of England schools are popular with parents and successful in many ways, including in respect of the measurements favoured by government in assessing educational outcomes. Why this is so is more difficult to establish….From our point of view, of course, the distinctiveness and ethos of our schools, which we work hard to cultivate on the foundations of shared faith in Christ and in the Church, is not incidental to the achievement of success and excellence. Rather that ethos and distinctiveness is instrumental to that success.”

CES Chief Executive and Director, Oona Stannard, said: “We would need to take over the whole of the Houses of Parliament if we were to include all those who had contributed to the success of Catholic Education.  But it is important to always remember that the contribution of school, family and parish is vital to the continued success of our schools and 6^th Form Colleges.”

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools, Maurice Smith, added: “It is a tribute to the Catholic Education Service and the leaders and teachers in those schools that the children achieve so well and that they are suitably prepared for adulthood and the world of work.”

ENDS

Further information:

Maggie Doherty, Media Officer, CCN

t. 020 7910 4802  e. Maggie.Doherty@cbcew.org.uk  m. 0770 251 954

Caroline Alger, CES, t. 020 7901 4890   e.  calger@cesew.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• Photographs available on request.
• Parliamentarians present at the reception included Lord Viscount Bridgeman, Jim Dobbin, MP, Mark Hoban, MP, Baroness Hooper, Barbara Keeley, MP, Patrick McLoughlin, MP, Baroness Morris of Bolton, Stephen Pound, MP, Geraldine Smith, MP, Nigel Waterson, MP, Rosie Smith, MP, John Battle, MP.

·        This is the second CES parliamentary reception, last year’s reception was hosted by Kerry Pollard, MP.