These Statutes were adopted in November 1996 by the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales when it passed the following resolution:

"In consequence of the changes made by the Bishops’ Conference to its education agency following the implementation of the report 'Servicing Roman Catholic Schools' (the Lindsay Report), the Conference hereby adopts the Statutes, now before it in draft form, for the juridical person known as the Catholic Education Service, to replace the former Standing Orders and any other Statutes previously in force."

The Education Agency of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales

Preamble

The Catholic Poor School Committee was established in 1847 by the Bishops of England and Wales as our education agency. Its name was changed in 1888 to the Catholic Schools Committee and again in 1905 to the Catholic Education Council when its functions were widened to include Secondary Education. In 1991 this Conference once again re-organised our education agency, widened its functions and changed its name to the Catholic Education Service. As a result of that re-organisation, the following Statutes are hereby established by this Conference to replace all existing Statutes Orders and Rules governing our education agency:

The name of the agency is The Catholic Education Service ("the Service").
The object of the Service is the advancement of the Roman Catholic religion, primarily through education, in such ways as the Management Committee, with the support of the Bishops of England and Wales, think fit.
The Service shall consist of a Management Committee, a Co-ordinating Committee and a number of Forums.
a. The Management Committee shall consist of the following members:
i. an episcopal Chairman, who shall be appointed by the Bishops of England and Wales;

ii. not fewer than three and not more than seven members appointed by the Chairman.

b. If a term of office is specified on appointment the member shall retire when that term expires.

c. Any member of the Management Committee may be removed from office at any time by the person or persons by whom he has been appointed.

d. Membership of the Management Committee may include the Director and other officers being employees of the Service provided that together they comprise less than half of the membership.

e. The quorum for meetings of the Management Committee is three.

a. The Management Committee shall administer and manage the property of the Service in accordance with these Statutes and shall have the power to do all lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of the objective of the Service.
b. The Management Committee shall have the power to make any necessary rules for its own governance.

c. The Co-ordinating Committee shall be established by the Management Committee to co-ordinate the work of the Forums of the Service.

d. A number of Forums are to be established and their number and extent determined by the Management Committee. The Constitutions of each Forum are to be established or approved by the Management Committee.

e. The Management Committee shall have the power to make any other rules concerning the structure of the Service and may affiliate other bodies to the Service.

The Management Committee shall appoint the Trustees and Foundation Governors of St. Mary's University College; the Trustees and the Service's Foundation Governors of Newman College, Birmingham; the Service's Trustees of Christ's and Notre Dame College, Liverpool and Trinity and All Saints' College, Leeds; and shall carry out all other duties reserved to them in the Trust Deeds of those and any other Colleges in which the Service has an interest.

These Statutes may be amended or repealed by the Bishops of England and Wales provided that no amendment may be made which would have the effect of making the Service cease to be a charity at law. The Bishops may act through the Standing Committee of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales for the purposes of this Statute except for the amendment or repeal of Statutes 1, 2, 4(a)(i) and 8.

The Service may be dissolved by the Bishops of England and Wales and any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be applied for the advancement of the Roman Catholic religion in a manner to be determined by the Bishops of England and Wales.