TRUST SCHOOLS PROSPECTUS NEEDS ADDITIONAL CLARITY

The Catholic Education Service has read the government’s prospectus on Trust schools with interest. Whilst it does help to clarify the purpose and status of Trust schools, the government must do a great deal of work before we can be confident that they are a necessary addition to the schools system.

Whilst the case studies are interesting, they do not demonstrate the need for schools to acquire Trust status to allow the desired collaboration between schools, colleges and the wider community – in fact, they highlight how well this is happening already without recourse to Trust status.

We welcome the paper’s acknowledgement that voluntary aided schools ‘benefit hugely’ from the involvement of their foundations and governors. However, the government fails to explain how the foundations contribute – in the case of Catholic schools, dioceses provide essential vision, values, expertise and support to governing bodies. The success which the government seeks is rooted in substance not structures.

Oona Stannard

Chief Executive and Director

6th January 2005