Following the launch of his vision for the future of Catholic education across the Archdiocese of Liverpool in April, Archbishop John Sherrington reflects on the progress made so far, what has been learned along the way, and the journey that still lies ahead.

 

It is incredible that six months have passed since I joined colleagues from the Archdiocese’s Education Department and leaders from our Catholic Multi Academy Trusts to meet headteachers and chairs of governors and share a new vision for the future of Catholic education across our Archdiocese under the ‘A Family in Christ: Our Future Together’ strategy. This vision recognises that Catholic education is a mission of the Church in the Archdiocese, and that we are better working together for the good of all children and students in our schools and colleges.

 

The launch came 12 months after the publication of the ‘Drawing New Maps of Hope’ Apostolic Letter, in which Pope Leo XIV reminded us: “In every renewal of educational structures, the Church is called not to preserve buildings but to animate hearts; not to defend systems but to open paths where communion, formation, and mission meet. The school, in all its forms, must remain a living sign of the Church’s maternal wisdom, able to reform itself so that the Gospel may reach every generation.”

 

It also followed the Government’s Schools White Paper, ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’, which set an expectation that every state-funded school will join or form a strong school trust, recognising the benefits of schools working together to improve outcomes for children and families.

 

In my keynote address at the launch, I reflected on the challenges we know our 221 Catholic schools are facing and why this vision provides opportunities, and outlined the importance in renewing and building together a strong future for Catholic education across our Archdiocese.

 

I said: “I believe we are better together, working together to serve the mission, providing greater support for staff and retaining stewardship of our educational future for generations of Catholic children and young people to come. Together, we are a constellation of stars offering hope throughout our Archdiocese.” Six months later, this message is still the foundation of our vision.

 

Progress since the launch

 

Turning a vision into reality requires commitment and collaboration. Over the past six months, significant progress has been made across the Archdiocese.

 

Senior leaders and governors from Wave 1 schools have had meetings with representatives from the Education Department and CMATs. These sessions have provided opportunities to meet support teams, ask questions, share any concerns, and prepare collaboratively for the next stage of the process.

 

We have also continued to develop the support available to schools. A dedicated Project Lead is now in post within the Archdiocese, working with school leaders to coordinate the programme and support its implementation.

 

I’m pleased that, within a relatively short timeframe, 14 schools have already completed the conversion application process, with applications currently being considered by the Department for Education. This includes eight schools joining Pope Francis CMAT and six schools joining St Joseph CMAT, and at the time of going to print, we expect the schools to gain approval shortly.

 

A number of schools have expressed interest in joining an earlier implementation wave as they would like to start their journey. This builds upon the valuable experience of the 19 schools already operating within St Joseph and Pope Francis CMATs. Alongside preparations for school conversions, work is progressing to establish Our Lady of Lourdes North West CMAT.

 

Learning through change

 

Our children and future generations deserve the highest quality Catholic education possible. Achieving this requires collaboration and a shared commitment to continuous improvement.

 

Our confidence in this direction is not based on structure alone, but on a growing body of evidence about what can be achieved when schools work together in strong trusts. Recent research from the Confederation of School Trusts and ImpactEd, drawing on national data over many years, provides encouraging evidence on pupil outcomes, school improvement, and workforce development. This is particularly important for us as a Catholic family of schools and our commitment to the common good, delivering good outcomes for all pupils. Working together enables us to share expertise, build capacity, and create greater opportunities for every child and member of staff.

 

We were prepared for the launch to bring questions, challenges, and a variety of opinions and perspectives.

 

Of course, there has been learning along the way, and this provides us with an opportunity to adapt and strengthen our approach. We have listened carefully to feedback and have refined our processes where necessary to improve our support to schools.

 

We continue to welcome open and constructive dialogue and remain committed to working collaboratively with all those involved.

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Looking ahead

 

As we move beyond this six-month milestone, we will continue to:

 

• Listen to feedback from staff, governors, parents, and wider stakeholders and use their insights to shape our processes

• Enhance our support and guidance so that school communities feel further informed, prepared, and confident about their next steps

• Strengthen our communications and engagement activity to ensure transparency and enhance our communication throughout the process

• Take a pragmatic approach to implementation, reviewing timelines where appropriate.

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A shared journey

 

We recognise that many people will still have questions about the process and what it means for their school community and we welcome that dialogue.

 

What has been most encouraging over the past six months is the spirit in which schools, governors, trusts, and archdiocesan colleagues have engaged with this work. While there may be different perspectives, there is a shared commitment to continue to offer the very best Catholic education for the young people in our schools.

 

The journey ahead is significant, but together we can build A Family in Christ: Our Future Together.

 

If you have any feedback or questions, we welcome you to complete the online form: The Future of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Liverpool which informs our Frequently Asked Questions.