In accordance with the Bishops’ Memorandum all Catholic schools and academies are required to adopt CES employment policies. This requirement has been reinforced through the Directive issued by Bishop Philip in January 2026.
Directors of Catholic academies and governors of Catholic schools have a duty to preserve and develop the Catholic character of the academies and schools they serve. The CES model policies are designed to ensure that this duty is met throughout the employment relationship. The CES engaged in a national consultation process with relevant trade unions. However, prior to adopting these policies, employers must consult with both staff and local union officials/representatives even if the models are adopted unamended. Employers should also minute the adoption of the policies once they have been finalised and ensure that staff know how to access them.
The following employment policies and accompanying documentation are included:
- Appraisal Policy – support staff
- Appraisal Policy – teachers
- Capability Policy
- Disciplinary Policy
- Grievance Policy
- Sickness Absence Policy
The Catholic Education Service has produced separate versions of the policies for academies and schools.
The CES policies and procedures are designed to cover all substantive issues that can arise in a school environment. Models of this nature cannot cover matters that arise which are specific to local circumstances. Whilst academies and school, in order to comply with the Bishops’ requirements, must adopt the model policies as published by us, they may need to be adjusted to meet the specific practical needs of the academy or school and its workforce, in consultation with both staff and local union officials/representatives. For example, such amendments may include a local agreement in relation to the maximum number of objectives in an appraisal cycle or even inserting additional school-level procedures such as a pay review. Where the policies are to be used in a Catholic multi-academy trust, specific consideration will need to be given to the amendments that will be required in order to cover central team employees and the policy may need to be amended to reflect the particular management arrangements.
Academies and schools are required to seek approval from their diocese when any CES document is substantially amended and they must ensure that any amended version has been reviewed by their HR/legal advisers.
For each policy, the CES also provide template letters which academies and schools may find helpful.
The most recent version of the documents can be downloaded from the CES website by clicking on the relevant button below.
