Leadership and Governance of Catholic Schools

´When Jesus is asked which is the greatest commandment, the answer is the same in all three of the Gospels in which the question is asked: to love God with all your mind, heart, soul and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself.
´

This call to love is at the heart of the educational mission of every Catholic school.

Catholic schools have three core aspects:
  • ´Catholic life and mission of the school (to follow you more nearly)
  • ´religious education (to know you more clearly)
  • ´and collective worship (to love you more dearly)

 

“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26–28).

Catholic Life and Mission

Leaders and governors show their commitment and ambition to the school’s Catholic life and mission through:

  • the commitment of leaders and governors to the Catholic life and mission of the school.
  • the extent of their engagement with the diocese.
  • the extent to which the school puts itself at the service of the local Church.
  • the extent to which school leaders and governors acknowledge parents as the first educators of their children and support them in that vocation.
  • the commitment of leaders and governors to Catholic Social Teaching.
  • the extent to which leaders and governors demonstrate respect for the rights and dignity of employees.
  • the extent to which the whole school curriculum reflects a Catholic worldview.
  • the commitment of governors to the Catholic life and mission of the school and their effectiveness as guardians of the Catholic life and mission of the school.
  • the quality and effectiveness of the self-evaluation processes of the school.
  • the extent to which pupil voice is included in self-evaluation processes.
  • the frequency and quality of professional development opportunities devoted to the Catholic life and mission of the school.
  • the effectiveness of induction of new staff into the Catholic life and mission of the school.

Religious Education

Leaders and governors show their commitment and ambition to the place of religious education as the ‘core of the core’ in the curriculum through:

  • how faithful the planned curriculum is to the learning required by The Religious Education Directory, and the extent to which resources enhance this learning.
  • whether religious education has parity with other core curriculum subjects in terms of resourcing, timetabling, staffing, accommodation and exam entries.
  • the frequency and quality of professional development in subject and pedagogical expertise provided for teachers of religious education.
  • how effective the subject leader is in securing high quality teaching and learning in all religious education lessons.
  • how well the sequencing of learning in the planned curriculum secures progress, and how coherent it is within and between different age phases.
  • the extent to which the planned curriculum ensures that all pupils are able to make progress in their learning.
  • the extent to which the subject leader ensures that the learning in the classroom is enhanced by the enrichment opportunities provided for pupils.
  • the quality of the self-evaluation undertaken by leaders and governors and its impact on improvements to teaching and learning in religious education.

Prayer and Liturgy

Leaders and governors show their commitment and the value placed on the school’s prayer and liturgy through:

  • how well formulated the school’s policy on prayer and liturgy is and how effective it is in shaping and supporting the prayer and liturgical life of the school.
  • how well leaders, including governors, have planned prayer and liturgy across the school to facilitate the pupils’ progressive participation.
  • the priority given by leaders, including governors, to the Celebration of the Eucharist, especially on holy days of obligation and other significant days in the Church’s or school’s calendar, and to the Sacrament of Reconciliation at key times in the liturgical year.
  • the frequency, quality and impact of the planned opportunities for the professional development of all staff: how well these reflect the significant role of prayer and liturgy in the life of the school.
  • how well leaders, including chaplains, understand prayer in the Catholic tradition, the spiritual development of students and the interplay between the personal and collective experiences of prayer.
  • how well leaders, including chaplains, understand the principles of liturgical participation and ministry and how well they draw upon the Church’s liturgical sources.
  • the effectiveness of leaders, including chaplains, in facilitating pupils and staff to provide high quality prayer and liturgy across the school, in a manner that reflects the age and capacity of participants.
  • the priority given to prayer and liturgy when setting budgets and allocating resources, such as time, staffing and dedicated spaces for prayer and liturgy.
  • the extent to which evaluation of prayer and liturgy is central to the school’s annual review cycle and how effectively leaders, including governors, implement improvements as a result.