diocese of Nottingham establishes country's first catholic
multi academy trust
26 September 2011
Four Catholic schools in Nottingham have successfully converted
into academies as part of a unique multi academy trust.
Lawyers at Browne Jacobson have been working closely with the
Bishop, the Director of Education, the trustees of the Catholic
Diocese of Nottingham and the four schools for a number of months
on the legal aspects of setting up the country’s first Catholic
school multi academy trust and assisting the schools complete the
transformation to academy status.
The four Catholic Voluntary Academies include The Becket
Catholic School, Blessed Robert Widmerpool Catholic Primary School,
Our Lady and St Edward Catholic Primary School and St Edmund
Campion Catholic Primary School. Located in East and South
Nottingham, the four schools have a combined pupil population
exceeding 1900.
A multi-academy trust is a model for grouping schools which will
enable the schools to share skills and resources more effectively,
make better use of budgets, enhance pupils’ education through joint
school projects and allow greater flexibility in curriculum
design.
Gail Neill, Director of Education at the Diocese of Nottingham
Education Service, commented:
“The trustees looked at a number of options before deciding upon
the multi academy trust model for our schools in Nottingham.
Congratulations to the four schools for being at the forefront of
such an innovative initiative. We would also like to thank Browne
Jacobson for their support and expertise in helping us to establish
the country’s first Catholic multi academy trust.”
Browne Jacobson is one of the leading law firms in the country
in terms of the number of academy conversion instructions. Since
the implementation of the Academies Act 2010, the firm has been
instructed upon more than 200 academy conversion projects
nationally.
Mark Blois, Head of the Academies Team at Browne Jacobson,
added:
“By establishing the country’s first multi-academy trust for
Catholic schools the Diocese of Nottingham is leading the way. It
is a model that Dioceses up and down the country will be watching
closely. We are delighted to have helped the four schools fulfil
their ambitions for greater financial freedom and decision-making
autonomy whilst maintaining their distinctive Catholic ethos and
remaining an integral part of the wider Catholic family.”