To Boldly Go

Catholic hierarchy announcements are not know for exciting high expectations.

The Catholic archbishop of Birmingham’s statement changed that. He intends a radical overhaul of Catholic Multi-Academy Trusts in his diocese.

The first new Trust will go live from September 2025. According to the announcement, it will be the “largest MAT merger in the country” - the blueprint, and the test run, for the next stage when all other Academy Trusts in the diocese will be reshaped.

An innovative leap forward

A foundation document was published to prepare for the new Trust: Strong and Flourishing Catholic Multi-Academy Trust Framework. This document sets out the basic rationale behind the new Trust, with guidance on structures, procedures, staffing, governance, and positive monitoring regimes contributing to an evidence-based evolution of the system.

The new CMAT will exemplify outstanding Catholic education delivering the mission of the Catholic Church.

That’s what the statement says.

The Framework document is potentially the most radical, creative move in Catholic education since Bishop Marcus Stock’s writing shaped Catholic education a decade ago.

How would you recruit the leader of this new Trust?

Surely the job advert must portray the audacious nature of the Framework document.

But how to word the radical nature of the project?

How to spell out what it looks like through the eyes of a teacher and a pupil in each school?

Can the advert material describe the level of creativity required to build and deliver such an inspired proposal?

What reams of expertise and expertise would the new CEO mine to achieve success?

What levels of artistic, personal, psychological, and leadership performance would underpin the leader’s work?

How open would the authors of the Framework be in stating explicitly in the advert what is tucked between the lines in the Framework?

The advert would boost the new CMAT into orbit.

Booster rocket fails to ignite

The Framework is named, twice in the documentation for this post.

There is no emphasis on its key role.

You can find some details from the Framework, but they are like the sonar pings in a WW2 naval war film signalling a lurking submarine.

You will smile or grimace at some statements in the text.

A few employment issues seem to be overlooked.

Coyness about salaries is covered up with customary verbiage.

It is hard to escape the feeling that much of the text was lifted from a common framework for existing MAC CEOs.

The excitement and radical nature of the Framework document is gone.

What did I expect?

That the key requirements for this inspirational leader would be -  

1. an informed Catholic with insight into the teaching of the Church,

2. adept at understanding, interpreting and applying the Gospel message,

3. skilled in implementing the concept and experience of Church for young people and staff in an education setting,

4. experienced in delivering an excellent education adjusted to the needs of each pupil,

5. in a manner that impacted on the local community.

Instead, of the eight key expectations of the new leader listed, six apply to the leader of any educational set up.

The specific Catholic elements listed are to be a “practising Catholic” and “nurture the spirituality and well-being of staff and community”.

“Practising Catholic” comes nowhere near what is needed.

How do you describe practising Catholic?

a) Baptised? Tick: certificate to prove it.

b) Confirmed? Tick: photo with a bishop to prove it.

c) Confession? Tick: occasionally; does it require a list of dates, places and priests?

d) Weekly Mass in my parish? No: the curate’s obsession with wearing a biretta and draping vestments with enough lace to hang a bow window with lace curtains, the absence of prayerfulness, and content light sermons drive me to neighbouring parishes.

e) Does a practising Catholic join and support the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement, or join the outcry over Pope Francis banning any discussion of ordaining women in the Church, so contradicting his plea for a synodal Church?

f) Does a practising Catholic, deep in their studies of the scriptures, consider querying the statements from the Council of Chalcedon of AD 451? Would a Monophysite tendency bar would-be applicants?

Who decides? Man, or Spirit?

On what grounds will the interviewing panel members be selected?

Will they be named, and held to account?

How about using the appointments system used in the early Church, described in Acts 1.26?

Is that trusting the Spirit too far?

But you did raise our expectations.

Ted Dunphy

edwarddunphy1@mac.comMobile:

44 (0) 7891 179180

www.schoolwebsitewriting.com 

‘Words mean more than we can say'

Disclaimer

The views expressed are based on my experience, my research and the evidence I have uncovered. 

My experience comes from teaching in and working with Catholic schools around England over many years.

My research is based on investigating Catholic school websites in countries around the world, but especially in England.

My evidence-based approach challenges and refines my learning from the experience and the research.

I support the concept of synodality as a way of finding truth. I listen before I talk. I welcome you to have your say. I will hear you. Make it a conversation in the Spirit.