In accordance with Canon Law the Bishop holds Canonical responsibility for the oversight of all Catholic education within his Diocese. To secure such oversight, the Bishop establishes a Diocesan Schools Service who act on his behalf in school matters. His primary objective in relation to his Catholic schools is to ensure that: there are sufficient places in Catholic schools to meet the needs of Catholic children resident in His area the formation and education provided in His schools is authentically Catholic; the educational standards in His schools are outstanding It is the role of the Bishop to define the vision for His Catholic schools, with Christ at the centre. The Bishop’s Vision is to make Christ known and loved, through the provision of excellent Catholic education and schools intent on finding Christ in their daily lives and sharing that encounter with others.
Through His Diocesan Schools Commissioner the Bishop has established Diocesan Catholic Academy Trusts that will respect and uphold the Bishop’s role as First Educator of the Diocese by delivering the three strands of His vision: 1. To make Christ known and loved All schools within the Diocese should place Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the centre of all they do, and fulfil the Church’s divine mission of ‘helping all to arrive at the fullness of Christian life’ (Code of Canon Law, Can 794 §1). In their work of love, schools and academies should offer ‘to all, and especially to the poor and marginalised, the opportunity of an education, of training for a job, of human and Christian formation’ (The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Millennium, Congregation 2 for Catholic Education, 1997 §15). Schools and academies should manifest a Catholic ethos which is evident and open to experience by all who enter. 2. Provide excellent Catholic Schools All schools within the Diocese should provide the highest quality of Catholic education to children and young people, an education that develops the whole child. Highly effective Catholic leadership should drive policy and practice that are rooted in the Gospel values and reflect and embody the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church. Young people should achieve well and enjoy their learning in Religious Education and be religiously literate and engaged. All who work in schools should ensure that all children and young people reach their academic potential. 3. Enable all to find Christ in their daily lives and share this with others All schools within the Diocese should put Christ at the centre of everything they do by integrating the teachings of the Catholic Church into every aspect of learning, teaching and the daily aspects of school life. Young people should contribute to and benefit greatly from the Catholic Life of the school and the provision for Collective Worship. The intent of the curriculum and its implementation, should impact by helping children and young people grow to their full human potential so that ‘all may attain their eternal destiny and at the same time promote the common good of society’(Code of Canon Law, Can 795). Leadership and teaching should enable young people to make links between activities and the teachings of Christ, i.e. linking climate issues to Creation and stewardship.
The Bishop’s vision reflects the Church’s recognition that Catholic schools play a deliberate and specific role in making Christ known and loved. It is incumbent on the Trusts to ensure that their vision, mission, policies and practices, along with those of individual schools, secure excellent Catholic schools that enable all to find Christ in their daily lives and to share that encounter with others.
