As a charity and company limited by guarantee, the Catholic Education Trust (in law, Multi Academy Trust Company) is governed by a board of directors who are responsible for, and oversight of, the management and administration of the CET. The directors have overall responsibility and decision-making authority for the work of the CET. These responsibilities are carried out through strategic planning and setting of policy.
As the academies are Catholic schools, the directors are accountable to the Bishop and are required to ensure that the academies are conducted as Catholic schools in accordance with canon law and the teachings of the Catholic Church so that, at all times, the schools may serve as witness to the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Directors are also accountable to external agencies including the Charity Commission, the Department for Education, and the Education & Skills Funding Agency. Both the Bishop and external government agencies hold the CET to account for the quality of education, financial propriety and the value they provide, and require that the CET has systems in place through which they can assure themselves of quality, safety and good practice.
Directors are appointed according to their skills so that the board is fully able to carry out its functions. The board of directors consists of foundation directors who are practising Catholics and are appointed by the Bishop. Boards may contain non-foundation directors whose appointments are approved by the Bishop. Foundation directors are always in the majority of at least two. All directors are accountable to the Bishop and members and they have a duty to uphold the objects (as outlined in the Articles of Association) and to comply with any directives, advice, and/or guidance issued by the Bishop. They are responsible for preserving and developing the CET’s Catholic character at all times, and this overriding duty (which is also a legal duty) should permeate everything that the directors do.
