Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust supports and partners with five secondary schools, one middle school, 41 Primary and one first school in the west of our Diocese. Our designated schools are located in four different Local Authorities, Hexham, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham. Within our Trust we will have four Teaching Schools, a National Computing Hub, a National MFL Hub and a national accredited NPQ (National Professional Qualification for Headship and Leadership) provider.
At the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust each individual’s unique talents are recognised and nurtured within a welcoming community. We aim to educate the whole person, unlocking what they can contribute to the world and fulfilling their academic potential. We believe that our Trust must be a partnership that affirms the dignity of the individual. Every student and staff member is at the heart of Christ’s teaching: this is why the promotion of the human person is the goal of all of our schools within the Trust. Catholic education and values underpin everything we do across every school, whether a student or member of staff is Catholic or not. We believe that humanity is a gift that we receive through others and that our relationships unlock the unique potential in each person.
Our motivation and general philosophy for our Trust are built on our love for the children, supported by ever-improving standards of discipline, teaching and learning, and quality of leadership.
The focus of our Trust is to care for, love and raise standards for all children within our schools, regardless of their backgrounds, whether it be social, academic, ethnic etc. This can only be achieved through effective leadership and excellent teaching at all levels. We understand and recognise that the best school leadership in Catholic Schools raises the work of the staff and the attainment of young people to levels that exceed expectations and, sometimes, even their own ambitions. We try to combine relentless focus and management skills with wide professional knowledge, faith and profound empathy, wrapped in a bag of energy and tied with robust optimism. Through our work within this partnership of wonderful schools we believe we can positively change for the better, circumstances where poverty and culture might otherwise corrode the potential of young people within our care to fulfil their talent.
Our Trust is brimming with talent and expertise which is provided by our excellent Head Teachers, staff and Trust central team. Through these dedicated people, we are able to focus on and help advise and support schools so they can create environments and opportunities that will allow transformational leadership and teaching to develop, grow and make a difference. Successful improvement strategies and models are matched and disseminated to areas of need through our leadership group and partnership working teams.
Our talented schools and teaching teams are effectively supported, guided and helped by our highly specialist central services team who cover a wide range of areas from Finance and HR to commercial services and Facilities Management. This experienced team of industry experts ensures that all schools within the Trust can tap into support with recruitment, for example, to find the best possible teachers for our schools. Similarly, we work hard to deliver support in all aspects of finance including efficient processes and systems and strategic performance, risk and decision analysis to ensure that every financial decision impacts positively on our students. We also help our schools with procurement and facilities management to ensure our schools get the best deals and save money.
As Chief Executive Officer of the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust I never cease to be amazed by the hard work, commitment and dedication of our staff within the Trust with regard to health, care, well-being and academic progress of our wonderful students.
I look forward to continuing to serve our children, parents, carers and staff to the best of my abilities.
Nick Hurn OBE
CEO Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust