Teach in Herts is the dedicated platform for jobs in education and childcare, with more than 700 of the county’s schools, trusts and settings using the platform as their primary recruitment resource and over 50,000 visitors per month. The site lists around 10,000 vacancies every year across four main categories: teaching, leadership, early years and professional and support.

Recognising the need for a more streamlined application process, Teach in Herts has worked to simplify and enhance the experience for both Catholic schools and for their prospective candidates. This improvement ensures that the unique data capture requirements of Catholic schools are met while making the process easier for applicants.

Developed in close partnership with the CES, this advancement allows Catholic institutions to manage their recruitment seamlessly through the platform, eliminating the need for downloadable application forms. These forms, which are often time-consuming, have been replaced by a CES-approved online application form. This form automatically populates candidate’s information from their profile, reducing the time required to complete each application and increasing the likelihood of submission.

Carole Bennett, CEO of HFL Education said: “I am delighted that we have worked together with the Catholic Education Service in order to enable our Catholic school colleagues to benefit from a streamlined recruitment service with Teach in Herts. We at HFL are never prouder than when we work with our partners to help improve the quality of teaching and learning - and strong recruitment is critical to the strength and success of schools, trusts and settings.”

Paul Barber, CES Director, said: “The CES has been pleased to work with HFL Education to ensure that its application forms are suitable for use in Catholic schools. It is important that the CES provides support to enable Catholic schools to attract the best candidates for roles in their schools.”

To learn more, get in touch on 01438 544468 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

The role of Catholic multi-academy trusts (CMATs) within the Church’s mission is set to be the subject of a university research project.

St Mary’s, in Twickenham (pictured), is one of four Catholic universities in England and will look into the effectiveness and distinctiveness of CMATs, their leadership formation, and how CMATs fit in with the Church’s structures.  

The aim is to help inform the Church as it accompanies Catholic educational leaders in their vocational and spiritual formation. It promises to assist in the development of CMATs, and the structures for their support, to positively impact staff and students. 

Funded in its first phase by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the research will be carried out with the support of the CES; Formatio partnership of dioceses, CMATs and universities; and the Catholic Academy Trust Training Collaborative (CATtColl).

Direct oversight of the research will be undertaken by Professor Stephen Parker, Director of the university’s Centre for Catholic Education, Research and Religious Literacy (CERRL), with the support of Dr Mary Mihovilović, and a research assistant to be appointed.

Professor Parker said: “Catholic education in schools in England is amidst the greatest degree of organisational change since the 1944 Education Act. 

"By 2030 it is likely that many or most Catholic schools in England will be part of a CMAT, and this significant organisational change requires research and evaluation to inform the Church’s mission and strategy for Catholic education.”

The research will investigate:

• the effectiveness and distinctiveness of CMATs

• the current experiences of CMAT leaders, their professional and spiritual formation and likely future need in a period of great organisational and educational change 

• the current and future positioning of CMATs within the wider mission of the Church and its existing educational and ecclesial structures of support and governance

Initially focusing on CMATs in the South East of England, there will also be analysis of the role of CMAT Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), exploring the following: 

• how do CMAT CEOs and leaders currently operationalise the distinctiveness of CMATs as Catholic organisations? 

• how do they understand the nature of the mission of the Church in education in a period of change? 

• how do they articulate, strategise, and enact their vision? 

• how, and by what means, do they individually find their vision supported, academically, professionally, spiritually and structurally through the existing mechanism of governance and support offered by the Church?

Find out more about St Mary’s University

One of the first Initial Teacher Education (ITE) schemes specifically aimed at teaching in Catholic schools is set to launch in September. 

Learn Locally is for trainee teachers who want to learn to teach in Catholic schools in the Greater Manchester area. 

It will be delivered by Liverpool Hope University and Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust (CAT), as part of the Formatio partnership of dioceses, Catholic multi-academy trusts and the four Catholic universities in England.

Alongside the delivery of the accredited curriculum required by Ofsted and the Department for Education, enhancements to the curriculum are being developed that will add a Catholic element and the distinctive ethos of the CAT.

Emmaus will recruit trainees with the potential to be strong, high quality Catholic teachers and future leaders for the CAT family. Staff have been identified and trained to become mentors and curriculum tutors for the new trainees, with continuing professional development provided by Liverpool Hope University.    

Professor Cate Carroll-Meehan, Executive Dean of Liverpool Hope University’s Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, said: “We are delighted to partner with Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust to launch the Learn Locally programme. This innovative initiative aligns with the University’s strong commitment to working in partnership with schools and dioceses to design, deliver and quality assure training which produces passionate and talented teachers.

“We have a long history in teacher education in the North West and look forward to working with Emmaus Catholic Academy Trust to develop the next generation of outstanding Catholic teachers in the region.”

Daniel Copley, Chief Executive Officer of Emmaus CAT, said: “Working together with Liverpool Hope, Emmaus CAT recognises that the ITE partnership can create strong foundations for the future Emmaus workforce. 

"It forms part of the strategic development plans of Emmaus to ensure it attracts, retains and supports the flourishing of the best Catholic teachers and leaders for the Emmaus CAT and the wider Diocese of Salford.”

Similar teacher training schemes have also been set up with the Catholic universities by the Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust and Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, within the Formatio regional hub structure.

The Formatio partnership supports the CES and diocesan schools commissions to work with the four Catholic universities and Catholic multi-academy trusts in implementing strategies for school leadership and governance, as commissioned by the Bishops in 2017.

To find out more about establishing a similar ITE scheme contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Sue Cronin, Director of Quality and Accreditation at Liverpool Hope University, atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Train to be a teacher with Learn Locally

Thousands of Catholic school staff have completed CES-led National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) training recently rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. 

Based on an inspection taking place during May, 2024, the report states ‘participants benefit greatly from the exceptional training’ which is delivered by ‘highly skilled and expert trainers, facilitators and coaches.’

The CES and Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL) were named by the Department for Education as lead providers of a revised suite of NPQs. Curriculum design was shaped around leadership development to fit the needs of Catholic and Church of England school contexts. 

So far 40% of the approximately 7,000 attendees have been from Catholic schools, equating to around 2,800 staff members being trained in high quality leadership. 

The report states: “School leaders overwhelmingly state that participants apply their knowledge with conviction and confidence as a result of the training they have received during their NPQ programme. This, in turn, consistently benefits their school communities.”

The CES has developed the curriculum design around the NPQs, providing a vision-driven additionality option unique to the CEFEL/CES offer.  The Catholic NPQ+ offers three modules, Form, Nourish and Sustain, based on formation, the Catholic character of a school and sustaining leadership roles in Catholic education.

Catherine Bryan, Assistant Director of the CES, said: “We’re delighted with this ‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted, which demonstrates the excellent joint working with colleagues across the Catholic sector and with the Church of England. 

“The Formatio partnership continues to assist the dioceses with strategies for school leadership development, and we hope many more staff will continue to be supported to attend this training.”

NPQs are provided by 28 delivery partners across the country including teaching school hubs and multi-academy trusts. There is also the opportunity for dioceses to act as delivery partners for the additional support, either individually or as part of the four Formatio regional hubs.  

The Formatio partnership of dioceses, Catholic multi-academy trusts (CMATs) and the four Catholic universities in England supports the CES and diocesan schools commissions in implementing strategies for school leadership and governance, as commissioned by the Bishops in 2017. 

Find out more about the NPQs