Nine in ten of the Capital’s Catholic schools pay the London Living Wage, according to the latest research. 

The study, which polled the Capital’s 330 Catholic schools, found that 90% of respondents paid the London Living Wage.

The London Living Wage is different from the national minimum wage and has this week been updated to £9.75 per hour. It is calculated as the minimum amount of money a person can live off in Greater London.

It is considerably higher than the minimum wage (£6.70) and the Government’s national living wage (£7.20) due to the higher cost of living in London.

This announcement coincides with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, reiterating the Catholic Church’s support of the Living Wage.

Cardinal Nichols said: “The Living Wage is the bedrock of a fair economy and a recognition of the worth of every individual. As such it is a fundamental part of Catholic Social Teaching.

 “For more than a century, the Catholic Church has championed the causes of just wages and dignity at work, so workers can not only support their family, but also lead a fulfilling life both in and outside the workplace.

 “The work done by the Living Wage foundation is important. In our society there are many who experience real financial difficulties yet work hard in their employment. They and their families will benefit from a true living wage and measures which bring them hope for their children.”

Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service, which itself is a Living Wage employer, commented: “It is fantastic to see so many Catholic schools in London paying the London Living Wage to all their staff.

“Not only is it basis of a just economy, it is important for young people to see how institutions respect everyone who works for them, right from support staff all the way up to school leadership. This is an essential part of the formation of the whole child.”

Notes to Editors

Catholic schools represent 10% of all state-maintained schools in London.

In total 148 schools responded to the Catholic Education Service’s Living Wage survey.

Respondents came from all 33 London boroughs.

Greater London is covered by three Catholic dioceses, the Archdiocese of Westminster, the Archdiocese of Southwark and the Diocese of Brentwood.

ENDS 

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Press Statement – 9^th September 2016

Catholic Church welcomes Prime Minister’s removal of the cap on faith admissions

We warmly welcome the Government’s proposal to remove the cap on faith-based admissions for free schools and new academies. This will enable new Catholic schools to meet the current parental demand for thousands of new Catholic school places across the country.

Currently, the arbitrary cap on faith-based admissions prevents the Church from meeting the demand from Catholic parents for Catholic places and could cause schools to turn Catholic families away on the grounds that they are Catholics. To do so contravenes not only Canon Law but also common sense.

As the largest provider of secondary schools and the second largest provider of primary schools in England, we support the Government’s aim to increase parental choice through a diverse education system. Catholic schools and academies make up 10% of state based education and have higher numbers of pupils from ethnic minorities and deprived areas and a track record of integrating these groups into mainstream society.

Catholic schools are inclusive, educating pupils from all faiths and none. One third of our pupils are from non-Catholic families. Our schools are particularly popular with parents from the Muslim community, other Christian communities and with high proportions of those who have no faith.

We have a long history of providing outstanding education and look forward to working with the Government to deliver these new Catholic schools.

Notes to Editors

There are 2142 Catholic Schools in England.

There are over 450 Catholic academies.

Pupil Population

• 819,069 pupils are educated in Catholic schools.
• 37% of pupils in Catholic primary schools are from ethnic minority backgrounds (30% nationally).
• 33% of pupils in Catholic secondary schools are from ethnic minority backgrounds (26% nationally).
• 19% of pupils at Catholic primary schools live in the most deprived areas (14% nationally).
• 17% of pupils at Catholic secondary schools live in the most deprived areas (12% nationally).

Performance Data

• 83% of Catholic secondary schools have Ofsted grades of good or outstanding (74% nationally).
• At age 11, Catholic schools outperform the national average English and Math SATs scores by 6% points.
• At GCSE, Catholic schools outperform the national average by 5% points.
• In Catholic schools, 64% of pupils for whom English is an additional language achieve grades A*-C in both English and mathematics GCSEs (59% nationally).
• Catholic schools outperforms the national average by 4% points for disadvantaged pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate.

Press Release 17 March 2016

This morning pupils at St Benedict's Catholic School, Garforth, Leeds had the opportunity to show the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne their sporting skills.

The Chancellor visited the school following his announcement in yesterday's budget to double the amount of funding dedicated to sport in every primary school. He watched demonstrations of netball and gymnastics by the children. He was able to chat with the Pupil Sports Council over a healthy breakfast.

Mr Kieron Flood, Headteacher of St Benedict's Catholic School said "Sport is an important part of the curriculum here at St Benedict's. We believe that promoting a healthy lifestyle through active participation in sport and PE will ensure that children will develop a life-long love of sport through their physical literacy. Our pupils look forward to joining in the wide variety of activities and are extremely proud of their own achievements and the achievements of other children in their school".
"We were pleased to welcome the Chancellor to St Benedict's as it provided the pupils with an opportunity to demonstrate their sporting skills and tell him personally about their success in a range of sporting competitions".

The academy encourages all pupils to have a healthy body and healthy mind so keeping fit through a wide variety of activities is important to the whole academy community including staff. The school is involved not only in the usual team sports, the highly competitive 'Skipping Festival' held between the Catholic schools in the Diocese of Leeds is a particular favourite of the children.

The academy uses the current sports premium funding to ensure that every child has the opportunity to join in sporting activities with a series of professional partners including Liz Jarosz, a PE teacher from St Wilfrid's Catholic High School and Sixth Form College, Featherstone, another academy in the trust.

The academy has achieved the Gold Activemark and is particularly proud of former pupils who have been selected to play for England All Age Wheelchair Rugby team and a visually impaired pupil who skateboards in national competitions – real success stories for those talented children.

Notes to Editors:

1) St Benedict's Catholic Primary School is a popular, oversubscribed Catholic academy in Garforth, a town on the outskirts of East Leeds in Leeds Local Authority.

2) The academy was a founding member of the Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust that comprises 2 high schools and 10 primary schools. It was established in November 2012. http://www.bkcat.co.uk/

3) The Headteacher of St Benedict's is Kieron Flood who is a Local Leader of Education and has successfully supported a school in the trust that was a sponsored conversion to academy.

4) The funding enables the academy to provide continuous professional development for staff to improve the teaching of P.E. in school and in turn enhance the experience and learning opportunities for all pupils. Sports specialist teachers and coaches are working alongside class teachers in lessons and providing provision of sports for after school clubs. In this way, children are gaining new skills and experiences and teachers are learning new techniques and knowledge to aid their professional development in teaching sport and PE. This develops an understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle through active participation in Sport and PE. Children will develop a life-long love of sport through their physical literacy.

5) The school is one of 94 schools in the Diocese of Leeds, The Bishop of Leeds is The Right Reverend Bishop Marcus Stock

6) If any further information is required please contact the headteacher on 0113 2869819 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.