Considering our future at

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School

Dear St. Gregory’s School Community

St. Gregory's Catholic Primary School has long been at the heart of Catholic education in Lydiate, living out our mission: 'Together, in Jesus, we Love, Learn, Create and Celebrate!'

We are passionate about ensuring that all our children achieve the very best opportunities in life, rooted in Gospel values and in the strong relationships we hold with our families, our parish, and the wider community.

As you may be aware, and as we have previously shared with you, the Archdiocese of Liverpool has recently launched a long-term strategy for all Catholic schools called "A Family in Christ: Our Future Together." As part of this strategy, all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese will become academies and join a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust - a direction that many other dioceses have already taken, and one that the Government has also indicated it expects all schools to follow.

The Archdiocese has indicated that this will take place over the next four to five years, with schools joining in phases, or waves. St. Gregory's was originally scheduled to join Pope Francis Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (PFCMAT) during Wave 4. However, after two years of carefully observing the Trust's progress, building a strong partnership with its leadership, and reflecting deeply on what is best for our children, the Governing Body and I have made the decision to accelerate our timeline and join as part of Wave 1.

We believe this is the most proactive step we can take to secure and enhance the future of our school - allowing us to help shape the Trust's direction from the outset, rather than inherit structures already set. It also means that our children and staff will benefit sooner from collaborative teaching and learning opportunities that being part of PFCMAT will bring, along with financial and operational resilience that means our budgets go to where they are needed most – classroom teaching, technology and learning environment.

Importantly, for our children, daily life at St. Gregory's will remain unchanged: our name, our uniform, our unique traditions, and our core staff stay exactly as they are.

We know that St. Gregory's has much to contribute to the Church's educational mission, and we are proud of everything our community represents. That is why we have created this site - to keep you fully informed, answer your questions, and hear your views.

So please do read the content of this site and share your views via the link on the HAVE YOUR SAY page. We look forward to hearing from you!

As Pope Francis said ‘Unity happens when we walk together’.

With every good wish,

Mr Joseph Perree
Headteacher

Welcome

About Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust

Pope Francis CMAT is a family of Catholic schools, established by the Archbishop of Liverpool to serve children, families and communities through the mission of the Church.

The Trust currently have four secondary schools (including an associate member) and four primary schools with a number of schools set to join the Trust this year.