Our rationale

St. Gregory's Catholic Primary School has been identified by the Archdiocese of Liverpool to join Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Trust (PFCMAT) as part a wider academisation strategy that will see all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese becoming academies and joining a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust.

Whilst St. Gregory's was originally scheduled to join in Wave 4, the Governing Body and Headteacher have made a considered and deliberate decision to accelerate that timeline and join as part of Wave 1. After two years of carefully observing the PFCMAT's progress and building a strong working partnership with its leadership, we are confident that joining now, at the earliest opportunity, is the right decision for our children, our staff and our community.

This is not a change that has been made lightly, nor one that has been made for us. It is a proactive choice, rooted in our commitment to doing what is best for St. Gregory's.

There are several reasons why we believe this is the right course of action:

  • We want to do even more for our pupils, providing greater opportunities for every child to flourish academically, socially and personally, in line with our mission to Love, Learn, Create and Celebrate together in Jesus.

  • Our Catholic ethos, identity and values are at the heart of everything we do, and they will remain so. Joining a Trust established by the Archbishop of Liverpool, and grounded in the same Gospel values, gives us confidence that what makes St. Gregory's distinctive will be protected and strengthened, not diminished.

  • By joining in Wave 1, we have the opportunity to help shape the Trust's direction from the outset, rather than inherit structures already set. We believe St. Gregory's has much to contribute, and we want our voice at the table from the beginning.

  • Being part of a Trust family will increase our capacity in leadership, school improvement and central services - meaning our staff are better supported, and our resources are directed where they are needed most: classroom teaching, technology and the learning environment.

  • We want to invest more in our staff. The Trust offers enhanced professional development and career progression opportunities that are difficult to sustain as a standalone school, and we want to attract and retain the very best people for our children.

  • We recognise the financial realities facing schools today. With declining birth rates and increasing costs, financial resilience is an important consideration. Through shared services and economies of scale, we can ensure our budget has the greatest possible impact on the children in our care.

The direction of travel is clear. The Government, in its latest white paper, has confirmed its expectation that all schools work in collaboration and become part of a trust. The Archdiocese of Liverpool is committed to all Catholic schools joining a Catholic Trust as part of its strategy, A Family in Christ: Our Future Together. For St. Gregory's, choosing to join early is not simply following that direction, it is embracing it with purpose and confidence.

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.

As Pope Francis reminds us: 'Unity happens when we walk together.' We believe this is our moment to walk forward - together, and with great hope for what lies ahead.

The Move for All Schools to Become Part of Academy Trusts

The Department for Education

The recent Education White Paper by the government says that: "We will put collaboration at the heart of the system by moving to all schools joining or forming high-quality school trusts."

The Archdiocese of Liverpool

The Archdiocese of Liverpool is moving forward with its strategy to set up three Catholic Multi Academy Trusts so that every school has a named, allocated CMAT to join at the appropriate time.

Alongside the sharing of ideas and best practice, the structural changes are:

  • Governance changes: Pope Francis becomes the “receiving” trust and St Gregory's will transfer into Pope Francis.

  • TUPE of staff: Staff are transferred under the Transfer of Employment (Protection of Employment), which ensures employees’ rights are protected when they transfer to a new organisation.

  • Financial consolidation: Budgets, assets, liabilities, and central services are combined into one organisation.

  • Harmonising systems: Policies, IT systems, safeguarding procedures, and curriculum approaches are aligned across the Trust.

  • Greater access to funding to improve our buildings.

As important as it is to talk about what will change, it is also important to reflect on what will stay the same. This will include:

  • Our school's identity, uniform and ethos will not change

  • The school's curriculum will only change if we feel it is right to do so

  • There will still be a governing body, albeit with a slightly different remit

  • Things like our behaviour policies etc. will stay the same, although with some tweaks to things such as contact details

What happens when we join?

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