The CES in Wales

Serving students and educators in Wales

The Catholic Church is one of the oldest providers of education in Wales. Together with the Church in Wales, they are the only providers of denominational education in the country.

65

Primary schools

13

Secondary schools

1

Sixth-form college

Latest news from Wales

Discover the latest updates from the Catholic Education Service in Wales, focusing on new educational policies, upcoming school events and initiatives to enhance community involvement.

All news and updates

St Mary’s University announces plans to open school of medicine

News
News
November 1, 2024
St Mary’s (pictured), one of four Catholic universities in England, has announced plans to open a new school of medicine...

Advent message from Bishop Marcus to Catholic schools, colleges and universities

News
News
November 29, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The final week of the Church’s liturgical year begins with...

Catholic secondary wins National Schools Awards School of the Year category

News
News
December 5, 2024
Cardinal Pole Catholic School, in Hackney, Westminster Archdiocese, has been won the prestigious School of the Year category...

Catholic schools in Wales

Welsh Catholic schools are some of the most ethnically and religiously diverse in the country — just under half of pupils in Welsh Catholic schools are not Catholic, though around 80% are from a faith background.

Catholic schools in Wales contribute greatly to the nation’s proud heritage of religious, cultural and ethnic diversity. Catholic schools remain extremely popular with parents of all faiths and none, and therefore expand parental choice in education for Welsh families.

Supporting the local community

Their close connections to local Catholic parishes and charitable projects enable Catholic schools to take on a strong community focus and give learners the opportunity to explore the concept of cynefin.

The Curriculum for Wales defines cynefin as "the historical, cultural and social place which has shaped and continues to shape the community which inhabits it" (Welsh Government, 2021).

This focus on local community and local needs mirrors many of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching including subsidiarity, solidarity and care for God’s creation.

28,000

Pupils in education

1,600

Members of staff

Working with the Welsh government

We work to advance and safeguard Catholic education in Wales, representing the Bishops’ education policy to lawmakers and stakeholders. Education policy is a devolved function of the Welsh Government.

We liaise with Members of the Senedd Cymru, the Welsh Government and other ecumenical and interfaith stakeholders to ensure that Catholic education is fully represented.

Welsh language strategy

As part of an ongoing commitment to promoting the Welsh language and Welsh Catholic heritage within the education sector, we have created a Welsh language strategy. 

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Resources

Explore a variety of downloadable resources that support Catholic education in Wales, including curriculum guides, policy documents and community engagement materials.

Governor audit for monitoring RSE (Wales)

Archwiliad llywodraethwyr ar gyfer monitro ACRh (Cymru)

Governor audit for monitoring RSE (Wales)

Archwiliad llywodraethwyr ar gyfer monitro ACRh (Cymru)

Governor audit for monitoring RSE (Wales)

Archwiliad llywodraethwyr ar gyfer monitro ACRh (Cymru)

Contact us

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