Governors and directors of Catholic schools and academies have a duty to preserve and develop the Catholic character of the schools and academies they serve. The policies are designed to ensure that this duty is met throughout the employment relationship. We have engaged in a national consultation process with relevant trade unions. However, prior to adopting these policies, employers must consult with both staff and local union officials/representatives even if the models are adopted unamended. Employers should also minute the adoption of the policies once they have been finalised and ensure that staff know how to access them.
Our policies and procedures are designed to cover all substantive issues that can arise in a school environment. Models of this nature cannot cover matters that arise which are specific to local circumstances. Whilst schools and academies, in order to comply with the Bishops’ requirements, must adopt the model policies as published by us, they may need to be adjusted to meet the specific practical needs of the school/academy and its workforce, in consultation with both staff and local union officials/representatives. For example, such amendments may include a local agreement in relation to the maximum number of objectives in an appraisal cycle or even inserting additional school-level procedures such as a pay review. Where the policies are to be used in a Catholic multi-academy trust, specific consideration will need to be given to the amendments that will be required in order to cover central team employees and the policy may need to be amended to reflect the particular governance or management arrangements.
For each policy, we also provide template letters which schools and academies may find helpful. The policies and procedures are available below in fully amendable Word format.
Schools and academies are required to seek approval from their diocese when any CES document is substantially amended and they must ensure that any amended version has been reviewed by their HR/legal advisers.
