Academisation Consultation
CONSULTATION ON PROPOSAL OF
ST PETER & ST PAUL CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL TO JOIN ST JOSEPH CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
AND FOR THE SCHOOL TO CONVERT TO ACADEMY STATUS
In April 2026, Archbishop John Sherrington launched his vision for Catholic Education for all schools across the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The new academisation strategy, under the strapline: “A Family in Christ: Our Future Together”, set out plans to develop families of schools that will work collaboratively to secure and enhance future Catholic education in the archdiocese and will see St Peter & St Paul Catholic Primary School submitting an application to become an academy and join St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool Family of Schools and Colleges is united in its mission to provide a high quality, authentically Catholic education for every child and young person. Through its renewed academisation strategy, it will strengthen collaboration, safeguard our Catholic identity, and ensure that all schools and colleges can flourish together, today and for the future.
As part of the process, we have a duty to consult with key stakeholders, and the information enclosed within this letter and on our school website is the beginning of that process. Our application for academy status will be informed by the consultation and subsequently reviewed by the Department for Education (DfE), and it is the DfE who make the final decision on whether to give the school permission to become an academy.
Please use the links below to access further information regarding academisation, what it means for the school, the staff, children and our wider community. Throughout the period of consultation, we will be available to answer any questions you may have and, most importantly, we hope you will share your thoughts and ideas on our exciting proposal.
What is the proposal?
Our school would like to become an academy and join an existing Multi Academy Trust – St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust. In April 2026, the Archdiocese of Liverpool set out its renewed Strategy for the Development of Catholic Multi Academy Trusts – A Family in Christ: Our Future Together. The strategy responds to the Government’s White Paper – Every Child Achieving and Thriving – and the key education priorities, particularly surrounding inclusion, community engagement, attainment and improving outcomes. The government has set its expectations that all state-funded schools should join or form a Trust, moving towards a Trust-led system and strengthening local collaboration.
Schools across the Archdiocese have been organised into three Trusts geographically. Our school is part of the group of St Helens local authority schools which will join St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust.
Who are St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust?
St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust was established in 2021 with a mission to transform children’s lives through a world-class Catholic Education. Over the past few years, the Trust has continued to grow and, by joining the Trust, St Peter & St Paul Catholic Primary School will have the opportunity to work in partnership with colleagues across this dedicated family of schools.
Within the St Joseph family, the five pillars which underpin all they do are:
- To keep Christ at the centre of all we do.
- To support every child to be a reader.
- To deliver an ambitious curriculum.
- To create a culture for success.
- To continue improving attendance.
To learn more about these pillars, the mission, and values, please visit https://sjcmat.co.uk/about-us/our-mission-values/
Why have Governors decided to join St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust?
Being part of a Trust will provide many exciting opportunities for our school to continue to flourish. For example, our staff will benefit from excellent opportunities for professional development, which will help us to deliver the best possible education to our children. Our children will have access to more opportunities, for example sport and musical activities. The school will also enjoy wraparound support from an expert team in areas such as education and school improvement, safeguarding, attendance, finance, estates management, governance, people, operations, critical incident management, media and public relations, marketing, IT and digital technology, GDPR and data security, and legal advice.
Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement
Governors are now entering the consultation phase and would like to engage with parents, carers, staff, pupils and the wider community on the proposal for St Peter & St Paul Catholic Primary School to convert to academy status and join St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust.
During this consultation process, Governors would welcome views and any questions from parents and carers on our proposal to join St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust. The consultation process will run from 22nd May 2026 to 10th June 2026.
There are a number of ways you can provide your feedback on the proposal during the consultation period:
· Email us at stpeterpaul@sthelens.org.uk
· Complete our webform https://www.sspeterandpaulprimary.org/contact
· For an in-person conversation or phone call, please email stpeterpaul@sthelens.org.uk
to request a phone call or meeting.
While the formal consultation phase will conclude on 10th June 2026, we are committed to maintaining an open and ongoing dialogue beyond this date in partnership with St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust, families, staff, and the wider community, and will continue to share updates, listen to feedback, and involve stakeholders as plans progress.
