19th November 2015
Dear Colleague,
CATSC/CES Conference for Leaders of Catholic
Secondary Education
28-29th January 2016 ~ Amba Hotel, Marble Arch
Leading Catholic Schools in the light of Pope Francis’
Leadership
Reflecting on the Year of Mercy and Laudato Si’i
Our conference theme this year reflects the inspiration and challenge offered by the
Holy Father in his call for a new evangelisation, a renewed concern for our planet and
the Holy Year of Mercy which commences on December 8th 2015. Pope Francis does not
shy away from the most difficult questions facing the society and the church, and those
same issues are live ones for us in our schools. The opportunity to reflect on these in
our Annual Conference will I hope be a valuable one.
While we are waiting for confirmation of some of our speakers, I am delighted to let you
know that Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Sir Michael Wilshaw have already confirmed
that they will address the conference as leading keynote speakers. We will also hear
from Lord Nash, Schools Minister. We will be working with CAFOD in a workshop around
leading schools who wish to engage with the key messages of Laudato Si’i, and the Ten
Ten Theatre Company will, once again, be sharing their life-enhancing skills as part of
the conference.
I am pleased to offer you information and an electronic Booking Form attached for our
Annual Conference for Leaders of Catholic Secondary Education, and hope very much
that you will be able to participate. Conference represents a unique opportunity for
Catholic School leaders across England and Wales to join together to reflect and
consider our Mission and Purpose as Leaders of Catholic Schools, and to network in the
context of fellowship and service. If you are a “repeat visitor” to Conference, then you
will know that its value is far greater than the sum of its constituent parts, or, if you are
new to Catholic Headship, or Senior Leadership, then we would urge you to join this
professional network of supportive and like-minded colleagues for two days of
stimulating and informative reflection and discussion.
The Conference is jointly promoted by CATSC and the CES. We are fortunate to enjoy
commercial sponsorship which helps us to manage costs (in fact no price increase this
year), and to offer a much-valued Conference Dinner on the Thursday evening. The
Conference Mass, which precedes Dinner, will again be hosted by the historic Church of
St James, Spanish Place, a very short walk from the hotel.
Whilst we are returning to last year’s venue for the 2016 conference the hotel will be
unrecognisable as it has undergone a transformation. All bedrooms have been fully
refurbished to a very high quality, we will certainly enjoy comfort and luxury in January.
There is an option for an additional night at the hotel prior to the conference. This is
bookable on the attached form, although places for this are limited. I will also be holding
an informal get together on Wednesday evening, particularly to introduce new
attendees to our many old friends.
We encourage new attendees to join us by offering a discount on the main conference
charges to first time delegates, although this does not include the additional night. We
do hope that Headteachers will strongly consider sending new members of their
leadership teams to the conference, as it offers a first class CPD opportunity and also
supports induction to leadership in a Catholic setting.
Evaluations from previous Conferences have always been very positive, both for the
quality of the speakers we have secured and the opportunity to talk, pray, celebrate and
relax with each other. It is our hope that, once again, Conference will leave us all
refreshed and recharged, ready for the rigours of the Spring and Summer Terms, and all
its attendant challenges and strategic planning.
We are very grateful to the many colleagues who support Conference year on year, and
know, too, that new delegates are always extended a warm and friendly welcome.
We very much hope you will be able to join us and in order to do so simply open and
complete the booking form and then return this to our Conference Organisers Jenny
Wilde Associates (JWA) using reply email.
Yours sincerely,
John Murray
Headteacher
The Catholic High School, Chester
On behalf of the organising committee