Academy Information:

Our school is a member of the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (CMAT).

Our Trust was established by the Rt Rev Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham, and came into being on 1 September 2018.

The existence of the CMAT provides new ways for our schools to work together. Children benefit from the expertise of staff from across the schools, and they will have increased opportunities to work with young people from other schools also. Training for our staff will provide even greater quality in our classrooms, and better value for money will mean that more resources can be focussed in those classrooms.

We are truly blessed to belong to a family of schools which, with Christ at the heart of all that we do, shares a common mission to prepare our young people for a wholesome, fulfilling, active life in the future. Our commitment to all parents and carers is to care for, support and educate your child to the highest possible standards.

Our Trust prayer is:

Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom!
Pour forth your light upon our schools, and take away any darkness which covers us. Grant our young people open minds to understand, the clarity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing themselves.
Guide the beginning of our work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This we ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever. Amen.

Our Trust Vision:

St Thomas Aquinas CMAT Vision

For further information about the CMAT, visit their website:

Specific information can be found on the following pages:

Contact information:

St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Registered address:
Unit 5 Charnwood Edge Business Park
Cossington
LE7 4UZ
Telephone: 0116 296 8171
A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales
Company number: 08090890

What is an Academy?

An academy is a state-funded school which operates independently within the requirements of national codes of practice for state schools. However, unlike a state school, it receives its funding directly from central government rather than through a local authority.

The first Academies, established under the previous Labour Government, required a sponsoring organisation and had the sole objective of raising standards within the school. Under new legislation introduced by the coalition government schools that are either ‘outstanding’ or ‘good with outstanding features’ are now also eligible to convert to Academy status together with their partner schools.

It is the current intention of the government that all state schools should become Academies.

What is a Multi-Academy Trust?

The Catholic Education Service of England and Wales (CES) did not immediately encourage Catholic Schools to consider conversion to Academy status as it was necessary to consider whether conversion could take place whilst safeguarding the distinctive identity of Catholic schools and how all our schools could remain supported and not isolated.

Following discussion between the CES and the Department for Education, DfE, The Nottingham Diocese determined a model approved by the DfE that meets those pre-conditions and made it possible for Catholic schools to convert to Academy status.

The model involves a family of schools forming a ‘multi-academy trust’ under a diocesan wide Shared Company. The essential principles of the model are that no schools are left behind, it involves no external business sponsorship and there will be no change to the distinctive nature of any of the schools in the Trust.