A letter from our Chief Executive
Written for Education Sunday and sent to families and parish communities, 4 September 2026.
Dear Parents, Families and Parish Communities,
As we begin a new school year, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all our pupils and families returning to our Catholic schools, and a particularly warm welcome to those children and families who are joining one of our schools for the first time.
Education Sunday gives us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the important work taking place every day in our Catholic schools and to recognise the vital partnership between our schools, our parishes and the families we serve.
I am delighted and deeply honoured to introduce myself to you as the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Blessed Chiara Badano Catholic Education Trust. The Trust has not been formally formed yet (that will be later this year), and in line with the Bishop’s vision will be composed of the schools in Blessed Peter Snow (BPS), Bishop Konstant (BKCAT) and some schools from St Gregory the Great. At the moment I am CEO of BPS and BKCAT until the Trusts are merged.
I have been privileged to work within the Diocese of Leeds for many years, and it is a particular honour to now have the opportunity to lead our Catholic schools as we begin this new chapter together. The creation of the Blessed Chiara Badano Catholic Education Trust represents an important step forward in realising the Bishop’s vision for Catholic education across our Diocese.
At the heart of that vision is a simple but profound belief: Catholic education is about much more than academic achievement. Our schools are communities of faith, hope and belonging. They seek to educate the whole person, nurturing children and young people academically, spiritually, socially and emotionally, while helping them to understand their dignity as children of God and their responsibility to others.
I encourage all our families to take an interest in the life of our Catholic schools. Follow what they are doing, celebrate their successes and, where you can, support the wonderful work taking place within them. There is an enormous amount to be proud of across our schools, from the achievements of our pupils to the work of our staff, governors, volunteers and parish communities.
For some families, this will also be an important year as you begin to think about your child’s next step in education. Perhaps you have a child who will be starting school next September, or a child preparing to move on to secondary school. If so, I would encourage you to look out for information about our school open days and opportunities to visit.
Please don’t hesitate to contact any of our schools if you would like further information or would simply like to arrange a visit and see for yourself what life is like within one of our Catholic school communities. Our schools will be very happy to welcome you, show you around and answer any questions you may have.
As we begin this new chapter as the Blessed Chiara Badano Catholic Education Trust, I am excited about what the future holds. There is a strong foundation on which to build, and I look forward to working alongside our schools, our staff, our governors, our parishes and, most importantly, our families and young people.
On this Education Sunday, I would like to thank you for the part you play in supporting Catholic education across our Diocese. Please keep our schools, our pupils and all those who work within them in your prayers, just as we continue to pray for our parish communities.
May the new school year be filled with hope, opportunity and joy, and may our schools continue to be places where every child is encouraged to discover their gifts, develop their potential and grow in faith and love.
With every good wish and prayer,
Rob Pritchard
Chief Executive Officer
Blessed Chiara Badano Catholic Education Trust