Lancashire school strikes highlight growing consolidation of Catholic schools into academy trusts

Teachers at two Catholic schools in Lancashire have taken strike action over plans to move their schools into Catholic multi-academy trusts, adding to growing opposition to the consolidation of state-funded Catholic schools under large church-controlled academy structures

Corpus Christi Catholic High School in Preston and Cardinal Allen Catholic High School in Fleetwood were closed to pupils during industrial action this week. Staff are opposing plans connected to the Diocese of Lancaster’s policy of moving its remaining maintained schools into Catholic academy trusts.

Wider drive towards ‘super’ Catholic academy trusts

The dispute forms part of a much wider restructuring of Catholic education in England. The strike action in Lancashire follows similar action at St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School in Liverpool, where teachers have opposed plans for the school to transfer into St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust. St Anthony’s proposed conversion forms part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s A Family in Christ: Our Future Together strategy, under which 217 Catholic schools are expected ultimately to be organised within just three Catholic academy trusts.

Humanists UK has previously warned that the rapid growth of large religious multi-academy trusts risks concentrating control over significant numbers of publicly funded schools in the hands of religious bodies. This can result in large numbers of formerly separate schools being brought under a relatively small number of trust boards.

Control over admissions, staffing, and religious education

Academy trusts are legally responsible for the schools within them and hold significant powers over governance, finances, staffing, and school policy. In faith-based academy trusts, religious bodies can also retain substantial influence over areas including admissions, employment, religious education, and collective worship.

Humanists UK argues that the increasing scale of religious multi-academy trusts therefore raises wider questions about accountability and whether decisions affecting publicly funded schools remain responsive to pupils, parents, staff, and local communities.

Growing opposition from teachers and communities

The disputes in Lancashire and Liverpool are particularly significant because opposition is coming from within Catholic school communities themselves.

Staff and education unions have questioned the case for transferring successful maintained schools into larger academy structures and raised concerns about consultation, financial arrangements, job security, and the loss of local control. Humanists UK has called for greater scrutiny of large-scale religious academisation and stronger safeguards to ensure that publicly funded schools remain inclusive and locally accountable.

Responding to these developments Humanists UK Policy and Campaigns Manager Lewis Young said:

‘These are not isolated school conversions. Catholic dioceses are increasingly bringing large numbers of publicly funded schools under church-controlled academy trusts.

‘It is significant that staff within Catholic school communities are themselves questioning the loss of local control. We have repeatedly warned that this kind of consolidation risks concentrating too much power over admissions, staffing, religious education, and worship in the hands of religious bodies. Decisions about publicly funded schools should remain accountable to the pupils, parents, staff, and communities they serve.’