Governance conference highlights Trust’s dedication to enhancing educational experiences across six schools in Wirral and Cheshire

Holy Family Multi Academy Trust recently hosted its annual governance conference, which invited governors and directors from across the Trust and its seven schools to meet, collaborate, and share ideas and best practice. 

The event took place at the Holiday Inn in Ellesmere Port, with attendees benefitting from a jam-packed itinerary that included guest speeches, governance and Trust updates, and interactive workshops. 

In attendance were governors and directors from the Trust’s seven schools across Wirral and Cheshire, including St Mary’s Catholic College in Wallasey, St John Plessington Catholic College in Bebington, St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School in Runcorn, St Bernard’s RC Primary and Nursery School in Ellesmere Port, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Oxton, Our Lady of Pity Catholic Primary School in Greasby, and Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School in Warrington. 

The keynote speech, delivered by distinguished educational speaker and writer, and seasoned Catholic leader, Raymond Friel OBE, was an impactful discussion on ‘Transforming the World: Catholic Education in the 21st Century’.

Raymond’s speech highlighted the importance of fostering a learning environment built on love and trust, and how this can significantly impact educational experiences. 

Chris Hotchkiss, governor at St Bernard’s RC Primary and Nursery School and St John Plessington Catholic College, shared how Raymond’s speech inspired him to reflect on his own experiences and role within the Trust. 

Chris said: “It has been a fantastic day, and listening to someone like Raymond is a powerful reminder of the importance of fostering a learning environment built on love, underpinned by our vision, mission and values.”

During the afternoon, attendees had the choice of a selection of workshops to attend, including Link Governors to Accountability, a Governor’s Role in Managing the Wellbeing and Workload of Staff in Schools, Behaviour and Attendance and Your Role, and C Change: Creativity Collaborative update. 

Madeleine Ward, governor at Our Lady of Pity RC Primary School and former RE coordinator at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, shared how useful she found the event. 

Madeleine said: “Today has been extremely useful. It is fantastic to be part of a support network across the schools within the Trust and work collaboratively to share best practice, knowledge and experiences.” 

The event was also an opportunity to officially introduce Hans Van Mourik Broekman to the Trust’s governors and directors. Hans will join the Trust in September 2024 as lay chaplain. 

The conference was an opportunity for the Trust to further demonstrate its continued commitment to enhancing educational experience for the young people across its primary and secondary schools. 

CEO of Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust, Andy Moor, said: “As a Trust, we are incredibly proud to be supported by a team of governors and directors who share our vision of ‘Formation, Inspiration, Transformation’. 

“Our annual governance conference is an opportunity for us to come together as a collective and share experiences, ideas, and best practice with the ultimate goal of continuing governance improvement across our schools. 

Andy added: “It was fantastic to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals, each connected by their shared passion for delivering outstanding education.