CATHOLIC INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS’ CONFERENCE
CISC
Catholic Independent Schools' Conference
The Catholic Independent Schools’ Conference is a dynamic and forward-thinking family of schools with members in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Gibraltar and Italy. There are 112 schools in CISC educating more than 36,000 pupils from nursery age through to eighteen.
There is a wide variety of types of school in CISC, with co-educational, single-sex, day, boarding, junior, prep, senior and all-through. We also have in our family of schools ten special schools (two independent and eight non-maintained special schools) serving a wide range of complex needs from profound physical disability to visual impairment and autism.
Most of our schools have their foundation in a Religious Order or Congregation. These orders, many from the Continent, set up Catholic schools in Britain when there was little educational provision for the Catholic population. Despite the great variety of these religious foundations there is a strong common goal to serve the mission of the Church by educating young men and women to take their place in society as young disciples, or for those who are not of the Catholic faith, principled citizens with values based on the Gospel who will work for the common good.
CISC sees itself as a distinctive, traditional yet forward thinking part of the Catholic educational landscape which enriches and is enriched by collaborations across all elements of Catholic education, namely the maintained sector, dioceses and the Catholic Education Service (CES). As such, CISC works closely with the CES across a range of policy areas and supports and contributes to their Formatio programme, developed specifically for those in executive leadership.
CISC is a charitable organisation and the main beneficiaries are our members and their colleagues. CISC is governed by a committee of serving heads who are trustees of the charity. It employs a Secretariat who is responsible for delivering on the strategic aims of the organisation.
Officers for 2024–2025
Chair: Mr Matthew Burke, BA, PGCE, Adv.Dip, NPQH – Bellerive School
Committee:
Treasurer: Mrs Margaret Giblin, BATh, HDipEd, MA – Marymount International School, London
Fr Chris Cann, MA, MTh – Stonyhurst, St Mary’s Hall
Mr Jon Reddin, BSc, MSc, NPQH – Ratcliffe College
Mrs Annie Sutton, BA, NPQH – St Joseph’s Specialist Trust
Mrs Rachel Owens, MA Hons (History) St George’s College, Weybridge
Mr Ed Hester, BEng, PGCE – Princethorpe College
General Secretary: Mrs Sarah Barreto, BA Hons, NPQH, NPQEL
Catholic Independent Schools’ Conference
49 Park Road, St Marychurch, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 4QR