Catholic diocese responds to reporting by Education Uncovered –though statement seems to conflict in places with documentary evidence

St Paul's Catholic College, Burgess Hill

A Roman Catholic diocese has sent a statement to headteachers and chairs of governors at its schools in Sussex in response to an investigation by Education Uncovered – although the diocese’s reaction appears not to be fully truthful.

The Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton sent the message to heads and chairs following this website’s reporting of a complaint which had been brought by parents at a school which was about to join the Bosco Catholic Education Trust, based in West Sussex.

Education Uncovered carried a lengthy piece on controversy which had started in December 2021 when 16 parents at St Paul’s Catholic College in Burgess Hill wrote to object about a letter from the headteacher, Rob Carter, to mandate pupils take English Baccalaureate GCSE subjects. This had been sent on the eve of the pupils’ options process beginning. A lengthy complaint by two parents who at the time had children at the school, Richard and Liz Kennedy, which raised issues including those of governance and transparency, ensued. Mr Kennedy was a recent vice-chair of governors at the school.

A second piece on Education Uncovered reported on the findings of Information Commissioner’s Office investigations into the trust’s handling of data, triggered by two separate complaints, one by the couple together and one by Mrs Kennedy.