Welcome

April 2022

Dear Applicant,

We are delighted that you are interested in the position of Chief Financial Officer within the Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust (BKCAT).

We are looking to appoint a highly skilled individual who has the vision, drive, passion and energy to make a significant contribution to our Trust’s continuous development and be able to act as an ambassador for our Trust both internally and externally. The successful candidate will work closely with the CEO and be accountable for the Trust’s financial performance and future developments.

The Trust is proud to bear the name of David Konstant, a former Bishop of Leeds who was a teacher before his priestly ordination and remained involved in education throughout his life as a priest and later as Bishop of this diocese.

The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust, part of the Diocese of Leeds, was formed in 2012 and by 2015 consisted of twelve schools. In March 2021 we welcomed three more schools into the Trust which now completes our family of Catholic schools envisaged by the Bishop of Leeds, Marcus Stock, in his 2018 document “A Diocesan Family of Schools: A Vision for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Leeds.” We are now a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust comprising twelve primaries and three secondaries, in four local authorities (Wakefield, Leeds, North Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire).

The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust was formed to preserve, maintain and develop Catholic education in the areas served by our schools. As a Trust we are committed to providing the highest quality of education for every child and young person we serve and want to ensure that every child and young person benefits from the Trust.

We have a vision for our Trust that goes beyond our individual schools and that changes our perception from my school to our family of schools. Working collaboratively, each school benefits from others’ strengths and expertise within the Trust and practically from the services provided and procured centrally. The Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust is a dynamic entity, which responds to the needs of each of our parish communities, whilst upholding Catholic principles. As a Catholic multi-academy Trust, we have a wonderful opportunity to shape the future of Catholic education and have a positive impact on the lives of around 5000 children and young people who attend our schools.

Our schools are supported by a Trust Central Team which operates under the leadership of the CEO. The team provides core business functions to ensure that the Trust complies with its statutory responsibilities and supports the operations and educational performance of our schools. The team works with staff and Governors in schools to ensure that the required outcomes and priorities of the Trust are achieved in accordance with the Trust’s Mission and Strategic Plan as agreed by the Trust Board.

Our schools are welcoming and happy communities for learners and staff alike. We are constantly seeking to develop all aspects of provision for our students. Members of staff are passionate about their community and are committed to the growth and development of all colleagues and students.

If successful, you will join a Trust with a strong sense of solidarity and collaboration among our school leaders and communities. An example of this is in our collective response to the significant demands of the pandemic, which led to the formulation of a robust programme delivering remote learning to our pupils. The quality and success of this work has been recognised by local public health bodies and by Wakefield Council. School leaders are ready to share their expertise and, where necessary, their staff to support Trust schools experiencing difficulties. Centralised financial, human resources, IT and administrative support is readily available to our schools and is welcomed by them.

If you believe that you are the right person to become our CFO, we look forward to your application.

Yours sincerely,

Lesley Fitton & Charles Gillott

CEO & Chair of the Trust