Partnerships

CES

DoWAT is an outward facing Trust that seeks to establish and maintain long-lasting and mutually beneficial partnerships with other educational intuitions. In our efforts to continue to serve as a national beacon of Catholic excellence, we work particularly closely with the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales and the Diocese of Westminster Education Service; we continually strive to promote the very best of Catholic education within our schools. Additionally, we have strong alliances with the Church of England and other Catholic Dioceses and Trusts throughout England including Plymouth Cast and St Patrick’s Catholic College in Salford.

Alongside our work as a Trust to drive school improvement, we work with each Local Authority that our schools fall within, and, as a result, we have particularly strong school improvement partnerships with Herts for Learning and the London Boroughs.

A number of our Trust leaders represent the Trust at a national level and are often invited as keynote speakers to conferences.

CATtColl

CATtColl is the national network of Catholic CEOs and senior leaders, working together to strengthen Catholic education across England and Wales. Backed by the Bishops and in partnership with the Catholic Education Service (CES), we support a unified ‘One Church’ strategy. CATtColl represent 47 CEOs across all 22 dioceses, covering schools that educate 9% of England’s pupils and generate £5bn annually. Our schools are more diverse, urban, and high-performing than national averages. They share best practice across Catholic Multi-Academy Trusts (CMATs), deliver large-scale training and leadership development, and support Catholic Initial Teacher Training in collaboration with university partners. CATtColl champion a Catholic school-led system focused on excellence, mission, and formation.

St Mary’s University, Twickenham 

DoWAT is proud to serve as a Lead Partner with St Mary’s University, Twickenham, in the delivery of Initial Teacher Training. This valued partnership supports the formation and development of high-quality teaching professionals who are equipped to serve in Catholic schools and beyond. In addition to our work in teacher training, DoWAT is actively engaged in research in the area of Catholic Multi Academy Trusts. Headteachers and senior leaders from across the Trust regularly contribute to academic discourse by presenting at university colloquiums, while subject experts from the university support DoWAT best practice groups in areas including Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Religious Education.

Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL) 

In partnership with the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL), DoWAT has successfully delivered National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) to over 100 teachers and leaders across our family of schools. This initiative has played a vital role in strengthening leadership at all levels, contributing to our mission of excellence in Catholic education and ensuring our schools are led by individuals equipped to meet the challenges of contemporary educational leadership.

Flourishing Leadership - in partnership with CEFEL 

DoWAT is preparing to launch a series of newly developed Professional Development courses through the Flourishing Leadership programme, in collaboration with CEFEL. These innovative courses are designed to promote holistic growth—spiritual, personal, and professional—among teachers and leaders. This new phase of our partnership supports our commitment to nurturing reflective and faith-informed leadership across all our academies.