Welcome from our Chief Executive
Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust supports and partners with five secondary schools, one middle school, one first school and forty-one primary schools in the west of our Diocese.

Our designated schools are located in four different Local Authorities: Northumberland, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham. Within our Trust we have a Centre For Teaching, a National Computing Hub, a National MFL Hub, a Science Learning Partnership and a national accredited NPQ (National Professional Qualification for Headship and Leadership) provider.
As Chief Executive Officer of the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust I never cease to be amazed by the hard work, commitment and dedication of our staff within the Trust with regard to health, care, well-being and academic progress of our wonderful students.
Our Trust is brimming with talent and expertise which is provided by our excellent Head Teachers, staff and Trust central team. Through these dedicated people, we are able to focus on and help advise and support schools so they can create environments and opportunities that will allow transformational leadership and teaching to develop, grow and make a difference.
Nick Hurn, CEO
Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust
RAAC Updates
Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust is committed, first and foremost, to ensuring the safety of its staff and pupils and is taking proactive and extensive steps to address this challenging issue, while continuing to deliver education to pupils affected to the very best of its ability. Our schools and teachers are amazing and are busy dedicating their efforts to ensuring that education will continue. Our children remain our absolute priority.
A Task Force Team made up of School Leadership, Trust Leaders, the DfE and Local Authority have been working hard ever since the official notification to put the most appropriate and safe options into place for hosting all pupils face-to-face with their teachers as quickly possible. The Task Force meets every day to discuss the progress being made towards full-time face-to-face education for all pupils. This has required a considerable amount of planning with our pupils’ safety being the most important consideration in this process. The urgency of having our pupils back to face-to-face education as quickly as possible, must be managed simultaneously with our duty to explore several options including the occupancy of viable alternative premises/options. Whilst we are desperate to get the whole school community back together and returned to face-to-face learning, we will not relent on our duty to ensure safeguarding is paramount.
We will ensure you are kept informed of progress and will ensure all communications are held centrally here.
BWCET | Media | St Leonards | St Annes | St Benets |
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26/09/2023 | 27/09/2023 | 27/09/2023 | ||
06/10/2023 | 19/10/2023 | 17/10/2023 | ||
Face-to-face teaching: Roadmap | ||||
11/10/2023 | ||||
28/09/2023 | ||||
10/11/2023 |
Our Vision

At Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust we recognise that each individual member of our community is created in God’s image with unique talents and abilities.
We nurture each person through loving relationships and rich daily experiences centred on the teachings of Christ. We believe that humanity is a gift that we receive through others and that our relationships unlock the unique potential in each person. As such, we affirm the dignity of each individual and our values underpin everything we do across every school, with and for each student and member of staff.
Our Values
Develop spirituality
We believe that a knowledge of and a personal relationship with Christ brings meaning and direction to life.
Act with justice, respect and dignity
We believe that every member of our diverse community is created in God’s image and therefore we act with respect and show dignity, ensuring that all are treated with fairness, justice and equity. We work fervently to dispel inequality and pay special attention to those most in need.
Foster a sense of vocation
We believe that all members of our Trust should be supported to recognise their own purpose and to develop a sense of how they are called to contribute to society.
Promote educational excellence
We believe that each person should be equipped to excel through the highest quality learning opportunities and richest wider-school experiences.
Form high aspirations
We believe that every member of our Trust community should have the highest expectations of themselves and others and should be equipped with the knowledge and skills to achieve greatly.
Celebrate community
We believe that our schools promote truth, honesty, reconciliation, resilience and integrity in their own context, but together create strength, optimism and excellence across the Trust.
Support exceptional leadership
We believe that the best leadership in Catholic Schools raises the work of the staff and the attainment of young people to levels that exceed expectations through relentless focus, effective management skills, profound empathy, sustained energy and robust optimism, underpinned by wide professional knowledge founded on innovative research.
Our Schools
Trust Structure

The Trust has five Members who are accountable to the DfE. The Members are the guardians of the constitution, determining the governance structure of the Trust and providing oversight and challenge of the Directors to ensure the charitable objectives of the Trust are being fulfilled and a Catholic education is provided.
Members approve the Articles of Association and have the power to appoint and remove the Directors. Members appoint the Board of Directors to ensure the MAT is run in accordance with its aims and objectives.
In view of the overarching role of the Members, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle is a Member and appoints other Members from within the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Members are independent of the Directors.
Centre for Teaching
Latest News
Get in touch
Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust
Barmston Court, Turbine Business Park,
Nissan Way, Washington
SR5 3NY
Telephone 0191 823 9333
