Management of the family of Catholic schools in Northern Ireland

The Trustees are the custodians of schools within the family of all Catholic schools. They uphold the integrity and commitment to quality education delivered within an ethos that supports the mission of the Church.

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) is the advocate for the Catholic Maintained Schools sector in Northern Ireland.  CCMS represents Trustees, schools and Governors on issues such as raising and maintaining standards, the school estate and teacher employment.

Voluntary grammar schools come under the governance of the diocese or the Religious Trustees who are responsible for ensuring the highest of standards within their schools.

The Catholic Schools’ Trustee Service is the sectoral body for the family of Catholic schools and works on behalf of the Trustees representing the interests of and promoting Catholic education.

As with all other sectors, schools within the family of Catholic schools are monitored and evaluated by the Department of Education Inspectorate. Catholic schools also employ a self-evaluating strategy as a process for monitoring their performance against best practice criteria.