Running a MAT is like trying to organize a church jumble sale while riding a unicycle. There are central committees, finance teams, and a “CEO” who probably has a calendar that looks like a Jackson Pollock painting. St Thomas Aquinas Trust has a 437-page governance document online. Yes, I counted. Okay, I didn’t, but it feels like that.
Their big trick is “collaboration.” This means teachers from different schools have to sit in a room and pretend they like each other’s lesson plans. But it works! Because when a school in Leicester has a brilliant idea for teaching fractions, the school in Derby steals—I mean, borrows it. Sharing is caring, especially when Ofsted is watching.
The surprising success part
You might think a Catholic trust is all about Hail Marys and homework, but they’ve actually got incredible results. In 2026, one of their secondary schools was named in the top 10% nationally for student progress. That’s like winning the lottery, but with more blazers and less champagne.
They also insist on “spiritual development,” which in practice means kids go on retreats and learn to be quiet for five minutes. Any parent knows that’s genuinely miraculous. One sixth-former told a local paper, “I didn’t believe in God until I had a 7-hour bus journey to a coastal retreat and survived.” Praise be.
Mission, Vision & Guiding Pillars - St Thomas Aquinas – Catholic Multi
