I am delighted to introduce the Innovation Team this month and to welcome you to our ‘Team in Focus’ page. Our service supports schools across the Trust in the areas of communication, digital development, artificial intelligence, websites, branding, and strategic projects that help our organisation continue to grow and improve. Working alongside Jasmine, I am proud that our role sits at the intersection of people, systems and ideas — helping to ensure that the work of our schools is supported, connected and shared effectively.

Our aim is simple: to make things clearer, easier and more effective for our schools so that leaders and staff can focus on what matters most — providing the very best Catholic education for the children and families we serve. We support schools with website compliance and development, Trust-wide communication, social media and marketing, digital platforms such as SharePoint, and the introduction of new technologies including artificial intelligence. We also promote coordinate Trust events, develop branding and resources, and help to ensure that the work taking place across our schools is celebrated and communicated with pride.

A key part of our work is listening to schools and responding to what they need. Through initiatives such as Building Our Community, communication working groups, and regular collaboration with leaders and staff, we aim to make sure that our service reflects the real experiences of those working in our schools every day. Innovation is not about change for its own sake — it is about finding better ways of working, reducing workload where we can, and helping our Trust remain forward-looking while always rooted in our mission to Make Christ Known and Make Lives Better.

We are grateful for the strong relationships we have with schools across the Trust and we look forward to continuing to work together to support, develop and celebrate the life of our community.

— David May
Head of Innovation