The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust is built on the foundation of the success of our 11 founding schools, we routinely rank among the nation’s highest achieving multi-academy trusts. Our mission serves as our compass, ‘to achieve excellence in the service of the Gospel, to build a better world’. We are dedicated to maintaining the unique charism and context of each of our schools which nurtures our young people to reach their full potential.
The students in our schools have access to a curriculum which provides them with the knowledge and skills necessary for success at every stage of their academic journey and future endeavours. We strive to be inclusive, flexible and adaptive to meet the diverse needs of all students. Our schools are dedicated to quality education and the holistic development of every child, regardless of circumstance. We are committed to a school-led, school-improvement structure that is Christ-centred and child-centred. Our schools ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ Ofsted ratings are a testament to our commitment to quality and continued improvement as our profile continues to rise.
As a Trust we are dedicated to fostering a culture of continued professional growth and development for our staff. Recognising that high-quality teaching and support is essential for the success of our students, we offer training and development opportunities to our staff at different stages of their careers. We are committed to nurturing and investing in our staff, from our trainees through to our headteachers.
As a Trust executive, we strive to support and challenge our school leaders towards excellence and school improvement. We drive and curate numerous working groups across our trust to provide platforms for colleagues to collaborate and connect with like-minded peers across our schools. These networks strive to identify and drive best practice across various trust workstreams, including a wide range of school subjects, safeguarding, finance, SEND, governance, and more.
Our board of trustees work collaboratively with the local governing body of each school, to provide strategic oversight and direction to guide each institution. Our governance structure is designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and ongoing improvement across our schools. We believe that our schools and their local governing bodies are best placed to truly understand and develop their relationships with parents and school communities.
We are an outward facing Trust who seek to establish and foster connections with colleagues across the education sector. This provides us with further opportunities for collaboration and development to ultimately benefit our students. We work closely with the Catholic Education Service and the Diocese of Westminster Education Service and have strong relationships with various Catholic Dioceses and Trusts across England. We work closely with the Church of England to deliver National Professional Qualifications, and with St Mary’s University in Twickenham to deliver our Initial Teacher Training programme.
Looking forward, we will continue to build on our achievements, raise the bar for education and create an environment where every person can reach their full potential as we grow as a leading Catholic multi academy trust.
Our schools
We currently have 11 schools in our trust, reaching across Hertfordshire and West London. We have 5 primary schools and 6 secondaries.
Find out more about our schools here: Our Schools – The Diocese Of Westminster Academy Trust (dowat.co.uk)
Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School – Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0TT
Saint Claudine’s Catholic School for Girls – Crownhill Road, London, NW10 4EP
Saint Michael’s Catholic High School – High Elms Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0SS
St Mark’s Catholic School – 106 Bath Road, Hounslow, TW3 3EJ
The Douay Martyrs Catholic School – Edinburgh Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB10 8QY
The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School – Hitchin Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 4AE
Our Lady Catholic Primary School – Old Hale Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1XT
St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School – Horseshoe Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 7HP
St John Roman Catholic Primary School – Providence Way, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 6TT
St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School – Melbourn Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 7DB
St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School – Highfield, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 3QB