Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust

UID 16035·Companies House 07890590·Incorporated December 2011·Compare

Schools

Flags

23 high severity

Finance: 2024/25Ofsted: Jun 2025Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2025/26Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£101.6m

14,444 pupils

Avg staff costs

73.8%

of income

Avg reserves

2.2%

of income

Avg absence

4.3%

Persistent: 8.6%

More metrics

Avg FSM

19.5%

free school meals

Capacity

94%

14,444 / 15,402 places

Total admin cost

£7.3m

£508 per pupil

Trust overview

11 of 47 schools have staff costs above the DfE's 78% review threshold — review against school context.

17 schools are operating in deficit — this may reflect planned investment or require financial planning.

18 of 47 schools had expenditure exceeding income this year.

Overall absence is above the national average in 13% of schools (6 of 47).

5 schools have persistent absence above 20%.

94% of inspected schools are rated Good or Outstanding across sub-judgements.

Reference points from DfE published guidance. Whether any metric warrants action depends on the trust's context and strategy.

At a glance

Trust-wide reserves at 4.9%below 5% threshold34 schools with workforce pressure14 schools in deficit10 schools with staff costs above 78%5 schools with declining results7 schools with absence above 8%2 schools with Ofsted concerns

Ofsted sub-judgements

Quality of education

97% Good+

Outst. 6Good 22RI 1

Behaviour & attitudes

97% Good+

Outst. 14Good 14RI 1

Personal development

100% Good+

Outst. 11Good 18

Leadership & management

98% Good+

Outst. 7Good 38RI 1

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

51.3

+5.1

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

69.7%

+8.7pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressBishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Hq Barmston Court, Nissan Way, Sunderland, SR5 3NY

Companies House07890590

Incorporated22 December 2011

Trust growth over time

matpulse.co.uk

Schools Pupils

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	46	14,888	£82.1m	£77.0m	70.0%	18.5%
2022/23	46	14,700	£87.3m	£86.9m	70.3%	10.4%
2023/24	46	14,444	£101.6m	£99.6m	73.8%	2.2%
2024/25partial	46	14,025	—	—	—	—

Central services — 2023/24

Centralisation

7.0%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£7,572,000

CS staff costs

£3,885,000

CS income

£4,372,000

Admin & clerical£1,233,000

Teaching staff£2,554,000

ICT£41,000

Premises£2,052,000

Legal & professional£46,000

Auditor costs£66,000

Governance

Accounts to Aug 2025Source: Companies House

9 current directors · Average tenure: 4.5 years · 4 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (9)

Kimberley Dr Hardcastle

director·< 1 year

Kourosh Manoucheri

director·< 1 year

Shaun Patrick Father Purdy

director·2 years

Edmund Gerard Dolphin

director·2 years

David Charles Hicks

director·3 years

Alan Egdell

director·4 years

Angela Boyle

director·6 years

Martin Gannon

director·8 years

Christopher Allan Coxon

director·11 years

Company Secretary

Anne Louise Levy

secretary·14 years

26 former officers — most recent departure: Jan 2026

Michelle Shotton

director·1 year·Resigned Jan 2026

James Ian Mearns

director·1 year·Resigned Oct 2025

Helen Doris Keough

director·2 years·Resigned Jul 2024

Patricia Bernadette Witte

director·2 years·Resigned May 2025

Kirsty Hutchinson

director·2 years·Resigned Jul 2024

Steven Horne

Member schools (46)

46 schools|39 with risk flags|23 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
All Saints' Catholic Primary School, Lanchester	148610	Primary	—
Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead	137852	Secondary	high absence
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, Gateshead	148907	Primary	—
Our Lady & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Ushaw Moor	148206	Primary	high absenceworkforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficitofsted concern
Our Lady and St Joseph Brooms Catholic Primary School, Leadgate	148820	Primary	workforce pressureperformance decline
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw	147139	Primary	high staff costsworkforce pressurein year deficit
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Byermoor	140638	Primary	—
St Agnes' Catholic Primary School, Crawcrook	149051	Primary	workforce pressure
St Alban's Catholic Primary School, Pelaw	148410	Primary	performance decline
St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Harlow Green	147135	Primary	workforce pressure
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Gateshead	148605	Primary	workforce pressure
St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Sacriston	148204	Primary	in year deficithigh staff costs
St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Washington	147138	Primary	—
St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester	138172	Secondary	ofsted concernhigh absenceworkforce pressurein year deficit
St Benet's Catholic Primary School, Ouston	148205	Primary	workforce pressureperformance decline
St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Chester-Le-Street	148259	Primary	workforce pressure
St Godric's Catholic Primary School, Durham	148207	Primary	workforce pressure
St John Boste Catholic Primary School, Washington	147147	Primary	in year deficithigh staff costsworkforce pressure
St Joseph's Catholic Infant School, Birtley	148809	Primary	workforce pressure
St Joseph's Catholic Junior School, Birtley	148844	Primary	workforce pressure