About Us
The St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust is committed to excellence in all that it does. 

The Trust provides the framework through which schools can offer powerful support to one another, working in solidarity to realise the potential in each child and each member of staff we have the privilege to serve.  We have an unshakeable belief that every child is unique, created in the image of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and each child, with the right love and support, will thrive and succeed.

Our Mission:

“The glory of God is a human being fully alive!”

Our Vision:

Human flourishing and the uniqueness of every individual as a child of God is at the heart of our Catholic educational enterprise. In this context, a human being fully alive is one who is open to faith – to love – to joy – and to learning. They are daily becoming the person God created them to be and they are ready to delight in their God-given gifts, and to use them in the service of the Common Good.

Our Six Strategic Aims:
  1. Our Catholicity is at the core of everything we do.
  2. Every child will receive an excellent education
  3. We will recruit, develop and retain the best people (click here for more information about careers and training).
  4. We will support our schools by providing exceptional central services.
  5. We are financially robust and provide value for money.
  6. We will maintain high levels of service whilst expanding.

Our Chief Executive Officer: Mark McLaughlin

Mark has been serving in Catholic schools for the past 18 years in a variety of roles including as a Headteacher and Executive Headteacher in primary and secondary settings. He has spent the past four years working within STCAT leading the improvement of schools within our Trust placing him in an ideal position to lead the next stage of our development as an organisation. 
Mark has enjoyed considerable success as a leader with an expertise in improving schools in the most difficult of circumstances including within our Trust. 

Mark is the Accounting Officer for the Multi Academy Trust. The Chief Executive Officer is required to assure parliament and all stakeholders of high standards of probity in the management of public funds with respect to: 
  • Regularity
  • Propriety 
  • Value for Money 
Speaking about his role Mark commented: 
"My role as CEO is to do all that I can to help our children, staff and families fulfil our mission by being 'fully alive.' For our children that means helping them to fulfil their God-given talents and develop fully in their academic, personal and spiritual lives to be the best person that they can be. For our staff my role is to help them feel that they belong within our family of Catholic school's and are empowered to be successful in their roles. And if we are successful in achieving this for the children and staff we serve, then in turn the communities we serve will be a better place in the future."

Our Executive School Improvement Advisor: Ciran Stapleton

The Executive School Improvement Advisor of our Trust is Ciran Stapleton.  With 30 years’ experience in Catholic Education, Ciran is well placed to support schools seeking to make rapid progress. 

Ciran has enjoyed considerable success as Headteacher and Trust leader: 

  • He served as Head of School of an Outstanding school in Surrey before going on to take the Headship at St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Slough in 2013 which was then in danger of closure but now holds Outstanding status. During his time there he also undertook significant school improvement at Thomas Becket School in Northampton 2017-2019. 

  • From 2016-2020 he combined his role as Headteacher at St Joseph’s with that of founder CEO of the St Peter Catholic Academy Trust before the Trust combined with the St Albans Catholic Trust to form St Thomas Catholic Trust. 

As Executive School Improvement Advisor, Ciran adds knowledge and expertise to whole Trust development priorities and in this period of our growth provides specific support to St Thomas Secondary Improvement. 

Speaking about his role Ciran commented: 

“It’s a privilege to serve the young people of our Diocese who are our future hope and leaders for a transformation of our society into a place where Christ’s love is present to all.”

Michelle Strategic Leader for Inclusion: Michelle Chappell

Michelle Chappell is a long-standing member of our Trust and is recognised for her profound expertise in areas of Safeguarding, Child Protection and SEND.  A member of the Teacher Regulation Agency, Michelle brings a commitment to standards and high standards that are unparalleled and have already been celebrated through a number of independent audits and inspections.   

Michelle has always been committed to collaboration and has led the Safeguarding team across the Trust with distinction alongside her role as Deputy Head at Cardinal Newman.  In her new role she will also provide strategic oversight of equalities and pupil premium. 

Speaking about her role: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue and extend my service from the last few years as the Trust’s Strategic Safeguarding Lead.  As an ex-SENDCO, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Inclusion Manager and Pupil Premium Co Ordinator I am hoping to use my experience as a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Cardinal Newman in Luton, and 22 years in Catholic Education, to ensure that every student is given the best possible chance of success by attending an excellent and truly inclusive school.

I am passionate about ensuring all students have equal access to the best quality education and pastoral support we can provide, so that all staff and students are able to thrive and use their God-given talents to the full.

Many of those who will have worked with me in the past will know that I have particularly enjoyed working with and developing links across the phases to ensure a smooth transition for our students with SEND and I have welcomed the increased opportunities for liaison afforded by our Multi Academy Trust.  I am looking forward to seeing and working with you all more closely in this new role."

Strategic Leader for Training and ITT: Al Nicol

Al has enjoyed huge success as a school leader throughout his time at St Joseph’s High School and before that as part of St John the Baptist school in Windsor.  He brings to this role a passion for leadership, pedagogy and the development of staff.  Through his links and experience, Al will oversee: 

  • The Trust’s internship programme to cross all phases as we boost teacher recruitment 

  • Teacher Apprentice Programme 

  • ITT programmes  

  • ECT programmes and Trust induction 

  • Middle Leader programmes 

  • Wider development programmes 

Speaking of his role: “I feel delighted and privileged to be granted the opportunity to extend the work I started last September and have the chance to continue to work with so many positive and professional colleagues across the Trust. At this point in time, it’s an exciting moment within the Trust’s development, with many ‘things’ in the offing and I very much look forward to working with an even wider range of schools and colleagues as we explore our own Initial Teacher Training provision, the launch of the new NPQs along with developing more internally provided CPD."

Strategic Leader for Chaplaincy and RE: Mark Holdsworth

Mark HoldsworthAs a seasoned Section 48 inspector, Mark is an expert in developing RE, Chaplaincy and Catholic Life in schools.  Mark will work directly with schools to train and develop leaders in aspects of school life that connect directly with our mission.  This will come in the form of training for groups of leaders or more direct one-to-one support for schools where this is required or requested.  

Mark's commitment to mission is reflected in the work of Our Lady's in Chesham Bois.  It is a wonderful Catholic school where the mission to Build the Kingdom of God is woven expertly throughout the fabric of the school.