CATHOLIC schools are being given the option to become academies as plans move forward to create multi-academy trusts (MATs) across Lancashire.

The Diocese of Salford, which serves Greater Manchester and Lancashire, is currently setting up nine MATs across 13 local authority areas.

Primary and secondary schools who are interested and those who may be forced by the government to convert if they are deemed to be failing by Ofsted will be able to join a trust.

Diocese bosses insist there is no policy of forcing schools to convert.

Schools in East Lancashire would be incorporated into Blessed John Henry Newman Catholic Academy Trust, while the Alice Ingham Academy Trust would take schools in Lancashire as well as Blackburn with Darwen.

Blessed Trinity RC College in Burnley is one of the first to join with headteacher Richard Varey stepping away from his full time role to chair the steering group for the East Lancashire MAT.

Canon Michael Cooke, vicar general for the Diocese who is chairing the Academy Committee, said: “What we are doing is trying to put a structure in place for schools that are forced to become academies or any of our schools that wish to become academies.

“There is no policy of forcing them to convert.

“We are leaving it to the individual schools.

“We are keen to maintain that sense of a family within the Diocese rather than let them go off and become an academy within their own trust.

“We started discussing this a couple of years ago when the government announced plans for all schools to become academies.

“When that was taken away we made it clear that it was down to the individual school.

“We are happy to have a mixed economy.”

He said the academies will be a combination of primary and secondary schools.

“It means they can share good practice, resources and work with economies of scale,” he said.

“We can employ people to work across a number of schools.

“Being in the trust would not stop them working with other schools outside of it or being supported by other schools.

“Each academy would still have its own governing body so on a day-to-day basis things would carry on much the same.

“There would be some rebranding but they would keep the same name and the ethos will be the same.”

The steering groups will enable headteachers to have their say on the plans and help schools consider the options.