The Catholic Education Service (CES) has
announced that its new director is Paul Barber, current director of
education at the Diocese of Westminster.Bishop Malcolm McMahon of Nottingham, chairman of the CES, said he was “delighted” Mr Barber had accepted the appointment.
He said: “He will bring to the post his considerable experience and a proven track record of commitment to the furtherance of the Church’s vision for Catholic education.”
The bishop said Mr Barber would take up the post at Easter. Mgr Marcus Stock, general secretary of the bishops’ conference, has been acting director of the CES since November last year, when the previous director Oona Stannard stepped down after 12 years in the job.
During his tenure at Westminster Mr Barber was involved in a high-profile dispute with parents at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in west London over its admissions policy and perceived attempts to water down its ethos.