This text provides a concise and authoritative account of why the Catholic Church provides schools and what constitutes the Catholic ethos of a Catholic school. It further clarifies the Church's requirement that those holding key posts in Catholic schools should be practising Catholics, and explains what that means. This is a clear, systematic document which helps many people, including Catholic teachers, parents, and governors as well as non-Catholic educationalists and government officials, to understand the mission of Catholic schools.