The Bishop Fraser Trust

The Bishop Fraser Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), with five member schools: St James’s C of E High School, Canon Slade School, Bury Church of England High School, Bolton St Catherine’s Academy and St Catherine's Primary School. Our vision is to allow all children to experience ‘life in all its fullness’, no matter what their starting point. Our vision is to allow all children to experience ‘life in all its fullness’, no matter what their starting point. We will do this by: Offering a high quality, inclusive and distinctive education A caring and nurturing environment based on our Christian values Recognising the unique nature of each child. James Fraser was a former Bishop of Manchester and established the Diocesan Board of Education. Appointed to the role in 1870 he won the respect of many after rejecting the comfortable bishop’s residence, instead preferring to live in the city centre so he could be closer to the people. During his time as Bishop of Manchester, Fraser saw 99 new churches consecrated, set up over 100 new parishes and founded the Bishop's Fund for poorer parishes. A statue was erected to Bishop Fraser in Albert Square in 1888. On the pedestal of the statue are three bronze panels that show Fraser in his three roles: bishop, citizen and man of charity. The panels around the plinth of the statue depict a man who was close to the people and it seems that he was both highly respected and warmly regarded. We felt that with his close ties to the people and his crucial role in setting up public education in the North West, Bishop Fraser represented much of what the Trust has set out to do. This is also reflected in our brand which uses Manchester Diocesan colours and the Bishops Mitre.