What Edmund Rice Schools Trust does

Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST) is an Irish lay charitable trust founded in 2008 (company number 457269, RCN 20069452) that serves as legal trustee and patron of 96 Catholic primary and secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland, educating more than 37,000 pupils. Headquartered in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, ERST inherited 206 years of Edmund Rice educational heritage (since 1802) from the Congregation of the Irish Christian Brothers and now operates a centrally governed network anchored by the ERST Charter framework — five elements covering faith, partnership, teaching and learning, caring community, and transformational leadership. Core offerings include governance and trustee services to Boards of Management, ethos development, teacher professional development, student leadership and social-justice programmes, an EREBB Leadership Certificate developed with Marino Institute of Education, and a Developing World Immersion Programme connecting schools with Christian Brother communities overseas. Supporting infrastructure includes the My ER School internal portal, the seasonally published E-Síol newsletter, and active participation in the global Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) network spanning 20+ countries and nearly 280 schools.

ERST is a non-profit that generates no fees from schools and receives no State funding; its operating model depends on charitable donations from the public, augmented by the Irish tax-rebate scheme that returns 45% on donations of €250 or more per year. The central trust office runs lean (8-9 staff) including the Chief Executive, Finance & Property Officer, Coordinators of Governance and Ethos, two School Support Services staff, and administrative support, while service delivery to schools is executed via this small executive plus regional school support coordinators. The trust also benefits from relationships with insurers (Willis/Tower Watson; Allianz) and a broader partnership ecosystem that includes Worldwise Global Schools and ERI, all supporting the same charity-driven model. Distribution is direct to the 96 member schools through conferences, training seminars, cluster meetings, and network groups.

Name

Edmund Rice Schools Trust

Legal name

Edmund Rice Schools Trust

Website

https://erst.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Edmund Rice Schools Trust is an Irish lay charitable trust and legal trustee of 96 Catholic primary and secondary schools (37,000+ pupils), providing governance, ethos, and professional development services funded entirely by charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Catholic Education Governance

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 SIS & District Administration Platforms (EDAFAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

School ERP: Finance, Procurement & Budgeting (EDAFAEAC), HR, Payroll, Time & Attendance for Education (EDAFAEAD), Compliance, Risk & Audit Support Services (EHS, Title IX/Clery Support, Policy Admin) (EDAEALAK)

Keywords

• Catholic school governance
• K-12 education services
• School trusteeship
• Ethos development
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackrock

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As an independent Trust, ERST receives no State funding. The organization relies on donations from the public, PAYE and self-assessed taxpayers who can claim 45% tax back on donations of €250 or more annually.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST) is the trustee of a network of 96 primary and secondary Catholic schools in the Republic of Ireland, operating under the Edmund Rice Schools Trust Charter. The organisation provides governance services, ethos development, school support, finance and property management, and professional development programmes for Boards of Management, Principals, teachers, and students across its member schools. It also coordinates international engagement through Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB).

Product overview

Edmund Rice Schools Trust operates a network of 96 primary and secondary Catholic schools in the Republic of Ireland under the ERST Charter framework. The core offering is the Edmund Rice Schools Network, which provides Catholic education based on five key elements: Nurturing faith, Promoting partnership, Excelling in teaching and learning, Creating a caring community, and Inspiring transformational leadership. Supporting the network are programmes including Student Leadership initiatives (Student Council Training, Student Council Conference), Senior Leaders Conferences for Principals and Deputy Principals, and Teacher Development Programmes including the 'Leading the Edmund Rice School' course. The trust also maintains international connections through Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB), which spans over 20 countries, offering the EREBB Leadership Certificate online course and Developing World Immersion Programme. Communication across the network is facilitated through the E-Síol newsletter and the My ER School internal portal for document management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 96 schools serving 37,000+ students across Republic of Ireland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2014International network of Catholic schools educating young people from different faiths and cultures in over 20 countries. EREBB was inaugurated in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2014. Gerry Bennett (ERST Chief Executive) serves as Chairman of EREBB Leadership Forum. The partnership promotes global solidarity and transformational education for justice and liberation.
• Edmund Rice International (ERI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-governmental organisation committed to working for children and young people marginalised by poverty, lack of access to education, legal status, environmental degradation, or involvement in armed conflict.
• The Global Edmund Rice NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged with needs of people marginalised by poverty, discrimination, lack of education or ecological degradation across the global network.
• Marino Institute of Education (MIE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for EREBB Leadership Certificate - an international online course developed by EREBB, ERST, and MIE. The 20-hour course supports teachers and educators in Edmund Rice schools.
• Worldwise Global SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Global Citizenship Education in Edmund Rice schools through partnership for international development education.
• Willis Insurance Brokers / Tower WatsonminorOthersInsurance brokers working with ERST to provide comprehensive insurance cover for all schools. Allianz is the current provider of insurance coverage.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Schools Partnership: Umbrella body representing Catholic schools in Ireland at a sector level. Comparable as a broader Catholic education governance/advocacy body though not a single trust operator.
• Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBs): Statutory bodies managing community and comprehensive schools across Ireland. Comparable as institutions running large multi-school networks with governance and administrative support functions.
• An Forás Pátrúnachta: Patronage body for Gaelscoileanna (Irish-medium) schools in Ireland. Comparable as an alternative school patronage/trust model competing for new school patronage in the Republic of Ireland.
• Jesuit Schools: International Catholic religious-order school network, including schools in Ireland. Comparable as a faith-based educational network with similar governance support and ethos development functions.
• Church of Ireland Board of Education: Operates Church of Ireland schools in Ireland. Comparable as a religious patronage body operating a network of K-12 schools with similar trustee-style governance.

Direct peers

• Loreto Education Trust: Irish Catholic religious order trust operating a network of primary and secondary schools across Ireland. Most directly comparable to ERST in mission, model, and geographic scope.
• Presentation Schools: Network of Catholic schools in Ireland operated under the Presentation Sisters. Directly comparable as a religious-order school trust serving K-12 students with similar governance and ethos support models.
• Mercy Education (Sisters of Mercy): Irish Catholic school trust operating Mercy convent schools. Parallel to ERST in operating a multi-school Catholic network with similar trustee governance and faith-based ethos.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ERSTIRELAND
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edmund-rice-schools-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Edmund Rice Schools Trust