St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby has been graded ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding’ features by Ofsted.
Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision at the school were all graded ‘Outstanding’ and the quality of education was graded ‘Good’.
The report said that the school’s mission is to unlock all pupils’ potential by “sharing God’s love and making a difference”. Inspectors reported that pupils are keen to play a positive role in their community and make a difference to themselves and others.
Pupils were praised throughout the report and inspectors said they lived up to teachers’ high expectations.
Inspectors said: “Pupils show kindness and respect to each other. Pupils’ behaviour and conduct is exemplary. In lessons they learn without distraction. They have confidence that teachers will keep them safe.”
The report said that following the fire, which destroyed the school building in 2020, leaders have expertly managed the school during an unprecedented period of challenge and despite tremendous difficulty, they have kept the school community together.
Inspectors said: “The library was destroyed in the school fire. All books were lost. Staff have been unwavering in their determination to ‘get books back in the hands of pupils’.”
Pupils’ behaviour was described as “exemplary” in the report and they have “excellent attitudes to learning.”
“Leaders have worked hard to make sure that pupils, particularly pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, receive the expert support that they need. Pupils with SEND achieve well in school.
“Pupils benefit from a thoughtfully planned and structured personal social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. The school promotes equality of opportunity and diversity effectively. The teaching of protected characteristics is a strength. There is celebration of the Catholic faith but also the culture and faith of others. This meets leaders’ ambition of ‘building mutual respect and tolerance’.”
It was noted that the curriculum is expertly planned. Pupils’ learning is carefully built upon what they know and understand and they often acquire new knowledge that they confidently understand.
“Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use assessment skilfully to check pupils’ understanding. The teaching of reading is a priority. There is a well-planned and sequenced phonics programme in place. Teachers quickly identify pupils who need extra help,” inspectors said.
Children in the early years have an outstanding start, according to the report.
It said: “They receive an ambitious curriculum taught by knowledgeable specialists. Children are completely engrossed in their learning. They understand routines well. They learn to be independent. Children are very well prepared for Year One.”
Ofsted said that staff at the school, which is part of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, have worked together as a strong team.
“They feel appreciated and supported. They are rightly proud of their achievements. They are proud to work at the school,” inspectors said.
St Mary’s ‘SPIRIT’ was also praised in the report along with pupils’ charity work. Inspectors said: “Countless activities take place to raise funds for local and national charities.
“Pupils describe St Mary’s as a family. Pupils from all faiths, families and cultures are welcome and celebrated. Leaders provide rich and meaningful ways to develop pupils’ personal development and character. St Mary’s ‘SPIRIT’ is central to this. Equality ambassadors promote fairness. The ‘circle of friends’ helps their peers to make and then sustain friendships.”
Arrangements for safeguarding at the school are effective and the positive relationships between staff, families and carers were highlighted.
Inspectors said: “Staff know children and their families and carers extremely well. The family liaison officer works tirelessly to ensure that positive relationships are built. Her work is helping to ensure that the most vulnerable pupils are in school, are safe and are learning. Staff are well trained. They know the actions needed to support the most vulnerable pupils. They are vigilant. They tenaciously ensure that pupils are safe within the temporary school.”
Amanda Greaves, Executive Headteacher, said: “We are delighted with the judgements made about key aspects of our school. Despite a challenging few years with the pandemic and the fire, the team has continued to ensure our pupils receive the best Catholic education possible. We have relentlessly strived to ensure the St Mary’s curriculum is tailored for our pupils, which was acknowledged in the report as being expertly planned, and this now needs to be embedded ‘securely and consistently’.
“We will take on board this area for improvement ensuring the curriculum is fully accessible for every learner in our thriving school. I am so incredibly proud of the school team and this achievement in the most challenging of circumstances, their dedication to our children and wider community shone through the report. Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our parents for supporting us on this journey and hope they too feel a sense of pride in their school and this wonderful achievement.”
Emma Farmer, Chair of Governors, said: “As a governing board, we are thrilled with the judgement that has been awarded and we would like to warmly congratulate and thank all those involved. It is richly deserved and is evidence of the enormous, ongoing commitment of all staff and pupils in our school community. Their drive in the most unique and challenging of circumstances has been phenomenal.
“We would like to say a huge thank you to Mrs Greaves, Mrs Novak-Lemmings and their brilliant team for their continuing hard work and professionalism. It is testament to their ongoing dedication that our pupils are able to enjoy the very best school experience where ‘pupils from all faiths, families and cultures are welcome’ and where all our children can truly thrive. It is wonderful to be a part of a school community of which we can feel so proud.”
Kevin Gritton, Chief Executive Officer of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, said: “It is testament to the drive and determination of Mrs Greaves and her team, to continue to provide the best education for all of the children, that has led to such a glowing Ofsted report.
“I was proud to hear inspectors talk about the ambition for all of the pupils and all of the disruption never being used as an excuse to offer anything other than the best education possible for our children. We can now look to an exciting future in a biophilic building and children continuing to receive a first rate education.”
St Mary’s is currently based at St James House, in Mansfield Road, Derby, and is expected to move to a new, innovative environmentally friendly school building in Broadway at the end of 2023.
Pupils and staff across our 25 schools joined in the World Book Day fun this year.
There were competitions, reading breakfasts, visits from poets and mysteries to solve.
At Saint Mary’s in New Mills there was a staged break in at school where all the reading books were stolen!
Headteacher Patricia Chapman said: “A policeman arrived(Mr Peter- our wonderful reading volunteer) with his invisible dog and talked to the children. The children had to complete an investigation and identify the mystery clues spread around the external school buildings. They then undertook writing a newspaper report about their findings. They spotted the book thief, ‘Burglar Bill’ (Mr Peter)later in the day running around outside school. Finally, the clues revealed his where abouts in our new reading shed.”
Parents can ‘weed while they wait’ for their children at St Thomas Catholic Voluntary Academy when its new eco-garden dream becomes a reality.
A ‘flight path’ eco-garden is being created at the school, in Ilkeston, after the school secured £10,000 from East Midlands Airport’s eco-gardens project.
Work is due to start shortly on creating the garden and Headteacher Michael Sellors said everyone was excited to see it come to life.
He said: “The children and staff are looking forward to having an eco-garden where the children can grow their own vegetables and care for local wildlife. We will also have a “weed while you wait” space for parents collecting their children at the end of the day.”
The school is one of eight in the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust that was successful in bidding for the funds. The others are: English Martyrs’ in Long Eaton, St George’s, St Joseph’s and St John Fisher, all in Derby, Blessed Robert Sutton and Holy Rosary, in Burton and St Edward’s in Swadlincote.
Pupils who make up St Thomas’ Sustainability Squad have all been heavily involved in planning the garden.
Their design was inspired by the flight path maps that show the migration of ducks, geese and swans that visit the local nature reserve, Straws Bridge, and land on the school’s roof.
Gemma Shelbourne, a Teaching Assistant at St Thomas who oversees the Sustainability Squad, said: “Our pupils submitted a video where they talked about what we wanted in our eco-garden and that was part of our application. We wanted to bring wildlife in and the inspiration was the ducks that land on our school roof.
“We are all excited to see the plans become a reality. The children have been building bird feeders and bringing them in, they are really enthusiastic and they keep asking when the garden will be ready.”
It is hoped that work will start shortly on creating the garden and that it will be completed by the autumn.
Schools were asked by the airport to submit designs for gardens or green spaces that substantially boost biodiversity and lead to improved wellbeing.
The proposals were evaluated by a panel of experts which included representatives from the airport’s corporate social responsibility team, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the parks, green spaces and environmental management team at South Derbyshire District Council.
The submissions were assessed against several criteria. The designs needed to demonstrate how the gardens would make existing space environmentally richer and more diverse, improve biodiversity, stimulate outdoor learning, and have wellbeing benefits.
Jo Pettifer, Sustainability Project Co-ordinator for the St Ralph Sherwin CMAT, worked with schools on their garden proposals.
She said: “I am delighted that eight of our schools were successful in securing funds. The pupils have worked so hard, carrying out wildlife audits, planning their designs, discussing them with their teachers and filming presentations for the competition. I am so grateful that East Midlands Airport is rewarding all that hard work, what a triumph.”
A special visitor surprised pupils at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Matlock as part of a series of innovative workshops to bring books to life.
Lunar the dragon took centre stage in an assembly during which children listened to a mythical story and were invited to use their imaginations to think about what happened next.
Parents and staff also joined in the fun as children were invited to tickle Lunar under the chin and take part in a daring game, which involved dodging the dragon to get their hands on a book.
Following the first workshop, children in the school’s reception and nursery classes met a baby dragon and children in Years 4 and 5 made their own movie using green screen technology.
Josh Grace, 10, said the workshop was one of the best things he had experienced at Saint Joseph’s.
He said: “I loved it, my favourite bit was when we watched people trying to sneak past the dragon. It was something different to what we normally do and I don’t think many people would get to see a dragon in their whole lifetime. It’s something I won’t forget.”
Charlotte Angrave, 11, said: “It was great to see everyone so excited. My sister is in the nursery class and I think she would have really enjoyed it. I like reading and something like this really brings books to life.”
Stacey Carr, Headteacher at Saint Joseph’s, said: “Reading and writing is at the heart of the curriculum at Saint Joseph’s and inspiring children with a hook into learning is crucial. An experience like this and seeing the children’s faces is simply magical and something they will never forget. We are delighted to be able to give our children the opportunity to be creative and use digital technology to produce the best possible outcomes.”
The sessions were delivered by Teach Rex, which provides creative learning workshops with the power to ignite young minds and imaginations. Each session transports children to a world of dinosaurs, dragons and gorillas, enabling pupils to experience something truly magical.
Sam Bryan, a director at Teach Rex, said: “We believe in the power of storytelling in order to engage children in writing and reading. We use powerful hooks to ignite the children’s imaginations. We are all teachers, or have worked in education, so everything we do has an educational purpose that’s linked across the curriculum and aims to improve children’s learning outcomes.”
A ground-breaking ceremony and blessing has taken place at the site of the new building for St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby.
Pupils and staff from the school, the Bishop of Nottingham, local clergy, and representatives from the Diocese of Nottingham and the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust attended the event.
The new building is set to be the UK’s first biophilic school and is a pilot project for the Department for Education.
The biophilic design focuses on connecting those inside the building with nature, with the goal of promoting physical and mental health.
St Mary’s original building, in Broadway, was destroyed by fire in October 2020 and the school has been based at St James House in Mansfield Road, Derby, since April 2021.
It is hoped that children and staff will move into the new building by the end of 2023.
Amanda Greaves, Executive Headteacher at St Mary’s, said: “We are delighted to have reached this momentous milestone. The next phase is hugely exciting for us as a school community. We can not wait to see our new environmentally friendly school rise from the ashes and open to our children, staff and families.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in supporting us through the past 2 years; our parents, parishes, colleagues within the Trust, Diocese, Derby and beyond.”
Kevin Gritton, Chief Executive of the St Ralph Sherwin Trust, said: “We are proud to be part of this project, which is in keeping with our mission as a group of Catholic schools, to live sustainably and care for the environment, and it’s wonderful that we can support this project.
“We know how much this means to the school community and we would like to thank the staff, pupils, families and everyone connected to the school who has supported them on this journey.”
Peter Giorgio, Director of Education for the Nottingham Roman Catholic Diocesan Education Service, said: “This is a joyful day for the community of St Mary’s and for our diocesan family of schools. After all of the challenges and difficulties, we can now all look forward in hope to the completion of our new St Mary’s.”
Tilbury Douglas, a leading UK building, infrastructure, engineering and fitout company, has been appointed as the main contractor for the project.
Simon Butler, Managing Director Building Central at Tilbury Douglas, said: “As the main contractor working on this innovative school, it was great to be able to mark such an important milestone as we officially start construction.”
Photos by Matthew Ling Photography.
St Anne’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Buxton is celebrating after being rated ‘Good’ in all areas by Ofsted.
The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision were all assessed as part of the two-day inspection.
Inspectors said: “Pupils enjoy learning at this school. Parents and carers, staff and pupils talk of an inclusive, family atmosphere. One parent, with a comment that was typical of many, said, ‘[The school has given their child] the best chance to be the best that they can be.’”
Leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the report said.
Pupils’ behaviour was praised and inspectors said they behaved calmly in lessons.
They said: “They (pupils) are positive about their experience of school and describe learning as fun. Pupils enjoy being rewarded for following the school rules of ‘Be ready, be respectful, be safe’. Pupils say that they feel safe. They do not worry about bullying. They know they can talk to staff if they have any concerns, and that staff will help them. Pupils talk warmly of their relationships with staff.”
Pupils benefit from wider opportunities, inspectors said, highlighting gardening club, choir, multi-sports club, school council and pupil parliament.
The report said that leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum to help pupils develop their knowledge of the subjects they study.
Inspectors said: “Subject leaders have carefully organised what pupils will learn and when. They have created opportunities for pupils to revisit previous learning. Pupils’ learning in Year One builds on the knowledge they develop in the Reception class.”
Teachers present key knowledge clearly to pupils, and staff in the Reception class skilfully help pupils to understand the world in which they live, the report said.
Inspectors said: “Teachers encourage pupils to become independent learners. They provide resources such as dictionaries, phonics folders and vocabulary books. When learning how to write in different styles, pupils use these resources before asking an adult for help. Leaders have prioritised reading.”
Staff are proud to work at St Anne’s, which is part of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, and leaders, governors and trustees work together to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.
There is a culture of vigilance to keep pupils safe and safeguarding arrangements are effective, the report said.
Julia Wiggins, Headteacher at St Anne’s, in Lightwood Road, said: “I’m delighted to share that, at our most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2022, we were judged Good in all areas and Good overall.
“This judgement validates the hard work, dedication, commitment and devotion of our whole team – our site team, office team, teaching team, governing body and the Catholic Multi Academy Trust of which we are part, St Ralph Sherwin.
“I want to thank everyone who has played a part in this successful outcome, in particular, our parents who have remained loyal to the school and, of course, our wonderful children. This is for all of us, here’s to the next chapter! #proudtobeStAnne’s.”
Kevin Gritton, Chief Executive of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, said: “We are delighted for everyone at St Anne’s. It is great to see that Ofsted has recognised all of the work that goes on every day at the school to ensure that pupils receive the very best education and care. Thank you to all of the staff, governors, pupils and families who make St Anne’s such a special place.”
All Saints Catholic Voluntary Academy continues to be a ‘Good’ school, according to their latest Ofsted report.
Inspectors said that All Saints, in Church Street, Glossop, is a “thriving” school where staff aim for every child to find enjoyment, happiness and friendship.
“Pupils are happy, enjoy school life and make strong friendships,” they said.
This is the first ungraded inspection at All Saints since September 2016, when the school was judged to be ‘Good’.
The report said that all leaders, governors and trustees have the highest expectations of pupils and as a result of effective joint working, the curriculum is continually developed.
Behaviour was described as a key strength of the school, which is part of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust.
Parents who inspectors spoke to and received feedback from were overwhelmingly positive about school life and the leadership of the school, according to the report.
“One parent stated that the school is a ‘wonderful, caring environment with a family feel.’ This sentiment was shared by many other staff and parents,” inspectors said.
Curriculum development was praised in the report, which said: “Staff have been provided with the support and time to make changes to their plans and teaching. Subject development has been carefully prioritised and is having a positive impact on what pupils know and can do.”
Approaches to assessment were well established and the teaching of early reading was described as “effective.”
“The school has had much success with its teaching of phonics and reading to pupils. As a result of an effective grounding in early reading, pupils develop a love of reading,” inspectors said.
The report said that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. It also said that pupils’ behaviour is exceptional.
Inspectors said: “Staff have established a very positive climate for learning. Pupils are eager to learn and get on with one another very well.”
It was noted that All Saints works effectively with its partner school, St Margaret’s, and the St Ralph Sherwin Trust to improve their provision.
“Governors and trustees know the school well, offer support and challenge, and are united in doing all they can to help pupils make progress,” inspectors said.
Grainne Beaumont, Headteacher at All Saints, said: “Staff and governors work hard to ensure our school is always moving forward and changing with the current climate. We strive to continue to grow and develop our school, meeting both the educational needs and, just as importantly, the mental health needs of our children.
“We would like to thank all of the staff, governors and families for their continued support. The school will continue to grow and we always say, ‘we may be small but we have a big heart.’”
Kevin Gritton, Chief Executive of the St Ralph Sherwin Trust, said: “We would like to congratulate All Saints on the outcome of this inspection. It is clear that staff and governors work incredibly hard to ensure that the children receive the very best education and care and it was lovely to read the overwhelmingly positive feedback from Ofsted inspectors.”
Congratulations to Saint Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, in New Mills, which has been ranked 10th in the Sunday Times list of the top 50 small state primary schools nationally. Headteacher Patricia Chapman said: “We are delighted that we have been ranked 10th in The Sunday Times, Parent Power 2023: best UK schools guide and league tables. Thank you to all our hard-working staff, families, governors and Trust for all of their support and guidance.”
Well done everyone!
Saint Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy is celebrating after being rated ‘Good’ in all areas by Ofsted.
The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision at Saint Mary’s, in Glossop, were all judged to be ‘Good’ following a two-day inspection.
Inspectors said that pupils are happy and enjoy attending Saint Mary’s.
They said: “They (pupils) feel safe and cared for by the staff. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. They are respectful of each other. They show respect to the school’s religious character. Pupils know the importance of being kind. They try to show kindness every day. They do this by upholding the school’s mission, ‘Learning to love, learning to believe and learning to achieve’. “
The report noted that leaders have high expectations of all pupils at the school, which is part of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust.
Parents and carers are extremely happy with the school, according to inspectors. One parent, typical of many, said: “My son really enjoys his time at school and has been really supported by the staff. It is a caring school.”
Pupils’ behaviour was praised in the report.
Inspectors said: “Older pupils take on responsibilities, including as lunchtime stewards. They are role models for the younger pupils and children in school. The school environment is calm. Pupils behave well.”
The curriculum was described by inspectors as being “well planned and ambitious for all pupils.”
The report said: “The school has made rapid improvements since joining the Trust. Leaders have prioritised their work on the curriculum. They have developed strong leaders for each subject area.”
Inspectors said that children in the early years know the expectations adults have of them and follow the class routines.
“They enjoy their vibrant learning environment. Leaders ensure that all children develop their spoken language. Those children who start school with low communication and language skills receive the support they need to catch up,” the report said.
It was noted that leaders have high ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and they are quick to identify pupils’ additional needs
The wide range of opportunities to promote pupils’ personal development was also highlighted, including a number of clubs.
Inspectors said: “There is a selection of clubs on offer, including gymnastics, netball, drama and multi-sports. These clubs are popular with pupils, including disadvantaged pupils. Leaders prioritise the mental health and well-being of all pupils.”
Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures, according to the report.
Inspectors said: “Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They know the importance of respecting others who may be different to them. They celebrate diversity through their assemblies and the ‘character awards’.”
Arrangements for safeguarding were found to be effective, inspectors said.
Paul Ackers, Headteacher at Saint Mary’s, said: “The success of our school is down to a real team effort being in place and the findings are testament to that. The staff and Local Governing Body work incredibly hard and are fully committed to giving the best of themselves for your children. We are so very grateful to them all and it was wonderful to hear the inspectors feedback throughout the process about all the good things they were seeing and hearing.
“Equally, we are very proud of all our pupils and it was lovely to hear the inspectors talk about the children in such glowing terms.
“There are lots of positives that can be taken from the report and this is down to all the hard work that has taken place over the past few years. It has been a period of rapid growth and this has been pivotal to enabling our school to be where it is now. We also know that we can improve further and this is something that we will embrace and rise to the challenge of.”
Kevin Gritton, Chief Executive of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, said: “We were delighted to see the wonderful caring community of St Mary’s captured in this report and the hard work of all of the community recognised. The school has made rapid improvements over recent years and we will continue to work closely with leaders at the school to ensure this great success story continues.”
Pupils love learning at Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy in Alfreton, according to Ofsted inspectors who have rated the school ‘Good’ in all areas.
In their report, inspectors said: “Pupils love learning in this school. They are happy and they feel safe. They talk with clear enthusiasm about learning new knowledge. They behave well and respectfully.”
The quality of education at Christ the King, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, early years provision and the school’s overall effectiveness have all been rated ‘Good’.
It was noted that leaders are ambitious for all pupils and that staff at the school, which is part of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, are a strong team.
Inspectors said: “They (staff) support each other well in striving for improvement. All staff and pupils live out the school mission ‘to be the best we can be.’ The school is welcoming and inclusive. Staff work hard to ensure that this is a safe place in which to learn.”
The “warmth of the school’s positive ethos” reaches out into the local area and activities such as planting bulbs, sending letters to a local care home and volunteering in the community were highlighted.
Positive relationships between pupils were praised, including those in the early years and parents and carers are happy with the care provided.
“They (pupils) play happily and older pupils support younger pupils with their reading. Parents and carers are very positive about the school. They welcome the way the school makes them feel part of a community through their kindness and support.”
The curriculum was described in the report as “organised, ambitious and well-sequenced”.
“Leaders have set out an organised, ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. Staff develop pupils’ vocabulary from the start of the early years through to Year 6. Pupils use their precise vocabulary to talk confidently about what they have learned,” inspectors said.
Reading is at the heart of the curriculum, children make a good start with their phonics from the beginning of the early years and pupils describe reading as “diving into an adventure”, according to the report.
Inspectors noted that maths is taught through a well-planned curriculum and they said that pupils who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs learn well alongside their peers.
Pupils’ behaviour was praised and pupils’ personal development was described as a “strength of the school”.
Arrangements for safeguarding were found to be effective.
Inspectors said: “The school goes above and beyond to engage wider agency support for its pupils and families in a rigorous approach and positive safeguarding culture.”
Megan Watts, Headteacher at Christ the King, said: “We are incredibly pleased with the outcome of the inspection and with this report. We feel it reflects the hard work of all our children, staff and governors. The inspection has not only validated our journey so far, it has also supported us in continuing to shape our vision for the future of our school. We are excited to continue that journey as a school community.”
Kevin Gritton, Chief Executive of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, said: “We are delighted for everyone at Christ the King and it is fantastic to see that all of the hard work done to ensure that pupils receive the very best education has been recognised in the report. Congratulations and well done to everyone involved.”
