Our Lady of the Rosary Primary rated ‘Good’ overall by the CSI
Religious education is the favourite subject of many pupils of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School and all the children and young people feel “very proud” to be part of the Peterlee school.
The Catholic Schools Inspectorate has rated the primary school ‘Good’ overall and ‘Outstanding’ in Catholic life and mission and for collective worship following a visit in October on behalf of the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.
CSI lead inspector Michael Ewing said in his report: “Pupils are very proud to belong to this school. Staff fully embrace the school’s mission and are exemplary role models. They seek out opportunities to thread the school’s mission into all areas of school life, including the curriculum, prayer and liturgy, communications with parents and pupil awards.
“There is a strong sense of community where the school goes the extra mile to provide support for families. Parents report that they are valued and respected without exception. Everyone is welcomed, especially those who are most vulnerable. The school celebrates the diversity within its community and is fully inclusive of those from other faith and no faith backgrounds.
“The spiritual and moral development of pupils and staff is given high priority and pupils and staff value opportunities to work, pray and celebrate successes.
“Leaders demonstrate strong commitment to their duty as guardians of the Catholic life and mission of the school and ensure that this is a focus for their work.”
Pupils at Our Lady of the Rosary Primary, which is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, “take pride in their learning” and produce work that is “presented well and reflects good progress through the planned curriculum”.
“Many pupils report that religious education is their favourite lesson,” continued the report.
“They have a good understanding of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life. Pupils are fully engaged in their religious education lessons, behave exceptionally well, and take full advantage of the opportunities the school provides to respond to Catholic social teaching locally, nationally and globally.
“The school works extremely well to form strong relationships with parents and this is reflected in the quality of welcome and engagement in experiences of prayer and liturgy. The mission statement is an inspirational expression of the Catholic faith; it is lived out by pupils and staff in a way which demonstrates their strong commitment to the school.
“Leaders and governors are guardians of the school’s Catholic mission; they ensure that Christ is at the centre in all the decisions they make and driving the mission forward is seen as a core leadership responsibility. Pastoral support for families is of the highest quality, meaning that the school goes the extra mile at times of need.”
Executive headteacher Marie Graham said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of our inspection and incredibly proud that the Catholic Schools Inspectorate has recognised the strength of our school community.
“Our ‘Outstanding’ judgement for Catholic life and mission truly reflects the dedication, faith, and compassion that our pupils, staff, and families show every day. At Our Lady of the Rosary, we work hard to ensure that Christ is at the centre of all we do, and it is wonderful to see this celebrated so clearly in the report.
“We are immensely proud of our children, who live out our mission with joy, kindness and respect for others.”
For more information about Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, visit www.ourladyrosary.org.uk
For more information about BCCET, visit www.bccet.org.uk
Photo captions: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School was rated ‘Good’ overall by the CSI.