A “close-knit” primary school in Hebburn has been praised by the Catholic Schools Inspectorate for its “high levels of pastoral support” during and following the Government-enforced RAAC closures of schools affected by the crumbling concrete across the country.
St James’ Catholic Primary School, which is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, was recently inspected by the CSI on behalf of the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle and has been rated ‘Outstanding’ in Catholic life and mission, and ‘Good’ overall.
The school, on Solway Road, scored particularly highly on its Catholic life and mission with inspectors commenting on how the pupils feel valued and cared for and understand the school motto: ‘We treat each other as Jesus treats us’.
St James’ Catholic Primary School has achieved the Live Simply Award, which alongside the various Mini-Vinnie and Faith in Action initiatives, provides pupils with “purposeful leadership opportunities”.
CSI lead inspector Leigh-Anne Young said in her report: “A key strength of St James’ Catholic Primary School is the high level of pastoral care referenced and acknowledged by all stakeholders.
“The passion and enthusiasm of the senior leaders is palpable; they know the journey that the school has been on and have a clear plan for continuing to move things forward to further enhance current practice. The commitment, engagement and involvement of the local governing committee is a real strength and support for the school community. The pupils of St James’ embrace and are keen to participate and grow through any opportunities offered to them.
“Leaders are clear about how they have worked tirelessly to ‘resurrect and further enhance their faith community’. As a result, the senior leaders are held in high regard by staff, governors and parents. Stakeholders cite examples of where leaders have gone ‘above and beyond’ to live out their faith in their support for pupils, families and staff, demonstrating high levels of pastoral care and respect for human dignity.
“There is a strong and flourishing partnership with the local parish and the school works well alongside the Diocese, supporting the Bishop’s vision.”
Pupils are “enthusiastic” and respond well to the opportunities provided by the school, demonstrating a “growing knowledge and understanding” of different ways to pray. They also embrace the responsibility to care for others and the world in which they live, providing many examples of charitable works and activities linked to Catholic social teaching such as fundraising events for Cafod, their plastic-free packed lunch campaign and the recent harvest festival collection.
Parents speak openly about the “close knit family feel” of the school community.
“Christ is clearly at the heart of the school; the sense of community and welcome are testament to this,” continued the report.
“High levels of pastoral support were offered by leaders and the whole staff during recent challenges which saw the school community spread between various sites, all stakeholders praised the school’s response to this.”
Headteacher Francesca Heslop said: “I am delighted with the outcome of our CSI report. It reflects the hard work, dedication and passion of our entire school community – staff, governors, pupils and families alike.
“Our priority has always been to create a nurturing, inspiring environment where every child can thrive and this recognition affirms that commitment. We are incredibly proud and excited to continue building on this success."
For more information about St James’ Catholic Primary School, visit www.stjameshebburn.co.uk
For more information about BCCET, visit www.bccet.org.uk
ENDS
Photo captions: Headteacher Frances Heslop with St James’ Infant RE ambassadors.
Press release issued by SASS media on behalf of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust. For more information, contact Sarah Dale on 07814 976582.