St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy

Inspection of St Hedda’s Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Egton Bridge, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 1UX

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Kendra Sill. This school is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Hugh Hegarty, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Joseph Hughes. The headteacher is also the executive headteacher and responsible for one other school.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected St Hedda’s Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged St Hedda’s Roman Catholic Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as St Hedda’s Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy as a result of conversion to academy status. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this happy and welcoming rural school. Positive, caring relationships between pupils and adults mean that pupils feel well cared for. Pupils describe themselves as feeling ‘protected’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. They demonstrate kindness and respect towards each other. Pupils realise the school’s ESK values of ‘excellence, self-belief and knowledge’ in all aspects of their work and play. Pupils make a significant contribution to the life of the school. Digital leaders help their friends when they work on the computers. Sports leaders encourage all pupils to join in with playtime games. Pupils are glad to be ‘Mini Vinnies’. They take seriously their mission of turning environmental concerns into action.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. Pupils rise to this challenge. The work which pupils produce is of a consistently high quality throughout the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an incredibly rich and rewarding range of experiences and wider opportunities. The school carefully plans these so that they are meaningful for pupils. A recent visit to The Houses of Parliament helped pupils to understand democracy in action. Setting up camp and sleeping on the school field provides older pupils with the opportunity to further develop their life skills and show resilience.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have worked effectively to develop a curriculum which is highly ambitious, and implemented consistently well. This enables pupils to achieve highly in all subjects. Staff are highly trained to implement the curriculum. Pupils are engaged and motivated to learn. The school makes sure that learning is skilfully and successfully adapted to meet the needs of individual pupils in this small school. Pupils’ knowledge develops securely and confidently across a wide range of subjects and topics.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils with SEND are quickly identified. The school provides them with the extra help they need to learn the curriculum. The school provides staff with insightful guidance on the strategies that will best support individual pupils. This helps teachers to set pupils that are well matched to their learning needs. This supports them to make strong progress through the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school prioritises reading. Phonics is taught very well. The school uses checks on pupils’ learning adeptly to identify pupils who may be falling behind in their reading. Pupils get the help they need to keep up. In key stage 1, ‘book babbles’ encourage pupils to talk about the books they have read. This promotes pupils’ speech and expands their vocabulary. Older pupils have a love of reading. They read widely and often. The school has carefully considered the texts which pupils will read to promote pupils’ understanding of different cultures, faiths, and beliefs. Older pupils enjoyed their trip to Newcastle to see a dramatic version of the novel ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’, performed on stage. 21 and 22 January 2025

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Staff model the behaviours they expect of pupils. High expectations are consistently applied. This helps pupils to remain focused and engaged in their learning. ‘Shine’ awards encourage pupils to work hard. Staff make classrooms purposeful and peaceful places for pupils.

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Leaders are determined that pupils’ opportunities will not be limited by the size of the school. The school plans a wide range of experiences to build on the knowledge pupils learn through the curriculum. An effective relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education programme gives older pupils an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils appreciate the many different types of families that exist in modern Britain today. Visits to places like Middlesbrough football stadium help pupils to understand issues such as the importance of eradicating racism through sport. Opportunities to litter pick on Whitby beach encourage pupils to contribute to their community and understand some of the environmental challenges the world faces. The wide variety of opportunities the school offers broadens pupils’ cultural understanding of the world beyond Egton. Pupils enjoy using the prayer space and prayer garden in school

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Leaders at all levels are passionate about realising pupils’ potential. They are exceptionally ambitious for the pupils and the community which the school serves. They have made engagement with parents and carers a high priority. Leaders have consulted with parents on the opportunities they would like their children to have. Consequently, the curriculum now includes more outdoor learning.

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Those responsible for governance ensure that the school’s work is making a difference to pupils’ learning and well-being. The school has benefited exceptionally well from support provided by the trust. Staff morale is high. The school supports staff’s workload and well- being. Staff and parents describe the school as a supportive, unique and ambitious family.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Headteacher Kendra Sill (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher has been in post since September 2022.  The school joined Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust in September 2020.  The school is a Catholic school in the Diocese of Middlesbrough. The most recent section 48 inspection for schools with religious character took place in June 2019. The school’s next section 48 inspection will take place within five academic years.  In September 2024, the school opened a nursery provision for three-year-old children.  At the time of the inspection the school had an interim advisory board in place. This body had governance responsibilities for the school. This has been in place since January 2023.  The school does not use alternative provision. 21 and 22 January 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements: quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, trust associate leader, other school staff and members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  Meetings were held with trustees, including the chair of the trust and the CEO. An inspector also met with the deputy director of schools for Middlesbrough Diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the school’s

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Information about this inspection

work in some other curriculum areas.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  An inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day. They also had telephone conversations with some parents.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  To evaluate pupils’ behaviour, inspectors visited lessons, analysed behaviour records, met with groups of pupils and observed their play at breaktime and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Chris Pearce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Zoe Westley Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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