Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy

Inspection of Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy Bishopton Road West, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland TS19 0QH

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The headteacher of this school is Maureen Wilkinson. This school is part of the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education 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), Stuart McGhee, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Yvonne Coates.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since January 2018. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 6 and 7 December 2023. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 10 and 11 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Our Lady and St Bede Catholic Academy is a welcoming school. There are strong and positive relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils recognise that behaviour has improved over time. Pupils’ conduct is respectful and friendly. Pupils feel happy and safe. Bullying is rare, and pupils enjoy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the recent past, pupils have not achieved as well as they might in external tests and assessments. However, the school has made ambitious and effective changes to the curriculum. Pupils now know and remember more of what they have been taught. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. The introduction of ‘Golden Time’ in each lesson ensures that pupils are resilient and develop independence. There is time dedicated to reading every day, where pupils are asked to ‘drop everything and read’. Pupils like this and say that it has encouraged them to read more widely.

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Holistic development’ lessons support pupils’ personal development well. These lessons are built upon the school’s mission to develop well-rounded pupils. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to participate in clubs and activities across the school, and most pupils do so. These include the ‘St Vincent de Paul’ society, where pupils support the local community through volunteering activities in care homes and delivering food parcels. There is also a range of leadership opportunities for pupils in the school.

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

The school has strengthened leadership over the past two years. Staff have high expectations of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum has been revised. It is now well sequenced and organised. The positive impact of these changes is increasingly evident in pupils’ work.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. This is supported by effective professional development. Teachers ask probing questions to check what pupils do and do not understand. However, pupils do not consistently develop a deep, secure knowledge of the curriculum. This is because the activities that staff select are not consistently well matched to the intended learning set out in the curriculum.

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

Pupils with SEND are identified accurately. They receive additional help from staff when they need it. Staff use effective strategies to support pupils with SEND at an individual level. These pupils work confidently and productively in lessons. Pupils in the school’s resourced provision are well supported by specialist staff. These pupils access an appropriate curriculum in line with their needs.

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

Reading is prioritised as a foundation to academic success. The school quickly identifies pupils who are at the earlier stages of reading. The school supports these pupils through a range of approaches that help them to learn more effectively. The library is a vibrant, welcoming area of the school. Many pupils say that they now read for pleasure. 10 and 11 June 2025

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The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. The school’s evaluative approach supports staff to improve pupils’ conduct. Pupils behave courteously towards others, and social times are orderly. Most pupils attend school regularly. However, there are some groups of pupils who are absent from school too often. These include pupils with SEND and pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school has prioritised strategies to improve this area. However, it is too early to see the full impact of these.

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Pupils are well prepared for life outside of school. The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum is carefully designed. Pupils understand fundamental British values and why these are important. They know the importance of equality. Events such as ‘Culture Day’ celebrate diversity. Pupils understand and respect other cultures and beliefs. There is a well-structured careers programme in place. Pupils benefit from many opportunities to experience the world of work and higher education. Pupils go on to a wide range of destinations in further education, employment or training.

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The recent improvements across the school have been well supported by the trust. Trustees and governors have an accurate understanding of the school. Many parents speak positively about the school. However, some feel that issues that they raise could be addressed more quickly. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the strategies that have been established to support their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, activities in lessons are not adapted to individual pupils’ needs. This means that pupils do not deepen or broaden their knowledge as well as they might. The school should ensure that staff understand how to adapt learning so that it builds upon what pupils already know and can do.  Some groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, are persistently absent from school too often. This means that these pupils miss learning time and do not achieve as well as they could. The school should further develop its strategies to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly.

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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. 10 and 11 June 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). 10 and 11 June 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 December 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust.  The school uses four registered alternative provisions and one unregistered provision.  The school has an enhanced mainstream provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  As the school is designated as Roman Catholic, it is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The school was last inspected under section 48 in November 2017.

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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 10 and 11 June 2025

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(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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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher. They also met with other leaders from the school and school improvement partners from the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust.  Inspectors met with the trust’s CEO. They met with members of the board of trustees and members of the local governing body. They also spoke with a representative from the diocese.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 put pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history and

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physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation regarding the support pupils with SEND receive. They looked at the quality of the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including minutes from governing board meetings and trust board meetings as well as the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour and attendance. They observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and at social times.  An inspector visited one of the alternative providers used by the school.  The views of pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspectors also spoke with groups of staff and pupils to gain their views about the school.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. 10 and 11 June 2025

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Inspection team

Tim Johnson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katie North Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 June 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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