Trinity Catholic College receives BEST Ofsted report in 15 years
Leaders of one of Middlesbrough’s biggest secondary schools have warmly welcomed the best Ofsted report it’s received in its 15-year history. Now that’s certainly a cause for celebration!
Trinity Catholic College and Sixth Form has been rated “good” in four out of five areas – behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and sixth form provision.
And Head Teacher Andy Rodgers is confident the one remaining category, quality of education, is well on the way to reaching the required standard — and we don’t doubt the determination.
“Leadership is making a pivotal difference at the school”
Trinity, which has 1,300 pupils, was founded in 2009 in a merger between St David’s Catholic Technology College, Newlands Catholic School FCJ, and St Mary’s Catholic Sixth Form college.
It’s now part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, one of the country’s largest Catholic schools trusts.
In its report, Ofsted says: “The school sets high standards for pupils’ behaviour. A calm and orderly atmosphere is now the norm. Pupils know that their school is a better place in which to learn and thrive than before.
“Students speak highly of the teaching staff. High-quality and determined leadership is making a pivotal difference at the school. Leaders across the trust unite to make improvements to the quality of education.
“This includes putting in place an ambitious, well-planned curriculum. Pupils engage well with school. They treat one another and staff with respect. This helps everyone commit to learning.”
Inspectors concluded: “The impact of new leaders and the wider trust is striking. It is also making a notable difference for the school community. Parents and carers are positive about the school. Many commented on how much it has changed in recent years.”
Head Teacher Andy Rodgers said: “To be graded ‘good’ in four of the five areas is the best outcome the school’s ever had. It’s an enormous step forward. In 18 months, we’ve taken a school that was almost rated inadequate and was ‘requires improvement’ in all five areas, to where we are now.
“Results take time to improve after you get everything else right and I’m confident you will soon see those improvements feed through. First you have to get the culture right, bring the community together, sort out behaviour and work on teaching and learning, all areas where Ofsted have acknowledged major improvements.”
NPCAT CEO Hugh Hegarty said the report marks a significant milestone on a journey of improvement that will continue until the school is outstanding in all areas. He said: “Under NPCAT’s leadership, Trinity has embraced change with a clear vision for our students’ future. Difficult decisions were made with the unwavering belief that they were in the students’ best interest and reflected our Gospel values of courage, faith and commitment.
“This is the first time Ofsted has acknowledged Trinity’s leadership and management, behaviour and personal development as ‘good’. That speaks volumes about the effectiveness of our school leadership team and the strength of the NPCAT school improvement framework.
“To have our Catholic sixth form also designated as ‘good’ for the first time in years is also hugely satisfying. The sixth form exemplifies the school’s mission to provide pathways to success for every student, equipping them for further study, work or training, with the skills, confidence and aspirations they need to thrive.”
The report, one of the first to be released since Ofsted stopped giving a one-word overall grading, praises the increasing range of extracurricular opportunities at Trinity and says sixth-form students “revel” in their experience of working with the T6 Football Academy, which trains elite players in an exclusive partnership with Middlesbrough FC.
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “This Ofsted report is a testament to the hard work and dedication of every member of the Trinity Catholic College community. Congratulations on this fantastic achievement! We’re confident that with continued effort, the school will continue to go from strength to strength.”
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