Nicholas Postgate

A work by one of the most celebrated British artists of the 20th century has gone on display in a Middlesbrough primary school as part of a pioneering partnership with the town’s MIMA gallery.
Herring Gull, by acclaimed sculptor and printmaker Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930 to 1993), is inspiring pupils at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Grangetown to produce their own work with the help of local environmental artist Diane Watson.
The partnership between the gallery and the school is part of a wider collaboration between MIMA and the National Portrait Gallery that has led to a large-scale exhibition called “People Powered: Stories from the River Tees”.
MIMA is putting on a programme of events focusing on histories and folk tales exploring how the River Tees has shaped the region.
MIME learning curator Claire Pounder said: “Installing artwork from the Middlesbrough Collection in a local school is a historic moment for MIMA.
“This special partnership with the National Portrait Gallery has brought this vision to the forefront of the project and will see pupils working in collaboration with local artist Diane Watson, to discover the importance of the River Tees and its ecosystems.”
MIMA is one of five organisations that form the National Portrait Gallery’s offsite programme.
St Mary’s executive headteacher Anna McClurey said the school’s partnership with MIMA has grown over the last five years.
“Our love of art and learning together is at the heart of this new work and will help us further understand the world we live in,” she said.
“This is a great moment for both our teachers and pupils to work alongside an artist and work in collaboration on a new body of artwork.”
Frink was especially well known for her sculptures of animals, particularly birds and horses.
Herring Gull, which belongs to the Middlesbrough Collection, was printed in 1974 for her Seabirds exhibition.
Discussions about Herring Gull are being used to guide pupils through the story of the river.
Diane, who is based in Seaton Carew, raises awareness of the scale of plastic waste through her sculptures, installations and surface designs, as well as through her collaborations with direct action groups.
She is using her environmental art practice to explore biodiversity and ecosystems using the power of creativity and imagination.
The final work will be displayed at MIMA as part of the exhibition.
The National Portrait Gallery’s Inspiring People initiative is a £35.5m transformation of the London venue that includes a comprehensive re-display of its collection and a major refurbishment.
It also includes the gallery’s most extensive programme of activities nationwide, with plans to engage audiences onsite, locally, regionally and online.
“People Powered: Stories from the River Tees” features new commissions by local artists alongside images from the National Portrait Gallery Collection and works from the Middlesbrough Collection.
The exhibition is now on and runs until January 7 2024.

Pupils at a Middlesbrough school put on a sumptuous fine-dining experience for parents and special guests after completing a special six-week training programme.
Seven Year 10 pupils at Trinity Catholic College were selected for the hospitality and catering course, which was overseen by Paul O’Hara, who worked in Michelin-starred kitchens before joining Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT) as executive chef last year.
Four pupils focused on putting together a delicious three-course meal in the kitchen, while the other three formed a front-of-house hospitality team, welcoming guests and serving them throughout the evening.
“We looked for pupils who have aspirations to go into this sort of work,” said Paul. “The kitchen group learned how to prepare the starter, main course and dessert and how the kitchen runs.
“The front-of-house team learned how to take orders, how to set the table up and how to meet, seat and greet our guests and then take their orders and bring them to the kitchen.”

The big test came with the dinner for 60 guests in Trinity’s recently opened Martha’s Kitchen dining hall. They included parents, members of NPCAT’s senior leadership team and representatives from the other secondary schools within the trust.
They chose from a starter of Mac ‘n’ Cheese Fritters or a Ham Hock Terrine with Piccalilli and Toasted Sourdough, a main course of Herb-Fed Chicken Breast with Bacon, Peas and Potato Gratin or North Sea Fishcake, Soft Poached Hen’s Egg and Warm Tartare Sauce.
For dessert, there was a choice of Sticky Toffee Pudding, Butterscotch Sauce with Vanilla Ice Cream or Eton Mess.
“Because it was a choice menu on the night, none of us knew what was going to happen,” said Paul.
“It was challenging, but that’s what I wanted, to show what they could accomplish if they put in the time and effort to learn and prepare properly. It was stressful at times, but we got there in the end.
“They learned real life skills and had a first taste of a real kitchen and a real working environment. It’s not like a cookery class at school. Anything could happen in the kitchen that day.
“The skills they have come away with will boost their confidence because they had to work as a team, relying on others they might not have spoken to in school before. It will also be good for their CVs that they have already had some work experience.”

Paul called in an old friend to help train the front-of-house team, Ben Hunt, a former restaurant manager at the Five Red Star Rockliffe Hall Hotel.
Ben, who now works for the Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA), gave up an hour of his time every week to come in and help. There was a display and a talk about the GNAA’s work on the night and guests were invited to give a donation if they wished to.

The event was a collaboration between NPCAT Catering and NPCAT FutureProof Careers.
The trust’s head of careers, Lisa Lindo, said: “This fantastic experience brought so many benefits to our pupils, including self-confidence, resilience and team building.
“It will also help them if they wish to move into careers in the hospitality sector in the future.”
The training was piloted at Trinity but Paul hopes to roll it out to the other five secondaries in NPCAT, which runs 38 schools across Teesside and North Yorkshire, including the city of York.

Photo by Dawn McNamara

Members of Trinity Catholic College’s after-school netball club have fired themselves to a Guinness World Record after racking up more than 1,000 goals in just an hour.

The talented team rose to the challenge of cracking the previous record for Most Goals Scored by a Netball Team in an Hour, which stood at 740.

And after they managed to score 1,100 goals in the allotted time, Guinness World Records has confirmed that their attempt meets all their requirements and has been successful. 

PE teacher Carol Rodgers came up with the idea of beating the record while the girls were unable to play because of the lockdown.

“I wondered if there was a record and decided to look it up,” says Carol. “When I read that the previous record was 740 I thought, ‘We can beat that!’, so we got it set up as soon as we got back to school.”

Members play twice a week as one of the Middlesbrough school’s regular extracurricular activities and the record attempt replaced their usual training session. 

Two external umpires had to come in to ensure impartiality and two official timekeepers were appointed, with two more girls to keep the scores.

Only one player was allowed in the D at a time and they had to shoot before the next person could enter. The whole team’s total was then tallied together.

“Our girls went out and well and truly smashed the record,” says Carol.

“They knew they’d done it with about ten minutes to go and after that they wanted to get the score as high as they could,” says Carol.

“They were absolutely chuffed to bits and I’m so proud of them all.” 

Trinity has a proud record of sporting success and the Year 11 girls’ team are unbeaten in the area throughout their five years at school.

Their only defeats in five years were when they came second to Trafford Netball Club in a tournament at EuroDisney in Paris and a loss in a national qualifier.

Year 11’s Emma Rodgers plays for Leeds Rhinos while her teammate Dani Walker represents the North-East. Year 7s Angelique Richardson also represents the region.

Thousands of children across the trust have answered the call of Pope Francis to pray for Ukraine, while also providing vital funds and practical assistance.

Children attending the 27 schools in Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust have continued to remember the people of Ukraine in their daily prayers throughout Lent after stopping their lessons to pray for peace on Ash Wednesday.

NPCAT schools and its head office stopped at 11am for prayer and reflection. As well as watching a moving video recorded by a Ukrainian woman living in the UK, they also prayed and listened to music that was specially written for the occasion.

NPCAT’s Catholic standards officer, Mark Ryan, said: “The message was deeply moving and so important, and we were pleased to be able to share it with our communities.

“We all need to spread love and kindness in our own communities and not wait for something terrible to happen to change our lives.”

Pupils at St Thérèse of Lisieux Catholic Primary School in Ingleby Barwick praying for peace in Ukraine

Mr Ryan said that like all of us, children will be struggling to process what they are seeing on the news and hearing about from their friends.

“For very young ones, we have to be very sensitive because they will have very little understanding of what’s going on, so we focus on peace,” he said.

“Older children, who are more aware of what’s going on in the world, will have questions and thoughts and feelings.

“We have to be prepared to respond to those in a peaceful way. That’s what the Pope asks us to do, not to be people of war but to be people of peace.”

On Friday, Pope Francis will pronounce the Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Bishop Terry will pray the consecration prayer during midday Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, an act that bishops throughout the world will also carry out.

Children from St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School in Nunthorpe praying for peace

The NPCAT family join the Pope in prayer on this special day and every day for peace in Ukraine. Our schools have also been showing their usual generosity for those in need.

NPCAT was asked to help fill a container of vital supplies that is being driven overland to Ukraine.

Within five days, our secondary schools had collected a huge range of aid including clean bottled drinking water, dried non-perishable food, warm winter coats, blankets, sleeping bags, first aid kits, hot water bottles, flasks, baby food, nappies, toiletries and sanitary products.

Our primary schools have all been doing everything they can to help.

St Gabriel’s Catholic Primary School in Ormesby have created a prayer wall on the fence outside of school, while children from St Pius X Catholic Primary School in Park End recorded a song to show their solidarity with Ukraine.

And St Margaret Clitherow’s Catholic Primary School in South Bank collected three carloads of aid, as well as donating money.

We will continue to pray and play our part in the relief effort for as long as the crisis lasts.

“So much more than a school” – that’s the verdict of a parent interviewed by Ofsted as part of an inspection at St Thérèse of Lisieux Catholic Primary School in Ingleby Barwick.

The 213-pupil school – part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT) – was found to be Outstanding in behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision, and was given an overall rating of Good.

Inspectors said St Thérèse is a school where all pupils feel valued, happy and safe because of the care they receive from all staff.

“Pupils are courteous and polite,” the report says. “Pupils show a keen interest for those around them. Teachers have built a climate where kindness and respect for others are celebrated.

“Teachers encourage pupils to speak in class, in assemblies and in church. They show a keen interest in what pupils have to say. From Nursery to Year 6, pupils are welcoming, confident and articulate.”

Learning flourishes in a positive and supportive atmosphere where bullying is extremely rare – and parents say communication with the school has never been better.

One wrote: “St Thérèse of Lisieux is so much more than a school. It is a community and my sons feel as though they belong and are part of something special. Their overall wellbeing is at the heart of all the school does.”

Executive headteacher Mark Ryan said he was delighted with the report.

“This is a report for the school and the parish community to be rightly proud of,” he said.
“We are indebted to the fantastic support we receive from parents. The dedication of both staff and governors, and their expertise, has clearly been recognised.

“We are fortunate to be able to work with such wonderful children and their exemplary behaviour, attitudes and kindness have shone through in this report. This is a special school and the report by Ofsted captures this.”

St Thérèse joined NPACT when the trust was formed in September 2018 and inspectors say school and trust leaders have managed a period of change extremely well.

“Staff value the high-quality guidance and support they receive,” the report says.

The school has an “ambitious curriculum” and there is particular praise for its reading programme, with a love of reading continuing throughout the school, for learning in mathematics, and for an “exceptional” early years programme.

“In subjects such as science and history, teachers have mapped out the knowledge and skills that pupils will need to know,” the inspectors continue.

“Leaders make pupils’ personal development a priority. Pupils develop a deep respect for all forms of equality. Pupils recently met female pilots and fire officers to widen their awareness of gender equality.

“They develop an interest in sport, the arts and the environment. Teachers build pupils’ confidence and self-esteem in exceptional ways. “From the earliest days of Nursery, children are encouraged to talk and share their thoughts.”

NPCAT senior standards officer Nicky Jamalizadeh said: “We’re so pleased that the Ofsted judgements reflect the outstanding provision that the pupils receive at St Thérèse.

“These excellent outcomes are a result of the ongoing hard work and dedication from school leaders, staff, pupils and parents working in partnership together.”

Pupils from Catholic schools across Teesside have sent a powerful message to world leaders as they prepare to gather for next month’s crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Children from St Augustine’s and St Gerard’s Catholic Primary Schools in Middlesbrough visited St Mary’s Cathedral in Middlesbrough to give their backing to CAFOD’s Eyes of the World campaign ahead of the Glasgow summit, which is also known as COP26.

Pupils from St Patrick’s Catholic College in Thornaby and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Middlesbrough also gave their backing to the campaign.

The Catholic aid charity wants to show leaders they will be held to account if they fail to deliver lasting solutions to protect our planet.

Martin Macaulay, executive headteacher at St Augustine’s and St Gerard’s, hopes governments will take far more radical steps than ever before to ensure a sustainable future.

“Throughout their childhood, young people have heard the increasingly stark warnings about the impact of climate change and they are making their voices heard in terms of demanding that world leaders act now,” he said. 

“Through the Eyes of the World campaign, young people are directly telling world leaders that they are watching them. 

“Our pupils are acting on Pope Francis’ call in Laudato Si’ to care for our world and protect the environment as part of the common good.”

As well as visiting the cathedral, children throughout both schools also took part in assemblies, made posters and wrote prayers and letters.

“I believe that the campaign and the actions of our children will inspire others across the UK to play their part in tackling climate change and wider issues around social injustice,” said Mr Macaulay.

“I hope the voices of the younger generation will be heard so that future generations will inherit the world they deserve. We must not fail them.”

Pupils at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Middlesbrough

CAFOD Middlesbrough community participation coordinator Carol Cross said she was deeply moved by the children’s concern about the environmental crisis.  

“The pupils of St Gerard’s, St Augustine’s, St Patrick’s and St Joseph’s have demonstrated that when we work together we can raise awareness, get our voices heard and bring about change,” she said.

“These schools have been wonderful supporters of CAFOD for many years and it is fabulous to see children taking a stand for what they believe in. Other children and young people from across the diocese have participated in the campaign and raised their concerns too.

Children from St Patrick’s Catholic College in Thornaby displaying the CAFoD banner alongside head of school Deborah Law and chaplain Alison Fisk

“The eyes of the world are on us this year as Britain hosts world leaders for the climate change talks. They will make important decisions that will shape the future of our global family.

“With schools across the UK taking part in the Eyes of the World campaign, we hope the urgency of the climate crisis and the demand for world leaders to take urgent action on vaccine fairness and debt cancellation​ will be heard.”

Children from across Teesside wrote and performed their own song as part of an action-packed week of activities to kick off the summer holidays.

A total of 352 youngsters in the top three year groups from 21 of the primary schools that make up the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust took up the invitation to the free summer camp at Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough.

Teaching and support staff from across NPCAT came together to offer their specialist skills to children who have been adversely affected by the pandemic, many missing out on their traditional secondary school transition and other end-of-term activities. 

The summer school encouraged the children to take part in academic and creative activities including art, design and technology, multi-sports, music and performing arts, mixed with some English and Maths.

The week, which was blessed with glorious sunshine, culminated in Fun Friday, when Newcastle Thunder Rugby League Club community coaches and the Cleveland Army Cadet Force offered games and outdoor activities such as laser tag and archery.

Children at the NPCAT summer camp

A climbing wall, inflatables and an ice cream van ensured the week finished on a real high. Many parents took to Facebook to praise staff and say how much their children had enjoyed the week. 

 “The summer school enabled primary children to come together to explore new activities in a fun and creative way,” said NPCAT Sport director Stephen Monan.

“They had the opportunity to forge new friendships before joining our secondary schools, which will be invaluable, especially as we lost some of our traditional transition events due to rising Covid rates. 

“The high quality of staff across NPCAT was showcased and their passion, commitment and creativity ensured all our kids had an enjoyable yet challenging week, with a blend of academic and enrichment activities on offer. 

“To see the kids enjoying themselves after the disruption we have had gave us all a really positive finish to the year.

“Unfortunately, some children missed out due after being required to self-isolate. However, this did not affect the positive atmosphere and staff worked tirelessly to ensure the best experiences for everyone who was able to attend.”

Children at the NPCAT summer camp

Primary PE and sport development manager Clare Harding added: “It was great to see so many children having the opportunity to enjoy a range of activities designed to build confidence, friendships and improve wellbeing.

“The smiles on their faces every day and the positive comments from children, staff and parents made all the detailed planning we put in place worthwhile. We hope the week will play a part in the important recovery process.”

Musicians Joe and Joanna, from Children of Praise, helped the children write the summer camp song, My Future’s in Front of Me, while Jodie Canwell created this fantastic film as a memento of a very special week.

Pupils and staff from St Peter’s Catholic College in South Bank have been inspecting progress on their new fitness suite and changing facilities, which are due to be completed and installed for the start of the new school year.

The party was given a VIP tour of Cleveland Sitesafe’s facilities at Dockside Road, Middlesbrough, where the modular buildings are being fabricated. The buildings will accommodate 32 boys and 32 girls and include showers, toilets and disabled facilities.

Cleveland Safesite was chosen for the contract after impressing Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which runs the school, with its know-how and experience of completing similar projects.

“Various companies were interested in building this for us but none of them were local, so once I’d made contact with Cleveland Sitesafe and learned about their reputation, we met them and were very impressed,” said NPCAT’s capital projects and asset manager Gareth James.

“As well as the school, South Bank Juniors boys and girls already use the site, and the new facilities will hopefully be used by the wider community.

“The school is a hive of activity at weekends and we’ll now be able to develop further partnerships with local groups, so it’s a real asset for the whole area.”

Cleveland Sitesafe designs and builds modular buildings for clients throughout the country in sectors including hotels, tourism and outdoor leisure.

“This is the kind of work we do all the time but it’s unusual for us to be working locally, as much of what we do is for organisations in the south of England,” said sales and operations director Joe Taylor.

“We’re delighted to have built this partnership with NPCAT and it’s lovely to welcome the pupils here to see the work taking place.”

Cleveland Sitesafe sales and operations director Joe Taylor with the St Peter’s delegation – photo by Chris Booth

St Peter’s, which is on Normanby Road, celebrated its 80th birthday this year. Famous former pupils include Middlesbrough and England legend Wilf Mannion, F1 engineer Rob Smedley and folk singer Vin Garbutt.

Other enhancements in an ambitious programme include a new digital learning wing and exhibition centre along with a comprehensive facelift to the outside and interior of the famous building.

The work is part of a busy programme of projects being carried out at the 27 schools in the NPCAT portfolio.

Groundworks have started for a new dining hall at Trinity Catholic College, Middlesbrough. The two secondary projects will cost around £1.6m in total.

Work at primary schools includes new access to St Thomas More Catholic Primary at Easterside from Ladgate Lane, thanks to the trust’s partnership with Acklam Rugby Club.

“We’re now enabling parents to come down Ladgate Lane and Lacy Road and we’re creating an opening in Acklam Rugby Club car park that can be used as a collection and drop-off point,” said Gareth.

“We’re installing double gates, a tarmacked entrance area and a 100-metre path linking to the school.

“The work will open up St Thomas More as part of the Trinity family, linking the two sites more closely together. It will also make it easier for families in the two housing developments on Ladgate Lane to access the school.”

New signage has already gone up and the work will be completed in time for the new school year.

Work is also taking place to improve access to St Margaret Clitherow’s, in South Bank, via Skippers Lane.