Category

Front Page News

Post inside this category will show up on the front page

Grateful Parents Praise NPCAT Teachers And Schools

26th January 2021Michael McGeary

We would like to thank all those parents who have taken the trouble to write, email and post social media messages to show their appreciation for their schools’ efforts during the pandemic.

Here’s a selection of the messages we’ve seen…

An email to Trinity Catholic College headteacher Mrs Louise Dwyer…

I am writing this email to congratulate you and your staff on a job well done. From one teacher to another, I know how hard it has been on all staff working in education. However, I have watched my son learning every day because of the dedication and commitment you and your staff have shown. Working from home is hard when you have children to home-school but because of your online lessons that stress has been taken away from me and I cannot thank you enough. I have heard from friends and family members who have children in other schools and they have not had the same privileges that my son has had. He has been so engaged and can tell me about everything he has learned in every lesson. So often schools receive negative comments and I feel that your staff need reminding of the amazing work that they are doing and I would really appreciate it if you could pass on my gratitude. Once again thank you and well done.

A Facebook message to the trust form a parent at St Gabriel’s Catholic Primary School, Ormesby…

I would just like to bring to your attention the admiration I have for one of your head teachers. Mrs Lyndsey Phelps has and is continuing to go above and beyond her duties to do what I see is her very best for St Gabriel’s and the community. Without her strength and support St Gabriel’s would not be the school it is today filled with love and most of all “happy children”. I feel she deserves some kind of recognition for all her dedication and hard work. What we have is a very hardworking, dedicated lady that cares immensely about her staff and children. Thank you for reading. Year 2 parent.

A parent at St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Park End, Middlesbrough…

Most mums are in my position where we’re working full-time and the first bout of home-schooling was very difficult. Now all the children have access to Google Classroom it’s much better and the support from the teachers has been fantastic.

St Paulinus Catholic Primary School, Guisborough…

Shout out for St Paulinus teachers who are also showing such dedication and my children continue to feel part of the school family and are thriving with the structure provided – thank you!

All the messages below are from parents at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Nunthorpe…

Our children are so lucky to be surrounded by such lovely and caring teachers, it’s no wonder they are so sad to not be at school. Best school in the world.

Amazing school, amazing staff, pupils and families are very fortunate to have such a school. Thank you for everything you all do.

St Bernadette’s is a really lovely school with caring, dedicated teachers. It has such a positive atmosphere, it makes one feel good just going in there and I’m so happy my grandchildren are pupils there. Thank you to all the staff for all the hard work you put in.

Couldn’t ask for a better school! Thank you for all your incredible work always, we are so very lucky to have you.

Thank you for all the amazing work you do St Bernadette’s – you have been amazing.

Amazing staff and school. Always putting their pupils first and ensuring they still have some normality during these strange times. Big thanks to all the teachers and staff for all you do, it does not go unnoticed. Take care all of you.

Thank you, St Bernadette’s. All school staff have been extremely accommodating and supportive to critical workers to ensure all our children can be cared for.

Our absolutely fantastic school and teachers. Only minutes after Boris was on last night we had all the info we needed via email for the next day. It was very clear everything had been planned well in advance. We are all very lucky to have you and thank you for everything you all do!

Thank you to all the staff at St Bernadette’s for going above and beyond. Very proud of you all thank you.

Thank you for working through the night so that our children could be together in assembly this morning and busy working by 10am! Missing school already.

Last lockdown I was a mess, stayed off work, had other family issues going on and many of you kept me strong. This time I’m confident, not worried and I know t you will all work hard and do your best and keep our kids safe (and us parents sane). Once again best school and staff!

Thank you for everything you do for all the children. Hopefully it won’t be too long before everyone is together again.

It’s amazing how the school and you guys as teachers have handled this pandemic. Made me really proud that Betty is part of St Bernadette’s. It’s such a shame that the government has done what it has done when schools like this one have handled everything amazingly! Thank you again for your support.

Thanks so much to you and all the staff at St Bernadette’s. We are so lucky to have you all!

We are so impressed at how quickly the school has managed the changes and the level of support already. I sat with Finn for this morning’s assembly and it was lovely, it brought a tear to my eye. Many thanks for all you all do for our children.

Can I just say again how impressed we are with everyone at the school. We are amazed at what you have managed to put together.

I just wanted to thank you both and everyone at St Bernadette’s for an outstanding performance last night and today in response to the latest lockdown news. To have the information announced so late in the day I am sure was extremely frustrating and difficult to deal with but the transition was excellent.

As a parent and governor I am extremely proud of the school and I wish you all the very best in the difficult time ahead.

Her enthusiastic attitude is down to you and the school ethos and I hope she will reward you with by working her socks off! Yet again, St Bernadette’s have surpassed expectation.

Hope all goes ok and just want to say how well the organisation of swapping to remote learning has come across through your communications.

Wouldn’t expect any different – fantastic St Bernadette’s!

An email sent to Ofsted from a parent…

I would like to provide some very positive feedback in connection with my children’s school St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary Nunthorpe Middlesbrough.

Within 1 day of school closures in January, parents were consulted and online lessons were set up.

My twin daughters are in year 1 and are taught by Miss Victoria Simpson.

We have had brilliant resources posted for us daily, with very helpful worksheets. Miss Simpson is adapting the resources appropriately and even adding extended worksheets for some children who might prefer extra challenges.

We have today had a live phonics lesson which my daughters loved, having their usual interaction with their teacher and class friends, which is so important in this climate, especially for working parents.

From reviewing the live lesson this morning, it is evident that Miss Simpson is also juggling teaching and looking after key workers children in class – and she is dealing with this brilliantly. I cannot believe a school can turn this around without any notice within one week.

Following the school reopening in September the school have been fantastic.

I have seen hardly any tears from school children attending our school. This is due to the loving, nurturing environment of St Bernadette’s and its teachers. Even in such difficult times the school has remained warm and loving towards our children. My daughters love coming to their school, even with the new policies and risk assessments due to Covid, which again the school have handled brilliantly. Due to these our particular year group had no closures from September to December.

 

Thornaby School Wins Coveted International Award

20th January 2021Michael McGeary

Pupils at Christ the King Catholic Primary School have set their sights on forging links with a school in the developing world after being recognised for their efforts to learn about other countries and cultures.

The Thornaby school has achieved the coveted British Council International School Awards’ foundation level certificate, which celebrated efforts to fostering an international ethos and embedding it in the curriculum.

Children learned about the American Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks, who refused to give up a bus seat that was reserved for white passengers, and Black American artist Faith Ringgold, whose colourful quilts depict stories including the lives of African women sold into slavery.

They have also been involved in joint projects with neighbouring St Patrick’s Catholic Primary, including sharing experiences about Covid-19 with a school in Italy and exchanging Christmas carols with a school in Portugal.

Pupils, staff and parents and staff were praised for their commitment to gaining the recognition by assessors from the British Council, UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.

“You have a whole school approach to make global connections through your commitment to increase understanding of other nationalities,” they said.

“The school is committed to developing enquiring young learners who are keen to take action to bring about a better, more informed world.”

Christ the King’s international school coordinator Stephanie Sherrington added: “We are passionate about international work and allowing our children to experience the wider world.

“We want to teach our children to address and celebrate diversity and understand a range of backgrounds, languages and cultures and we aim to work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable.

“Working towards this award has ensured we have placed significant value on international awareness and understanding of our global family.

Christ the King has now set its sights on achieving the intermediate certificate by further strengthening links with St Patrick’s and establishing a relationship with an overseas school.

A Letter from the CEO

3rd January 2021Rebecca Chambers

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Following the announcement late this evening that a full national lockdown will be implemented immediately, we can confirm that all NPCAT schools will be closed and only open to pupils of critical workers and vulnerable children from tomorrow morning.  

Please see this guidance detailing the list of critical workers.

Please note, this provision is intended to offer support to families only when both parents need to leave the family home to attend work and there is no alternative childcare available. You may be required to provide evidence of your employment.

As of tomorrow morning (Tuesday), all other pupils will have access to remote learning from the Google Classroom platform.

For pupils who are normally in receipt of a free school meal, a lunch will be made available for your child/children and school staff will be in touch with further information sometime tomorrow morning.

Further information will be circulated to you tomorrow morning regarding any additional individual school arrangements and considerations.

Thank you for your support during these ever-changing times.

Yours sincerely

Hugh

Mr H Hegarty
NPQH|M.Sc|PGCCGC|BEdHons|CTC
CEO
Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust

 

Pupils Help Combat Loneliness For Care Home Residents

9th December 2020Michael McGeary

Pupils from Christ the King Catholic Primary School in Thornaby have teamed up with housebuilder Barratt Homes North East to help combat loneliness over the festive period.

Children wrote Christmas letters to residents at Ayresome Court Care Home, close to Barratt Homes’ Leven Woods development in Yarm.

The partnership aims to put a smile on the faces of those who have spent the majority of the year away from their loved ones.

With new research1 stating that 6.4m people aged 70 and over are worried about the effect Covid-19 is having on their lives, the campaign was launched in response to what has been a particularly difficult year for elderly people across the region.

On receiving the letters, home manager Elizabeth Robinson said: “The pandemic has kept so many families apart this year and had a huge effect on wellbeing.

“Loneliness is something that has affected so many of our residents, especially at this time of year when they haven’t been able to see their friends and families as often as they usually would.

“The residents all loved reading the letters from the children of Christ the King Catholic Primary School and we’re really grateful to Barratt Homes North East for arranging this. It was definitely a much-needed morale boost.”

Gill Hurst, sales manager at Leven Woods, added: “It was a pleasure to be able to connect with a local primary school and get the children thinking creatively and writing personal letters to residents at a nearby care home.

“We understand how difficult it has been for older people, the struggles that they face and how loneliness can affect them, and we wanted to offer our support.

“On top of this, we know it is so important that we continue to help our communities around us over the Christmas period and beyond.

“We’d like to thank both the primary school and the care home for taking the time to get involved in this wonderful activity.”

Meet the former Royal Marine elite commando who’s helping Teesside schoolkids shape up after lockdown

7th December 2020Alice Foxton

Stephen Monan said ‘sport can help kids bounce back after covid’, after noticing a decline in kids’ physical health after lockdown

NPCAT Director of Sport Stephen Monan (Image: Stuart Boulton)

A former elite Royal Marine commando tasked with improving PE provision for thousands of Teesside schoolchildren says sport is vital in helping pupils bounce back after Covid.

Stephen Monan is head of the new Sport division at Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which has 9,000 students across 27 schools in Teesside and North Yorkshire.

He worked operationally both home and abroad after being one of only around one in ten marines to complete the notoriously tough training in just 30 weeks, avoiding injury, failing an exercise or quitting.

The new division will promote sport as a way to help students’ physical, mental and academic wellbeing – and Stephen believes it’s the ideal time, with the effects of months of lockdown on students plain to see.

“Any school you go into, you can see a reduction in the physical fitness and stamina of the children coming back. Some haven’t participated in any physical activity for six months,” who was brought up in Marske and attended three schools that are now part of the trust.

“Alongside that is the loss of confidence and self-esteem. With that lack of activity and a drop in fitness, they’re not as confident to take part in sport. We need to build them back up, develop their confidence, get that enjoyment level back and get them interested in taking part.

“Then there’s the social aspect, the opportunity for kids to mix. We have kept extracurricular clubs going where we can safely, because there’s more of a need.”

NPCAT Director of Sport Stephen Monan with pupils, from left, Yusuf Ashraf 10, Andrew Gibson 9 and Gabrielle Drury 10, on the new Multi Use Games Area at St. Margaret Clitherow school in South Bank (Image: Stuart Boulton)

PE and sport development manager Clare Harding says obesity is also becoming more of a problem in some schools.

She said: “We’re advocating that as part of the school’s Recovery Curriculum, as it’s termed, that the focus isn’t just on the educational outcomes of catching children up in English and Maths.

“We need to be aware that if a student doesn’t have the stamina to run, they won’t have the stamina to write in the classroom, because it all has that knock-on effect. We have children who haven’t been outdoors.”

Across the trust, which aims to give students at least two hours of sport and exercise a week, children are coming to school in their kits on PE days.

Clare said: “There’s nothing wrong with going outside on a winter’s day. It’s preparing them for the real world. It’s broadening children and parents’ experiences and mindset.

“It’s so important for children who find it more of a struggle academically. School is about a lot of experiences.”

And a new app-based scheme should help give pupils a passport to better fitness.

Stephen explained: “We’re introducing a new curriculum software partnership with Primary PE Passport, an app-based platform that provides schemes of work, adds photographs and videos as evidence and provides a ‘pupil passport’ that will travel through with them from early years to year 6, showing their progress.

“We’re looking at bringing in a parent login so they can see what they’ve done and see videos. It also allows us to plan interventions if we can see girls or children with special educational needs aren’t taking part in clubs and we can target support.”

All students will wear a trust kit when representing their schools, with liveried minibuses taking them to venues.

“No child gets to feel any different,” continued Stephen, who has competed in a range of sports, including swimming, biathlons and triathlons at local, regional and national level.

“They represent the school and pull on the jersey, understanding that they all have their own colours and badges but they’re all part of one trust.”

Stephen Monan during his days in service

He explained that the standard of coaches going into schools will be quality assured and efforts are under way to seek partnerships with the likes of MFC Foundation and Teesside Lions.

An early partnership has already formed with Acklam Rugby Club, with pupils and staff engaging in training and activity days.

And Clare says the trust’s enlightened approach to PE will help compensate for the negative impact of restrictions placed on sports clubs during the pandemic.

She said: “Some of those community clubs unfortunately have been decimated by it all.

“I’ve been at a school this morning where some lads were talking about missing their football and you can see from their body language how much it’s affecting them. It’s such a shame for the clubs because they were following protocol. Schools can provide during the day, but not on a weekend or in the evening.

“That’s when we really want the kids to further develop what they’re doing. And from a parental point of view, it’s important that you get to see what the kids get out of it. You need to engage them in all aspects if we’re going to get them to lead those healthy and active lifestyles.”

Each child within the trust, regardless of school, will get the same level of PE, with staff ‘upskilled’ to ensure high quality provision across the board.

Clare said: “It’s about making sure funding is spent in the best possible way so the children are best prepared for the future.

“We want class teachers to feel more confident and competent when it comes to teaching PE so that all children, regardless of where they are within the trust, are given the best preparation for a healthy, active lifestyle.”

Stephen’s official passing out after being awarded a green beret (Image: Stuart Boulton)

Stephen added: “Nationally, instead of upskilling staff, they’ve brought in specialists so it’s had a negative effect on their skills. We’re making sure that if there’s a sports coach present, it’s to support the teachers.

“Moving forward, we also want to bring basketball in for kids to enjoy and play, whether at elite level or just for fun.”

And to ensure the new Sport division achieves its goal of catering for all, regardless of background, ability or personal circumstances, it’s working with not-for-profit company Enabled Not Disabled to make things more inclusive across the board.

Clare said: “There’s something for every single child, from three to 18. And regardless of your background or where you come from, rich or poor, children all get the same opportunity in the leadership side of things as well.

“We want to train sixth form students to come and work with younger children and get what we call a ‘sports crew’ working, who have a voice in the way sport is done in their primary school. So it’s right across the trust, hopefully with each child finding what’s right for them to go forward within the community or in education.”

Stephen added: “Setting up this division within the trust is a strong signal of the visionary leadership of the CEO who has signalled the importance of PE and Sport in and across our schools.

“What we’ll see now hopefully is that all schools will recognise how it genuinely does support all the other aspects of school life – behaviour, attendance, achievement.

“These are only some of the huge volume of benefits that PE and sport can bring to a school.”

 

New Flags Fly Proudly Over St Peter’s

6th November 2020Michael McGeary

Senior staff from NPCAT and from St Peter’s Catholic College handed new flags over to the head boy and head girl and deputy head boy and deputy head girl.

Executive head Michael Burns and head of school Stephanie Garthwaite were joined by trust chief executive officer Hugh Hegarty and chief operating officer Jim Farquahar for the ceremony on a beautiful autumn day.

The flags now fly proudly over the famous school, which recently announced an exciting investment programme as it prepares to celebrate its 80th birthday.

School website powered by