Trinity Catholic College has been named in the top ten in the country for the most improved attendance over the last year.

Attendance has gone up by just over four per cent, which is evidence of huge progress in statistical terms.

The news is the latest in a series of positive milestones since the appointment of headteacher Andy Rodgers and three new deputy headteachers just under two years ago.

Trinity was given a “requires improvement” rating by Ofsted in May 2022 but in a letter that followed a monitoring visit in September 2023, inspectors said the new leadership was taking effective action to move the school towards it being rated “good”.

Welcoming the news, which was collated by school-improvement specialist The Excellence Hub, Mr Rodgers said: “It’s all been around developing a strong, positive Catholic culture and creating a safe, calm and nurturing environment.

“Both the school and trust staff have also worked tirelessly to engage with families at home and to overcome any barriers to attendance.


“Suspensions have also reduced significantly over the past two years and last year they more than halved from the previous year, which reflects the school being a calm and orderly place.

“Trinity now is like night and day from how it was two years ago. It’s a happy, calm and pleasant environment for pupils, with high-quality lessons taking place.”

Mr Rodgers said creating a “rewards culture” rather than punitive sanctions has been a key element of the successful strategy.

“We have clear policies in place around behaviour and high expectations of pupils to follow those rules and staff to enforce them,” he said.

“But at the same time we’ve had a real push on rewards to help create a positive feeling around the building and a praise culture as opposed to a negative culture that’s focused on sanctions. 


“We give reward points and certificates every day to pupils displaying our school values, which are linked to Gospel values such as resilience and courage.

“We have our Superstar Showcase on Friday lunchtimes, when pupils bring work they’re proud of to show senior staff what they’ve been doing, and they’ll get instant rewards and can go straight to the front of the queue for their fish and chips.


“Then there are bigger rewards such as our In It To Win It, which we run once a term. Pupils get tickets every week for good behaviour and attendance and working hard in their lessons.

“Pupils put their tickets in for the prize they want to win and we drew it out on the last day of term. In the summer we had a bike, some wireless headphones and a £100 shopping voucher.

“We also have a lot of trips and in the summer we had inflatables in the sports hall and an ice-cream van. Pupils with good attendance and behaviour can participate in these events. So we try to reward pupils who are getting it right every single day.” 


Another important strand of Mr Rodgers’ strategy has been ensuring pupils wear the correct uniform.

“We check the uniform on the gate every day and we look after pupils if they need something, such as new shoes,” he said.

“We always look to support families and make sure everything’s affordable and we help in every way we can, but we do insist upon them wearing the correct uniform and again that sets the high standards we expect from the start of the day.

“If you’re proud of the way you look, you’re proud of the school and you’re a member of the community.”

But Mr Rodgers says the attendance figures have given him more satisfaction than anything else since he took over the reins.


“If children aren’t in school, they can’t learn, and a four per cent improvement in attendance is massive,” he said.

“But that improvement has to continue. We’re the eighth most improved in the country, but that doesn’t mean we’re where we want to be yet.”


Mr Rodgers has spent his career helping turn around schools in what are considered “tough” areas.

NPCAT CEO Hugh Hegarty said: “I’d like to congratulate the leaders and staff at Trinity and the NPCAT Attendance Team for the remarkable impact their efforts are having on improving attendance across our schools.

“This success clearly reflects NPCAT’s strategic investment and vision as a system-leading multi-academy trust, where a unified approach and dedicated support are driving positive change.

“This work is a testament to the power of collaboration, targeted initiatives and the commitment to ensuring every student can thrive. Well done to everyone involved for making such a meaningful difference.”

In his most recent previous role, Mr Rodgers guided Unity City Academy in Middlesbrough from being rated “inadequate” by Ofsted to “good”.

Two of NPCAT’s six secondary schools, St Francis Xavier in Richmond and All Saints Catholic School in York, are rated “outstanding” by Ofsted.

Three others – St Patrick’s Catholic College in Thornaby, Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary in Redcar and St Peter’s, South Bank – were upgraded to “good” after their most recent inspections.