Education

Incredible Year For North East Education Trust

Issue 108

Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust has 25 primary schools and five secondaries across South Tyneside, Sunderland and East Durham. The MultiAcademy Trust looks back at its success stories of 2024.

From academic and sporting successes to charity events, Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust has celebrated a wealth of positive stories throughout the year.

All of the Trust’s school have Good or Outstanding ratings from Ofsted and the Catholic Schools Inspectorate.

In 2024, Ofsted visited eight of BCCET’s schools and their reports were exemplary, showcasing the hard work and care of all the staff and the excellent behaviour and learning of the pupils.

Ofsted described St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary, Sunderland as a “caring” school where pupils feel proud, safe and keen to learn. Pupils’ behaviour at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary, Shotton Colliery was described as “outstanding”.

St Bede’s Catholic Primary, South Shields was called “exemplary” in its Ofsted report while St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary, Seaham was called a “vibrant and positive” school. St Mary’s Catholic Primary, Wingate was praised for being “highly inclusive” and SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary, South Shields was highlighted for its commitment to pupils’ personal development. The “small but mighty” St Patrick’s Catholic Primary, Sunderland was praised for its “compassion and tolerance” and St Wilfrid’s RC College, South Shields, is described as a “calm and welcoming school” in its report.

The Catholic Schools Inspectorate visited SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary, South Shields and praised the primary for providing “outstanding levels of pastoral care and inclusivity” in a “high-quality learning environment”.

The Trust’s five secondary schools and four sixth forms – St Aidan’s Catholic Academy and St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy and their joint sixth form in Sunderland, St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, Peterlee, St Joseph’s Catholic Academy, Hebburn, and St Wilfrid’s RC College, South Shields – celebrated strong attainment in GCSE and A Level results. This demonstrated the fantastic resilience of pupils and staff at St Bede’s who faced moving sites due to RAAC-enforced closures.

It was not only academic success that has seen talented and hardworking pupils in the spotlight but their sporting wins too. From the gymnastics teams at St Leonard’s Catholic Primary, Sunderland and St Bede’s Catholic Primary, South Shields, jumping for joy with their fantastic performances to St Mary Magdalen’s Catholic Primary, Seaham winning the Easington final in swimming, there were a lot of medals handed out.

Football was a highly successful sport within the Trust too with notable wins from St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College in Peterlee, St Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Hebburn, and St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School in Jarrow, the latter scooping a double cup win at Durham County Cup and the EFL Kids Cup.

One of the Trust’s key values is community and the schools endeavour to work with their communities whenever they can whether it be through litter-picking, supporting charity days or special events.

Children in Year 1 at St Gregory’s Catholic Primary, South Shields loved their visit to a local care home to read with residents earlier this year and the school also invited pupils’ families for special Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events to thank and celebrate the mums, dads, grandparents and aunties and uncles.

Pupils from St Patrick’s Catholic Primary, Sunderland were thrilled to take a step back in time to enjoy a sneak peek at the new Beamish Museum cinema, a reproduction of The Grand Cinema that stood a couple of streets away from their school in the 1950s.

St James Catholic Primary, Hebburn was awarded the CAFOD LiveSimply award for working together for the good of others despite being split over three sites during the RAAC-enforced closures. St James’ pupils also united with children from St John Bosco in Sunderland to inspect the work builders were carrying out at their respective schools to make the buildings suitable to house the pupils again.

Taking pride in their community led to pupils from Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary, Peterlee starting a litter-picking group thanks to grant funding.

Supporting charity is also integral to the Trust’s values and their numerous fundraising days throughout the year included taking part in Wear Red for CHUF at St Leonard’s, Sunderland in honour of one of their pupils.

And the Trust’s CEO, Brendan Tapping, showed that he leads from the front by taking part in the CEO Sleepout in Sunderland, joining a group of bighearted business leaders at the Stadium of Light to raise vital funds for families affected by homelessness in the city.

The children and young people at the schools are at the centre of everything the Trust does but the hardworking, caring staff, across all its schools and central team, were also showcased at the annual Chadwick Celebrates awards held at Ramside Hall in the summer.

Find out more about BCCET at www.bccet.org.uk

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