St Mary’s Catholic College in Wallasey is thrilled after receiving a ‘good’ rating from the Catholic Schools Inspectorate following its recent school inspection.
The Catholic Inspectorate assesses schools across three categories: Catholic life and mission, religious education and collective worship.
According to the report, the school motto of ‘Christ is within us all’ is 'central to everything that takes place at St Mary’s, and underpins the inclusive and welcoming nature of the school community'.
The report also praised The Arc and Hub provisions at St Mary's, labelling them as ‘beacons of hope’. The school’s continued commitment to inclusion and supporting those who most need it was a featured discussion throughout the inspection.
St Mary’s prides itself on fostering an inclusive and nurturing environment where students feel supported academically, emotionally, behaviourally and socially.
Inspectors highlighted the many ways in which groups of ‘students engage in the Catholic life and mission of St Mary’s, including the youth SVP group, the diversity group, the school council and the sixth form leadership team’.
Students spoke passionately about opportunities available to them throughout their time at the College.
The commitment to Catholic life and the school values at St Mary’s is highlighted throughout the report, with particular reference to the school governors and staff who model the values and who foster a welcoming and inclusive culture grounded in Catholicism.
St Mary's was applauded for developing a ‘well-structured curriculum programme across all key stages', where 'students are growing in confidence in their religious literacy'.
Students at the school demonstrated a real appreciation for the religious education curriculum and described it as ‘thought-provoking’. The report went on to detail how the St Mary’s curriculum for religious education is ‘well-led, planned and resourced’ and outlined how student feedback demonstrates the impact of Catholic values that are developed across the school.
Inspectors also noted how, in partnership with the wider Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust, ‘there are training opportunities for staff to enhance pedagogy and practice in the classroom'.
Staff at the school were applauded for ‘going the extra mile for their students to provide extra learning opportunities beyond timetabled lessons for examination classes’.
St Mary’s was awarded an ‘outstanding’ grade for pupil outcomes in the area of collective worship, with the report detailing the school’s exceptional commitment in facilitating prayer and thoughtful reflection time for the whole school community.
The report said: “There is a clear sense of rhythm and routine to the prayer life at St Mary’s with the opportunity for a variety of liturgical experiences for students across the whole school year including retreats and reconciliation.”
Partnerships with local parishes were described as ‘a real strength’ and it was recognised that ‘St Mary’s is blessed by the opportunities this brings’. The involvement of local clergy in training has been appreciated and as a result, staff have ‘grown in confidence in their delivery of prayer and liturgy’.
Commenting on the report, headteacher at St Mary’s Catholic College, Mr Kevin Maddocks, said: “We are elated that we have received an overall ‘good’ rating from the Archdiocesan inspectors.
“St Mary’s Catholic College is committed to fostering a learning environment where students are supported to achieve and flourish in faith. Our deep-rooted values are reflected in every aspect of school life.
“We are delighted that the report recognised our commitment to ensuring students are excited and engaged in Catholic life and religious education.”
The full report from the Catholic Inspectorate can be found here.
