Catholic Education Service Praises Primary Performance

Chief Executive and Director of the Catholic Education Service, Oona Stannard, has previously said that she is no fan of league tables, yet she can only welcome the recognition given to Catholic primary schools in league tables newly released by the Sunday Times.  Of the top 500 primaries, 141 are Catholic, a high proportion given that only one in ten schools in England and Wales is a Catholic school. 

“It is clear from our recent survey of Catholic schools in England, Quality and Performance, that Catholic schools offer something special and are performing very well.  When Catholic primary schools fill almost one third of the top 500 places, it is a remarkable achievement”, she said.

Ms Stannard particularly commended St. Mary and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Gateshead, which won the 2006 Sunday Times Primary School of the Year award.  It is a school judged as ‘excellent’ in its last Ofsted report, with a well-deserved reputation for imparting an international outlook on learning.  “I wish to congratulate the staff, governors, parents and pupils at St. Mary and St. Thomas Aquinas for their commitment, vision and outstanding results”, said Ms Stannard.  She went on to say: “In the current climate, I was pleased to see that Ofsted had also reported that the school’s links with the community and other schools were very good.”

“It is gratifying that the Sunday Times has recognised the success of Catholic education in general”, she added.  “The fact that three out of the seven ‘Sunday Times Schools of the Year’ are Catholic is a testament to their strong ethos, sense of mission and the hard work of all concerned.” 

ENDS

For more information please contact Laura McCann, Policy and Briefing Officer:

t: 0207 901 4854 e: lmccann@cesew.org.uk, w. www.cesew.org.uk.