The Primary Achievement and Attainment Tables (Key Stage 2) for 2007 show once again that Catholic schools deliver a top class education. Catholic primary schools account for almost a quarter of the top 50 (ranked according to the number of pupils reaching level 5), which is more than double the number that could be expected, given that Catholic schools make up 10% of the total number of schools in England and Wales.
Top performing Catholic school is St Joseph's RC Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Oldham, closely followed by St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School in Egham and Saint Bede's Catholic VA Primary School in Redcar.
www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables
Oona Stannard, Chief Executive and Director of the CES, said that this confirms the quality of Catholic education, but wanted to scotch all suggestions that these results come from "cherry picking" in admissions. She noted that league tables only show a certain amount of information and are never the focus of a Catholic education; Catholic schools look to the needs of each individual child and seek to live out their Christian mission in all that they do. The "success" factor is a complex one, but it is clear that when parents want a particular type of education for their child(ren) it means that they are committed to it from the outset. Thus schools work in partnership with families and with the local parish, to provide a positive environment and a sense of belonging, which instils good behaviour and this in turn helps learning and achievement. [Ofsted has found, for example, that discipline is better in Catholic schools than others (Quality and Performance: A Survey of Education in Catholic Schools in England, 2006)]. It is about appreciating that every child is unique, a gift from God, and so all are treated with equality and respect.
Laura McCann
Policy & Briefing Officer
Extract from The Independent (6th December 2007)
Top of the class
A school which uses activities including maypole dancing to improve pupils' teamwork and motivation has been ranked the best primary in the country for "adding value" to education.
A culture of "work hard and play hard" has seen St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary in Oldham, Greater Manchester, top a league table of nearly 15,000 primaries published today. The pupils were judged to be more than four terms ahead of the standard expected.
The school, which has a range of extra-curricular activities which have seen them receive football training from Manchester United coaches and visits from rugby stars, also ranked seventh for its raw scores in the national tests taken by all 11-year-olds in England this summer. Andrew Dickinson, the headteacher, and an ex-pupil, attributes much of his school's success to its family atmosphere, strong Catholic ethos and staff. School clubs, which meet daily and during the evening, include gardening and stamp collecting. |
