Pupils “love” their Morpeth school, says Ofsted

While it can be a daily struggle for some parents to get their children to school, an Ofsted Report found pupils at a Morpeth primary “love” being there.

Inspectors visiting St Robert’s Catholic First School stated: “Pupils love attending this school. Attendance is high for most pupils because they understand that this will help them to achieve success… Pupils show exemplary attitudes to their education. They respect each other and listen attentively to staff. The school has established an ambitious vision for all pupils to achieve highly.”

St Robert’s, which is part of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, also won praise for its “ambitious curriculum”.

“Teachers follow the curriculum sequence well to ensure that pupils gain important knowledge and skills as they progress through the school,” maintained the Report. “Teachers check how well pupils remember important content. They effectively support pupils to correct any errors in learning during lessons. This ensures that pupils do not develop misconceptions.”

“Teachers use their expert knowledge to build pupils’ knowledge securely,” it continued. “For example, younger pupils learn simple coding to programme a floor robot. Older pupils then learn coding to move characters in computer programmes.”

The children’s reading and writing skills were particularly highlighted by the inspectors.

“In the early years, language, reading and writing develop effectively from Nursery into Reception,” they said. “For example, children write their own shortened version of familiar stories.

“The school ensures that all pupils learn to read. In early years, children enjoy talking together and listening to stories such as ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. This prepares them well for the phonics programme which begins early in Reception.”

“As pupils progress through the school, they develop fluent writing,” added the inspectors. “This helps pupils to concentrate on improving the content of their writing. Pupils do this with high levels of success. Pupils love writing.”

Outside the classroom, St Robert’s strong extra-curricular offering was recognised, with the Report noting: “The school provides pupils with a multitude of opportunities to broaden their experiences. The school’s outdoor ‘forest’ provision provides space for pupils of all ages to engage in activities that help build confidence and self-esteem.

“The extensive range of educational and residential visits help pupils to understand important values, such as democracy on a recent visit to the Houses of Parliament.

“The school provides a range of activities to support pupils’ physical and mental health.”

“Staff are proud to work at the school,” it concluded. “They value leaders’ actions to support workload and well-being.”

Executive Headteacher David Sutcliffe was pleased with the findings.

“We have set high aspirations for every child, and our staff team works tirelessly to ensure that every lesson supports our pupils in reaching their full potential,” he said. “The success they achieve, particularly in writing, is a reflection of this commitment.

“Our staff are the heartbeat of this school. I am proud of the professional, nurturing, and reflective culture we’ve built together, and grateful to our governors and Trust for their ongoing support and challenge.”

St Robert’s currently has a limited number of spaces for pupils wishing to join Year 1 in September 2025, with applications welcome.​