St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy

St Hedda’s Catholic Primary School is a very small rural Catholic voluntary academy within the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust. This was its first section 5 inspection, although the predecessor school had previously been judged outstanding; under current arrangements, no overall effectiveness grade is awarded. Inspectors found the school performing at an exceptionally high level across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, with safeguarding judged effective. Pupils are described as happy, protected and exceptionally well behaved, and they benefit from caring relationships and a wide range of meaningful experiences beyond the classroom. The curriculum is highly ambitious and consistently delivered, staff are well trained, and learning is adapted well to meet individual pupils’ needs, including those with SEND. Reading and phonics are prioritised and taught very well, and pupils achieve highly and produce consistently high-quality work. Leadership is exceptionally ambitious, governance and trust support are strong, and engagement with parents and staff well-being are clear priorities. The report identifies no areas for improvement.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious curriculum is implemented consistently well across subjects.
• Staff are highly trained and pupils are engaged and motivated to learn.
• Learning is skilfully adapted to meet individual pupils’ needs in a small school.
• Pupils with SEND are quickly identified and receive well-matched support.
• Reading is prioritised, with very effective phonics teaching and support for pupils falling behind.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional, showing kindness and respect.
• Personal development is enriched by a wide range of meaningful experiences and wider opportunities.
• Leadership is exceptionally ambitious, with strong governance, trust support and high staff morale.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2023–24 pupils at St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.5%). 36.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 14.6%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2022–23, 0.0% of pupils at St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 0.8%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2022–23 St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2022–23, 100.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 18.4%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2022–23 St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy received £11,272 and spent £11,720 for each of its 32 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £21,000 (£659 per pupil).

Across all 38 schools of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, income was £6,107 and spending £6,041 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Whitby · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Saltburn-By-The-Sea
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy Pickering
• Saint Paulinus Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Guisborough
• St Bede's Catholic Primary School Redcar
• St Benedict's Catholic Primary School Redcar
• Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary Redcar
• St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School Middlesbrough
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School Middlesbrough
• Saint Gabriel's Catholic Primary School Middlesbrough
• St Margaret Clitherows RC Primary School Middlesbrough

What is St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy has 15 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?

St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy?

St Hedda's Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Egton Bridge, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 1UX.