The Catholic Education Service for England and Wales (CESEW) has
launched two new publications that show Catholic schools in England and
Wales are consistently rated better than other schools on all criteria,
according to inspections by Ofsted, the British Office for Standards in
Education, Children's Services and Skills.
Value Added: the Distinctive Contribution of Catholic Schools and Colleges in England and the CESEW Digest of 2009 Census Data for Schools and Colleges were launched on Monday January 10.
In her introduction to Value Added, the Chief Executive and
Director of CESEW, Oona Stannard, writes that the analysis of
the data from the Ofsted inspections provides an “invaluable insight
into the performance of Catholic schools and colleges, and enables us to
set that performance in the national context.”
She adds, “In facing the challenges of education in the twenty-first
century we can confidently confirm that Catholic schools are part of the
solution, not the problem.”
According to Bishop Malcolm McMahon OP, Chairman of CESEW, the two publications “make it very clear that Catholic education continues to make a very important contribution to the future of our society.”
According to Bishop Malcolm McMahon OP, Chairman of CESEW, the two publications “make it very clear that Catholic education continues to make a very important contribution to the future of our society.”
He added that the findings contained in the
two publications also show “just how well taxpayers’ money is spent
when it is channelled into Catholic schools.”
Data published in Value Added: the Distinctive Contribution of Catholic Schools and Colleges in England indicates
that in terms of overall effectiveness, Ofsted judged 73 per cent of
Catholic secondary schools to be outstanding or good, compared to 60 per
cent of schools nationally.
In the primary sector, 74 per cent of Catholic schools were judged outstanding or good compared to 66 per cent nationally.
Meanwhile, the CESEW Digest of 2009 Census Data for Schools and Colleges shows that these results are achieved in Catholic schools with socially diverse intakes.
In the primary sector, 74 per cent of Catholic schools were judged outstanding or good compared to 66 per cent nationally.
Meanwhile, the CESEW Digest of 2009 Census Data for Schools and Colleges shows that these results are achieved in Catholic schools with socially diverse intakes.
The data also shows that Catholic schools have similar
proportions of children eligible for free school meals as schools
nationally have, and are more ethnically mixed than schools nationally.
The proportion of pupils gaining level four or above in Standard
Assessment Tests (SATs) at age 11 was consistently around 5 per cent
higher in Catholic schools than in schools nationally. At GCSE level,
the proportion of students obtaining 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C (including
English and Maths) was consistently at least 6 per cent higher in
Catholic schools than in schools nationally.
Chief Executive and Director of CESEW, Oona Stannard, said in a statement following the publication of the two reports, “These publications demonstrate that our high standards are not a flash in the pan but carefully sustained and nurtured over time.”
Chief Executive and Director of CESEW, Oona Stannard, said in a statement following the publication of the two reports, “These publications demonstrate that our high standards are not a flash in the pan but carefully sustained and nurtured over time.”
She added that she was particularly pleased to
note that the achievements of Catholic schools were also matched by
“conspicuously high scores for personal development, including enjoyment
of school.”
“To have such happy and successful outcomes doesn’t just benefit the pupils- nearly 30 per cent of whom are not Catholic - but also shows the Church making an investment in the future wellbeing of society through Catholic schools,” Ms Stannard said.
There are 2,289 Catholic schools in England and Wales, representing 10 per cent of the total number of schools nationally in Britain.
“To have such happy and successful outcomes doesn’t just benefit the pupils- nearly 30 per cent of whom are not Catholic - but also shows the Church making an investment in the future wellbeing of society through Catholic schools,” Ms Stannard said.
There are 2,289 Catholic schools in England and Wales, representing 10 per cent of the total number of schools nationally in Britain.
SIC: CIN/IE