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Mar

Last Updated: 29/02/2024

Ripon primary school joins catholic academy

by Lauren Ryan

| 01 Mar, 2024

St Wilfrid's Procession

St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School in Ripon has joined the Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust.

The primary school currently has 148 pupils aged three to 11 of all faiths. It was graded ‘outstanding’ at its last Ofsted inspection in 2018.

The trust has 14 primary schools and two secondary schools serving 5,100 pupils across Yorkshire.

They include St John Fisher, St Joseph's and St Robert's in Harrogate and St Mary's in Knaresborough.

Jill Allen, headteacher of St Wilfrid’s, assured the Stray Ferret “there is no problem with St Wilfrid’s and it is not being ‘taken over", adding:

“We have voluntarily chosen to become an academy and join Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust in order to gain the benefits of being part of a family of schools, mutual support and educational development, sharing of resources and economies of scale.

"The trust ‘family’ of schools shares a common catholic ethos, but each school expresses that ethos in ways that suit its parish and community. Similarly, the schools share good educational practice but adapt the curriculum to their local needs."

Ms Allen added trust schools retained their unique identify, names, uniforms, crest and links to the community within the trust's structure.

She said:

“St Wilfrid’s admission policy will not change as a result of joining the Bishop Wheeler Trust and the school will continue to welcome catholics and children of other faiths and none.

"We look forward to the future: working collaboratively with colleagues across the trust will enable our school to continue providing an excellent catholic education for our children."

Simon McCudden, chair of the governing body at St Wilfrid’s, said:

“We look forward to realising the benefits of being part of the trust and, seeing our school continue to go from strength to strength.”

Diane Gaskin, chair of the trust board, added:

“I am very glad that St Wilfrid’s has joined our successful and growing catholic education partnership. The good education that the school provides, their high standards and their enthusiasm for education of the whole child, are a pleasure to see and support.”

The trust is one of five multi-academy trusts across the Diocese of Leeds and is named after Bishop William Gordon Wheeler, who was Bishop of Leeds from 1966 to 1985.

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