Hello, I am Catherine Young and I am honoured to be the Headteacher of this excellent school! St Benet’s is a very special school – special because of our staff, our families, our parish, our community and of course, our wonderful children! Our school is a small Catholic primary school which serves the parish of St. Joseph’s, Birtley in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. We are one of 48 schools in the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust and we work closely with our parish and trust to ensure that all children thrive and grow, both personally and academically.

Our mission statement ‘a happy and holy place of learning and the centre of a thriving community’ is at the heart of everything we do. We are proud of the relationships that we have with our families and we ensure that every child has the opportunity for their faith to be nurtured in a loving, happy and secure atmosphere. 

We are incredibly proud of all that we have achieved during the 2024–2025 academic year. Our school was judged OUTSTANDING in our Catholic School Inspection, recognising the strength of our mission, ethos, and commitment to nurturing the whole child. We were also delighted to receive a fantastic Ofsted report, where we were graded OUTSTANDING for both Behaviour and Attitudes and Personal Development. These outcomes are a testament to the dedication of our staff, the support of our families, and the wonderful children who make St Benet’s such a special place to learn and grow.

During the year 2023-2024, our school was greatly affected by the disruption caused by RAAC. Throughout these challenges, our community supported one another to ensure that every child received the best possible education and opportunities at school. We see it as our mission to spread the Gospel through our aspirations and care for the children in our school, no matter what.

In June 2025, we proudly celebrated the 50th anniversary of St Benet’s, marking half a century of learning, growth, and community. Since opening our doors on 2nd June 1975, our school has been a place where children are nurtured, challenged, and inspired. Although St Benet’s is not one of the oldest schools in our trust or diocese, we are thrilled to be part of the DfE’s School Rebuilding Programme, which means a brand-new school building will be developed on our current site in the coming years.
It is a truly exciting time to be part of the St Benet’s family—as we honour our rich history and look forward to a bright future filled with new opportunities for our pupils, staff and the wider community.

Mrs C Young – Headteacher