A Ripon-based primary academy has been awarded the Gold Religious Education Quality Mark by the Religious Education Council for England and Wales.

Outwood Primary Academy (OPA) Greystone, based on Quarry Moor Lane, has been awarded the Quality Mark which celebrates outstanding religious education (RE) in all primary, and secondary schools, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There are three levels of award, bronze, silver and gold, with OPA Greystone being awarded the highest award.

The report found: “The RE syllabus and delivery in this school impacts the whole school, including staff, children, their parents and in fact the wider community of Ripon, including the Cathedral and the local Methodist church.

“The school is a school of sanctuary’ and parents are a part of a group to help a refugee family within it.

“The RE syllabus covers all faiths and includes visits to all different places of worship. The evidence of high quality lesson delivery in school is evident, as well as RE lessons and times of worship online during this ‘lockdown’ period of life.”

The award marks a major turnaround for the academy which three years ago, prior to joining the Outwood Grange Academies Trust, was rated as ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted just as the current principal took up the post.

Since then, the academy has worked tirelessly to improve and has notably received the Gold Status by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health Award, the National School of Sanctuary Award, and now this RE Gold Quality Mark Award.

Victoria Kirkman, Principal at OPA Greystone, said:

“We are honoured to have been awarded the Gold Religious Education Quality Mark by the Religious Education Council for England and Wales.

“The award is a celebration of the outstanding work of our wonderful staff, and as an  academy we all view the personal development of our children highly, and we are aware that with 97% of the children at the academy being white British, it is vital that we inform and educate our children well.

“We want our pupils to be positive and proactive citizens who put tolerance and understanding at the heart of everything they do and our RE efforts is an example of this.”

The awarding body, the Religious Education Council of England and Wales, was established in 1973 and represents collective interests of a wide variety of professional associations and faith communities in strengthening and improving provision for religious education.

The Council provides a multi-faith forum where national organisations and groups with an interest in supporting and promoting religious education in schools and colleges can share matters of common concern.

Within its report on OPA Greystone, it praised the staff noting that they are ‘enthusiastic and feel fully supported to deliver lessons of faith with the principals giving a priority to succession planning for leading the subject.’

Victoria added:

“It is really inspiring to read such glowing reviews about our work at the academy and it just makes us more determined to continue on this path we are following, to work hard, and to do all we can to provide our children with the very best education possible.”

Quotes from some of the children at OPA Greystone were also included in the report, but anonymised. These were:

“I really like doing RE because you learn about how different people are but you can be the same as well.”

“It’s good to be able to talk about different faiths and ask questions.”

“I loved going on trips to places of different faiths, I really like the mosque in Bradford, it was beautiful inside."