Our next school of the month takes us to St Ambrose Catholic Academy in Speke. On arrival, we are greeted not just by staff but by Luna, the school dog, whose calm and friendly presence immediately sets the tone for the whole visit.

Despite the school being in the midst of its Catholic Schools Inspectorate (CSI) inspection, the atmosphere remains warm, welcoming, and noticeably calm- something clearly modelled across the entire school.

We meet with headteacher Christine Harris, who has worked at the school for 16 years before taking over the headship in September, who tells us what makes the school so special.

She said: “Our mission at the school is: ‘With Jesus, we plant the seeds of tomorrow’ and everyday we plant seeds to build a better future and live out God’s mission. What we have isn’t just a mission on a wall, it’s a team of people – who are genuinely transforming children’s lives and changing generations.”

Last year, the school marked its 70th anniversary with a celebration event including an outdoor Mass for pupils, staff and governors past and present. During the week of celebrations, school children learnt about the 1950s and they even had the opportunity to try food such as Spam.

Christine added: “The celebration was so special for me. My mother-in-law was part of the first set of children to come here and that connection back to the early days makes me feel like I have been called to be here. This school is a very special part of my story.”

St Ambrose’s impact is evident in the number of former pupils who now work at the school, continuing the legacy for the next generation.

The school has a great relationship with parish priest Father Edward Cain, Christine added: “In addition to the Masses we have at the school or in church, Fr Ed is a regular visitor here and often pops in for a cuppa and a chat. He’s even set up a glockenspiel group with children from across the juniors!”

The school has been a proud member of St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust since 2022, a partnership that Christine describes as having “a strong, caring circle of support surrounding our school”.

The trust’s mission is: “Transforming children’s lives through a world-class, Catholic education” and this has been evident in the academic outcomes for all children, which Christine describes as “phenomenal”.

She added, “since becoming part of the trust, our children have been getting results that are above national expectations. We are located in a deprived area, but these results show that we can break down barriers and it doesn’t matter where you come from. Our children deserve that. When they leave our school, we know they are ready for the next stage in their learning journey. They are confident, hopeful, and equipped with everything they need to flourish. That is what truly matters to us.”

“It’s not just our results that have been positively impacted; being part of our trust has opened up a wide range of opportunities for our whole school community. Our teaching team has benefitted hugely from instructional coaching, focusing on small, granular steps for continuous improvement and working together to refine practice. This has created a genuine culture of collaboration across our school.

“Alongside this, our subject leaders have taken part in trust wide networks that allow them to share expertise, access training, and strengthen their curriculum areas. Our RE lead has recently worked to further enhance our curriculum and assessment in RE, ensuring rich and meaningful learning for our children. For example, during Lent, all schools have been reflecting on what we can ‘fast from’ and ‘feast on’. We have created a Lent tree in our reception area where children, staff, and visitors add ribbons with their reflections, a simple but beautiful symbol of our journey through Lent.”

One of the things Christine is very proud of is the introduction of two pupil chaplains. The Year 5 pupils went through an interview process and received training from Sr Judith Russi. “They have been incredible, producing their own action plan and becoming an important part of our RE team. It’s quite unique for a primary school to have pupil chaplains, and we are incredibly grateful to our trust for making this possible.”

Last year, the school had OFSTED and was rated good in all areas and outstanding in personal development. The range of clubs is incredibly varied ranging from sports and mission club to textiles, reading and mindfulness. Every class goes on three educational visits per year, with Years 3-6 going on residentials and Years 4-6 having the opportunity to go skiing in Italy.

As our conversation with Christine draws to a close, she reflects on her daily thoughts: “I always think if Jesus was here now, would he be proud.” Judging by the happiness of the children and staff, it’s clear that he would be.

As we leave St Ambrose, we make sure to give Luna one last stroke and to add our own ribbon to the Lent tree on the way out.