In November 2024 Trinity Catholic College was named in the top ten in the country for the most improved attendance over the previous years, with attendance rising by over four per cent clear evidence of major progress.

This improvement forms part of a wider transformation led by Hugh Hegarty, then the CEO of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT). Through his strategic leadership and trust wide direction, Trinity has been guided out of its previous “requires improvement” position and has become a significantly stronger school both academically and in terms of behaviour.

Under Hegarty’s leadership of NPCAT from June 2018 until July 2025, the school undergone rapid improvement and, in its 2024 Ofsted inspection, was recognised as a school that has made substantial progress academically and in behaviour standards.

The strategic focus implemented across NPCAT has centred on:

• raising academic expectations and outcomes
• creating calm, orderly and safe learning environments
• developing a positive culture sharply improving attendance and pupil engagement
• Attendance initiatives implemented through NPCAT’s trust wide strategy have led to closer work with families, better systems to remove barriers to attendance and a clear emphasis on rewards and recognition. Suspensions reduced significantly, reflecting a much calmer school climate.

Commenting on the success, Hugh Hegarty said at the time:

“I’d like to congratulate the leaders and staff at Trinity and the NPCAT Attendance Team for the remarkable impact their efforts are having on improving attendance across our schools. This success clearly reflects NPCAT’s strategic investment and vision as a system-leading multi-academy trust, where a unified approach and dedicated support are driving positive change.”

Under Hegarty’s leadership from 2018 until 2025 two of NPCAT’s six secondary schools, St Francis Xavier in Richmond and All Saints Catholic School in York, were rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, while several others moved to “good” following Ofsted  inspections, reflecting the broader impact of NPCAT’s strategic leadership. Hegarty has had significant positive impact which cannot be understated.