Pupils at a Teesside primary School have created a special exhibition and learning space to mark Refugee Week (19-25 June).

It is the fifth successive year that Crooksbarn Primary School in Norton has supported the worldwide campaign which is designed to raise awareness of refugees and the challenges they face in seeking sanctuary.

Jane Whittaker, a nursery teacher at Crooksbarn and Art Lead for the school, said: “For the past five years, we have celebrated Refugee Week in school. Most of our children identify as White British, and it is important to give the children the opportunity to find out more about people from other cultures and races and why they may want to seek refuge in the UK.

“As a school, this has made us more aware of the challenges that refugees and asylum seekers face in our local community and it has made us more determined than ever to provide help to those who need it.”

Jane continued: “As part of Refugee Week celebrations, we have been inspired by Yoko Ono’s inclusive and impactful sculpture, ‘Add Colour’, to create a piece of artwork that aims to show the contrast between happy childhood memories and the stark reality faced by many children in the world today.

“For most children, the sea is a magical place that conjures up memories of special visits to the seaside or of being on holiday. It reminds us of building sandcastles, enjoying an ice-cream on a hot summer day or of trying to make footprints in the sand before the tide washes them away.

“However, for some children the sea is a reminder of a perilous journey that was undertaken to find safety or of a barrier between themselves and the hope of a better life. We hope that our artwork will raise awareness of the plight of the 36 million displaced children around the world.”

Crooksbarn is one of eight primary schools across Teesside under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

Headteacher Chris Twiby commented: “This has been a fabulous project which has really raised awareness across our wider school community and help promotes our ethos of inclusivity.

“For our children to be involved in respectful discussions around such a huge and important global issue has really helped them in terms of understanding how everyone can play a part, no matter how old you are or where you come from.”

Video – Jane Whittaker
Video – Casper Husband
Video – Nicoletta Goodman
Video – Ruby Elliott

Two pupils at a Stockton-on-Tees school have scooped major national awards in a public speaking competition.

Janna Oyedeji and Preston Earl of Rosebrook Primary School both won individual categories in the Tree Council’s ‘Speaking up for Nature’ Competition.

Ten-year-old Janna is one of Rosebrook’s Junior Tree Ambassadors and won the Ambassadors category while 11-year-old Preston landed the Upper Key Stage 2 (age 9 to 11) category.

The youngsters received their awards during a recent ceremony at The Birmingham Botanical Gardens. They were both presented with a medal, framed certificate and a book about caring for the world.

Rosebrook primary school is renowned for its commitment to nature and protecting the environment and last year was one of only 18 primary schools in the country to achieve ‘Young Tree Champion National Beacon School Status’ from The Tree Council.

In recent years the school has developed its own forest which enables pupils to participate in outdoor learning which is linked to trees and nature.

Lois Huntington, who leads on the forest school initiative at Rosebrook, said: “We are really proud of all of our pupils who entered the ‘Speaking up for Nature’ competition and are immensely proud that two of our pupils have been chosen as winners of their respective categories.

“The children’s passion for nature and desire to take action has shone through in their work and we’re proud of how deeply they care about our planet. It was fantastic for Janna and Preston to go to The Birmingham Botanical Gardens for the Force for Nature Festival and Exhibition where they performed their speeches to a live audience.”

Rosebrook is one of eight primary schools across Teesside under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

Chief Executive Officer Andy Brown OBE commented: “It is a significant achievement for Rosebrook pupils to win two of the categories in such a major national competition.

“We are incredibly proud of Janna and Preston, and they thoroughly enjoyed their visit to The Birmingham Botanical Gardens.”

The Tree Council is a national body that brings everyone together with a shared mission to care for trees and the planet’s future.

The other Ad Astra Academy Trust primary schools are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.

Lois Huntington with Speaking up for Nature winners Preston Earle (left) and Janna Oyedeji (right)

Video – Janna Oyedeji – Speaking up for Nature winner

Video – Lois Huntington – Rosebrook Primary School

Video- Preston Earl – Speaking up for Nature winner

A group of Teesside primary schools will come together this Friday (24 March) to play their part in tackling climate change.
The schools – which are all part of the Ad Astra Academy Trust – will meet up at the ARC in Stockton-on-Tees for Pupil Action Conference 2023.
The initiative is part of Let’s Go Zero – a national campaign uniting pupils, teachers and parents to enable schools to become zero carbon by 2030.
At the event, which is being supported by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, individual schools will set out ideas to reduce their carbon footprint as well as pledging a commitment to one sustainable initiative moving forward.
Helen Durnion, School Improvement Lead for Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “It is fantastic that our children are at the heart of the efforts for schools to become carbon zero by 2030.
“After all, it is the children of today and future generations that could be adversely affected the most if immediate action isn’t taken to protect the planet.”
There will also be speakers at the event representing Greenpeace and Hartlepool firm J & B Recycling.
Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, added: “This is an opportunity for all schools within our Trust to take positive action to reduce their carbon impact.
“The actions that our schools will be taking will reach far beyond the school gates, inspiring families and the wider community to tackle the climate crisis which is hugely important.”
The event gets underway at 9.30am and will conclude around lunchtime.
Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last seven years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for over 3,000 pupils and 500 employees in Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool.
There are eight primary schools within Ad Astra Academy Trust. They are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.
Issued on behalf of Ad Astra Academy Trust by Alastair Rae. For further information, please call 07581239557.

20 March 2023.

Children as young as seven at a Teesside primary school are already starting to think about what kind of jobs they would like to pursue in the future.

Sunnyside Academy in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough held its first ever Careers Fayre this week (March 16) for pupils aged seven to 11.

A wide range of work sectors were represented at the day-long event including engineering, the Royal Air Force, the NHS, media, archaeology, gaming, music, photography, Middlesbrough Football Club and Cleveland Fire Brigade.

Jenni Donovan-Ritch, who has led on the initiative for Sunnyside Academy, said: “It is really important that children start to consider at a young age what they would like to do in the future.

“It enabled our children to talk one-to-one with a wide range of employers and learn about the wide scope of jobs which are out there.

“The children did some preparatory work prior to the event preparing questions and events like this help improve their confidence and communication skills.”

Sunnyside Academy is home to over 300 pupils between the age of three and 11. It is a mainstream school with provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), particularly those with visual and hearing impairments.

Julie Sutton, Headteacher of Sunnyside Academy, commented: “The event was a huge success and it helped to raise the aspirations of the children who attended.

“It also helped to give them an insight into which subjects are important to them if they want to pursue a particular career.

“As a follow-up to the Careers Fayre, children have also had the opportunity to get dressed up and attend school in a work uniform of their choice.”

Sunnyside Academy is one of eight primary schools under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust. The others are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome in Middlesbrough.

Sunnyside Careers Fayre Video

Pupils at a Hartlepool primary school have embarked on a tree and hedgerow planting initiative to help protect the environment.

Brougham Primary School has been accepted onto The Tree Council’s national Young Tree Champions programme which will result in green and open spaces around the school being utilised to help save the planet.

To mark the start of the project, pupils have planted a range of trees including ash, birch and maple plus around 100 hedgerow whips within the school grounds.

Helen Moore, who is leading on the initiative at the school, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the children at Brougham Primary School to take part in such an important initiative.

“The main aim of this project is to get the children involved with nature and take ownership of the outdoor space within the school grounds. Planting the trees and hedgerows is just the start of the project to use the outdoor space more effectively which in turn will help protect the environment and benefit wildlife.

“It is also about instilling values in our children that nature is important and to have a passion to go out into the community and develop their own green spaces for nature to flourish. We also hope that they will take those skills home and encourage parents and family members to develop their own green spaces as well.”

Brougham is one of eight primary schools across Teesside under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

Sarah Greenan, Headteacher at Brougham Primary School, added: “One of the best ways we can enjoy and protect our environment is through the planting of trees. At Brougham Primary School, we are so excited about starting our very own Young Tree Champion project as it highlights our approach for fostering a love for nature and our commitment to a more sustainable future.

“I am very proud of Mrs Moore and her commitment to this project. Her determination to inspire pupils to look after and learn from the environment and natural world is fantastic and it is clear how all our pupils thrive when taking part these outdoor opportunities.”

The other primary schools within Ad Astra Academy Trust are Barnard Grove, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.

Staff and pupils from Brougham Primary gather at the start of the Young Tree Champions Project 

Brougham Primary School children plant one of the trees to mark the start of the project

Aveva Dickinson and Freddie Wilson plant a tree to mark the start of the Young Tree Champions Project

Video – Young Tree Champions – Helen Moore

School award in memory of leading businessman

A group of schools across Teesside has launched an annual award in memory of a leading local businessman.

Ad Astra Academy Trust, which runs eight primary schools in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, and Stockton-on-Tees, recently unveiled the Alby Pattison Award which will be awarded every year to the school within the Trust that has gone above and beyond in the arts or sport or both.

Alby Pattison, a former trustee of Ad Astra Academy Trust and the founder of the hugely successful Hart Biologicals in Hartlepool, died recently (October 30) from a rare heart condition.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “Alby made a significant contribution to the business, education and sporting community across Teesside and the annual award is a great way to remember him.

“The arts and sport are two things that Alby cared about deeply so it is very fitting that the award reflects these key areas of the curriculum.”

The inaugural award was presented recently to Ayresome Primary School during the Trust’s Christmas Concert at Billingham Synthonia Social Club.

Andy Brown added: “During the calendar year, all our schools have excelled in the arts and sport, but the judging panel felt that the music initiatives undertaken at Ayresome outside of the curriculum were worthy of the Alby Pattison Award.”

Charlotte Haylock, Headteacher of Ayresome Primary School said: “We are absolutely delighted to be presented with the award. Children are overjoyed, as are staff, to have their efforts within the Arts recognised.

“Music has been a strength of the school and prior to the pandemic, children from Ayresome took part in many concerts and competitions. With the pandemic hopefully behind us, we aim to enable all children who wish to play an instrument and develop their music talent to have the opportunity to do so once again.”

Speaking on behalf of the Pattison family, Alby’s daughter Lizzie, said: “‘We are incredibly honoured and proud that Alby is being remembered in this way. He was always incredibly passionate about both the arts and sports and was involved in both from being at school himself.

“From his own passion stemmed a belief that all children should have the opportunity to experience or be involved in the arts or sports themselves.”

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last seven years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for over 3,000 pupils and 500 employees in Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool.

Alby Pattison grew Hart Biologicals from a small business start-up in 2002 to an award-winning medical diagnostics company.

Among his many achievements, Alby was Hartlepool’s Business Leader of the Year in 2016. He was also awarded the MBE for services to international trade, the economy and charity in 2018.

He was granted the Freedom of the Borough by Hartlepool Council and last month (November) he was posthumously named Hartlepool Sports Council’s ‘Personality of the Year’ in recognition of his significant contribution to sport in the town.

The other primary schools within Ad Astra Academy Trust are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.

Issued by Alastair Rae on behalf of Ad Astra Academy Trust. For further information, contact Alastair on 0758 1239557.

Picture Caption – Headteacher Charlotte Haylock, Max Wilkins and Nayab Kousar with the Alby Pattison Award

Picture Caption – Among his many attributes, Alby Pattison had a passion for music.

Issued 16 December 2022

A Middlesbrough primary school has teamed up with the leading charity for deaf children and young people to host a roadshow bus event.

Sunnyside Academy in Coulby Newham joined forces with the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) to host the day-long event on Wednesday 30 November.

Sunnyside Academy is home to over 270 pupils between the age of three to eleven.  It is a mainstream school with specialist provisions, including a base for children who are deaf.

As part of the event, the children met Ellie who is a working hearing dog for one of the NDCS roadshow officers. The pupils got the opportunity to meet Ellie during the whole school assembly on Deaf Awareness and then pupils took it in turn during the day to board the NDCS roadshow bus.

Julie Sutton, Headteacher of Sunnyside Academy, said: “The school works closely with the NDCS, but unfortunately due to Covid we have not been able to hold an NDCS Roadshow event like this for some time.

“Events like this are hugely important as it provides an opportunity to raise the profile throughout our school community of the support available for deaf children and our commitment to them.

“Deaf children in our school are valued in exactly the same way as every other child and we make sure that they have the same equal opportunities as everyone else, overcoming any social or educational barriers.”

Every pupil in the school is taught British Sign Language (BSL) in place of a modern foreign language.

The school has supported the national campaign alongside the NDCS and others to try and persuade the Government to make BSL a recognised qualification in secondary schools, just like any other additional language.

Sunnyside Academy is one of eight primary schools under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “We are very proud of the work undertaken at Sunnyside Academy to ensure that all pupils are given an equal opportunity to get the best possible education and reach their potential.

“We have twenty five pupils at Sunnyside with varying degrees of deafness plus a number of deaf staff and parents so it is so important that language and communication skills are central to everything that the school does.”

The other seven primary schools within Ad Astra Academy Trust are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool and Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome in Middlesbrough.

Amy Oakden of BBC Radio Tees visited Sunnyside Academy to find out more about the NDCS roadshow bus event. Click the link below to listen

BBC Radio Tees – Sunnyside – Roadshow Event 

A Hartlepool primary school and UNISON have joined forces to recognise the fantastic work undertaken by school support staff.

‘Stars in our Schools’ is an annual UK-wide celebration, co-ordinated by UNISON, to acknowledge the invaluable contribution by the likes of catering and admin staff, cleaners, family support advisors and ICT technicians.

The celebratory event took place at Brougham Primary School today (23 November). School leaders praised the support staff whilst pupils showed their appreciation by making a short film which was seen for the first time.

Support staff also received a certificate and a goodie bag from UNISON’s Dawn Nicholson as she thanked everyone for their dedication and hard work.

Brougham is one of eight primary schools across Teesside under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

Chris Simmons, Chair of Ad Astra Academy Trust Board, said, “Our teaching staff and school leaders do an amazing job across all of our schools, but we also have a wide range of support staff who are equally valued for the roles they play to help children learn, keep safe and healthy and make sure our schools run efficiently and smoothly.

“We’ve supported this initiative for a number of years, and we are delighted to team up with UNISON once again to celebrate the work of the unsung heroes in our schools.”

Support staff Hayley Barclay and Michelle Allison, who are both higher level teaching assistants and former pupils of the school said the event was lovely surprise.

Hayley Barclay said: “It’s lovely to be appreciated and the event was a really nice surprise. We are told every day that we are appreciated but seeing the children saying lovely things about us and watching the video was wonderful.”

Michelle Allison commented: “The event was fantastic. It makes the tough, stressful days more rewarding and worthwhile, and it was lovely to hear from the children about the impact that we have on them and that we really make a difference.”

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, commented: “As a Trust we are so lucky to have such talented and dedicated staff and on a daily basis I am humbled and amazed at the commitment, care and drive to ensure our children get the best education possible.

“The Covid pandemic really highlighted just how important support staff are to keeping schools up and running, providing vital support to children and families, and helping pupils progress in their learning.

“Support staff were on site during lockdown periods making sure the buildings were deep cleaned, arranging IT for online learning and supporting the children of key workers. The contribution support staff make cannot be under-estimated.”

Dawn Nicholson, UNISON’s Area Organiser, said: “UNISON is really pleased once again to work in partnership with Ad Astra Academy Trust. School support staff are so often hidden behind the scenes, but they are vital to the education of young people. Their roles are incredibly diverse, from cooks, cleaners and family support advisers to teaching assistants, admin staff and school business professionals.

“They all play a vital role in every aspect of school life and without them schools simply could not function. This annual UK-wide celebration is a great opportunity for pupils, parents and teachers to promote the work of their support staff and thank them for their outstanding contribution.”

Sarah Greenan, Headteacher at Brougham Primary School, commented: “The event provided an opportunity to highlight the contributions made by this fantastic group of employees.

“We recently asked our children to reflect on the support they receive at school, and it really brought a tear to the eye. I was left in no doubt that the work of employees at Brougham, goes well beyond, a child’s desk.”

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last seven years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for over 3,000 pupils and 500 employees in Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees and Hartlepool.

The other primary schools within Ad Astra Academy Trust are Barnard Grove, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.

A primary school in Middlesbrough is opening its doors to parents to help them cope with rising living costs.

Ayresome Primary School, in the heart of Middlesbrough, is set to launch its Warm Hub Scheme which will enable parents to come together with their children after school three days a week.

A wide range of activities will be available in school from 7 November for both children and parents, as well as the opportunity to eat, saving families money on food and energy costs.

Charlotte Haylock, Headteacher of Ayresome Primary School, said: “We are well aware of the financial pressures facing many of our families due to the rising living costs and as a school we have a duty to support our children and their families as much as we can.

“Activities will include arts and crafts, board games, sports and it will provide an opportunity for parents to build friendships.

“At the end of the school day we already operate after school clubs for children so the Warm Hub Scheme is, in essence, an extension of this which will enable parents to benefit too.

“There is no additional cost to the school because the heating and lighting is on anyway and we have staff in the school.

“The school is also liaising with charitable organisations to see if they can help with costs towards food and it’s fantastic that The Teesside Charity has already contributed £350.”

Just days after the scheme was announced, over fifty families have already signed up to the scheme.

It also has the backing of Middlesbrough Council and its directly elected mayor, Andy Preston.

Ayresome is one of eight primary schools under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Andy Brown OBE, added: “All of our schools within the Trust offer a variety of initiatives to help meet the needs of all of our children and their families.

“The Warm Hub Scheme at Ayresome is a great idea and will provide much-needed support to families at a very difficult time.”

Several Middlesbrough Council buildings are also doubling up as Warm Spaces. The venues will offer a range of services and advice at different times. For further information, visit www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/warm-spaces

The other seven primary schools within Ad Astra Academy Trust are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool and Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.

BBC Radio Tees visited the school to find out more about the Warm Hubs scheme. Click the link below to listen.

BBC Radio Tees – Ayresome – Warm Hubs

A Hartlepool primary school has been granted the prestigious Centre of Excellence status for its commitment to inclusion.

West View Primary School in Hartlepool is one of only 240 schools throughout the UK to receive the Inclusive Quality Mark (IQM) award following a recent visit from assessors.

In her report, IQM Assessor Emily Carr, said: “West View Primary school is a school that is at the heart of the community. The vision of an inclusive school is clear and permeates all conversations and practice.

“Parents talked, during the assessment days, about how this school is ‘a home away from home.’ One parent talked with passion about how the school ‘feels like a family.’ She described how all staff are approachable and how she ‘loves the school.’ This sentiment was echoed in conversations throughout the two assessment days.

“All children at West View are valued and are supported in lessons so that they can all achieve their best. They have an ethos of ‘Keep up, not catch up.’ The Headteacher described how inclusion is ‘integral to everything.’ She believes inclusion underpins all they do.”

Ofsted defines an educationally inclusive school as one in which the teaching and learning; achievements, attitudes and well-being of every young person matter.

There are three award levels, beginning with the IQM Inclusive School Award. Two higher award levels are available to schools that continue to grow and develop their practice in conjunction with other like-minded schools – IQM Centre of Excellence and IQM Flagship School Award.

Emily Carr continued: “It is evident that the Leadership Team of West View always place a high value on pupil, parent, and staff voice. All staff are clear of their responsibilities and understand the vital part they play in promoting the high standards of inclusion in school.

“The evidence presented during the visit to the school, and information contained within the Self Evaluation Report, clearly demonstrates the wide and varied range of inclusive practice in place within the school and the on-going commitment to continuous improvement.

“It is eminently clear that at West View, inclusion is central to the school ethos.”

Lauren Furness, Headteacher of West View Primary School, commented: “Clearly, we are delighted to be recognised as a Centre of Excellence by a national education body like Inclusive Quality Mark.

“The award is testament to the continuing hard work and commitment of everyone involved at West View to ensure that the school does everything it can to provide the best possible opportunities for all of our children and the community we serve. Our huge thanks extend to Natalie Boagey, our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, who worked diligently to lead on this across school.”

West View Primary School, on Davison Drive, is one of eight primary schools under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

Andy Brown OBE, CEO of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “These awards are not granted lightly, and I would like to congratulate everyone at West View Primary School on this significant achievement.

“West View is a beacon for inclusion within the Trust and we share good practice across all of our schools.”

There are seven other primary schools within Ad Astra Academy Trust. They are Barnard Grove, Brougham and West Park in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.

Amy Oakden of BBC Radio Tees spoke to Headteacher Lauren Furness to find out more about Centre of Excellence status. Click the link below to listen.

BBC Radio Tees – West View – Centre of Excellence