A Hartlepool primary school has landed a gold award for its commitment to school games and physical activity.

Brougham Primary School – one of eight primary schools under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust – has achieved the national School Games Gold Mark Award.

The School Games Mark is a government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward and recognise school participation in school games.

Keighley Bradford, a teacher at the school has led on the initiative with support from teaching assistant Jenn Hopkins.

Keighley said: “Everyone associated with the school is thrilled to bits with the Gold Mark Award. Last year we were awarded the Bronze Mark Award, so this is a significant achievement.

“Children at Brougham enjoy a wide range of sporting experiences both within school and beyond. We teach the importance of exercise and encourage our children to be active for 60 minutes every day.

“This is carefully planned into our timetables through active break times and lunchtimes and with the launch of our SKip2BFit programme.

“We have placed a great emphasis on internal and inter school competition allowing children at Brougham to increase their confidence and competence in a range of sports.

“We also understand the importance of parental involvement to help promote sport and exercise, so we regularly communicate our sporting programmes to parents through newsletters and social media posts.

“Achieving the Gold School Games Mark has been a real team effort to ensure that sport is embedded throughout the curriculum and in extra-curricular activities.”

Keighley also praised The Collective Cluster – a group of schools in Hartlepool that promote involvement in sport and physical activity, Hartlepool Athletics Club and John Spence, a local strength and conditioning coach for the roles they played in helping to achieve gold.

Sarah Greenan, Headteacher of Brougham Primary School, added: “We are delighted to have achieved the Gold School Games Sports Award, which recognises our ongoing commitment to promoting physical education throughout the school.

“All pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 receive a minimum of two hours physical education per week to raise the profile of sport and exercise. We also provide lots of sporting opportunities for pupils and work with local clubs such as Hartlepool Athletics Club to ensure that pupils access high quality teaching and coaching as part of the curriculum.

“I am extremely proud of our pupils and staff for their dedication to all aspects of physical activity and school sport, including the young volunteers, leaders and officials who help make our many events possible.”

Jonny Murray, the Collective Cluster lead, commented: “It has been fantastic working with Brougham Primary School over the last five years, the progress they have made in Sport and PE is outstanding.

“Brougham has worked very hard to embed a new culture of sport in their school, they ensure that no child gets left behind, and all children have the opportunity to excel in sport.

“The Gold School Games Award is very much well deserved. Mrs Bradford and her team have done a great job and put a lot of hard work in.”

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

Video – School Games Gold – John Spence

Video – School Games Gold – Keighley Bradford

Click below to listen to the BBC Radio Tees broadcast.

BBC Radio Tees – School strikes gold for sporting prowess – Brougham

Ad Astra Academy Trust mourns the death of her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We are thankful for her service to this country and we offer our sincere condolences to the Royal Family at this sad time. Rest in Peace.

“And when peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.”
Princess Elizabeth to the children of the Commonwealth, 1940.

A Hartlepool primary school has issued an appeal to the local community for support after a recent vandalism attack.

It follows a recent incident when youngsters got onto the roof of West View Primary School and smashed a number of tiles, causing around £1,000 of damage.

There was also some damage to the outdoor nursery area with equipment strewn around.

It is the latest in a series of vandalism attacks on the school in recent years which has cost the school at least £10,000.

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

Andy Brown OBE, CEO of Ad Astra Academy Trust and a former headteacher at West View, said: “The ongoing vandalism at the school is extremely disappointing.

“All of our schools are under financial pressures, and this is being being exacerbated by rising energy costs so we are appealing to the local community to work with us to help bring the vandalism to a halt.

“If anyone sees anything untoward on the school site, we urge them to get in touch with the Police or the school. We also appeal to parents to be extra vigilant so that they know where their children are at what they are doing when not at home.”

The school has CCTV footage of the latest incident which has been passed on to the Police to help catch the perpetrators.

All of the vandalism incidents have taken place outside of normal school hours.

Lauren Furness, Headteacher of West View Primary School, commented: “It is heart-breaking to see the vandalism and it must be stopped.

“In essence, this is an attack on the children of our school, because we are having to divert resources away from education to constantly carry out repairs to the school.

“The school building is surrounded by a perimeter fence, and we have CCTV, but we are looking to step up security.”

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

Rosebrook primary school is celebrating after receiving national recognition for its commitment to nature and protecting the environment.

Rosebrook is one of only 18 primary schools in the country to achieve ‘Young Tree Champion National Beacon School Status’ from The Tree Council for its ‘Rooted in Nature’ project.

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

Lois Huntington, who has led on the initiative at Rosebrook Primary School, said: “We are delighted to receive the award which reflects the school’s commitment to trees and the environment.

“Our children have told us that connecting with trees and nature is the biggest single factor that helps their physical and mental well-being.

“Across the school we have a wide range of projects where the focus is on trees and nature – many of which involve outdoor learning – which link to the curriculum.”

Projects include:

• Creating a Tree Trail which has involved children labelling trees
• Planting fruit trees so that children can monitor their progress
• Forest Bathing – which includes children sitting under their chosen tree to use their senses
• Tree days – which involves a tree expert talking to children
• Developing public speaking skills on the theme of trees

In a letter to the school, The Tree Council, said: “A National Beacon School is a school that has been able to demonstrate that the project activities set out in your application for connecting, learning, caring, and sharing the power of trees and nature have been achieved.

“The world is facing an environmental crisis, threatening everyone’s future, especially young people and children, who will be most affected. National Beacon Schools are given the support, resources, training and unique opportunities to help enable their teachers and pupils to maximise the impact of their school project in a positive and effective way.”

Leanne Todd, Headteacher of Rosebrook Primary School, commented: “This is a fantastic achievement, and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work.

“Being a Beacon School will enable us to further build on our outdoor learning and will give us the opportunity to take part in research projects involving nature. We will also be looking to see how we can encourage other schools and the local community to consider how they can connect more with nature.

“We have also learned recently that we have been successful in our application to the ‘Learning Through Landscapes’ nature programme which means we will receive some equipment to use in observing wildlife and further training for staff in taking the curriculum outdoors which is also great news for the school.”

Following the achievement, the school has decided to name all its classes after trees when pupils return in September after the summer holidays.

Rosebrook 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 in Stockton-on-Tees and Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.

A famous Olympic ski jumper and celebrity landed in Teesside this week (Monday 4 July) to help inspire teachers and education bosses.

Michael David Edwards, better known as ‘Eddie the Eagle’, was Guest Speaker at Ad Astra Academy Trust’s Festival of Education 2022 Conference at Teesside University, Middlesbrough.

Edwards rose to fame in 1988 when he became the first British ski jumper to appear in the Winter Olympics for over 60 years.

Despite finishing last, Edwards won the hearts of the nation for his effort and commitment, earning him celebrity status. He went on to carve out a successful career and in 2016 his life story was portrayed in the biographical film, Eddie the Eagle.

Over 200 delegates attended the annual event which has not been held for three years due to the pandemic.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “The theme for this year’s event was that you don’t need to be perfect to be a good teacher or education leader and Eddie the Eagle is a brilliant example of how you can be successful without being at the top of your game.

“The whole ethos throughout Ad Astra and across our eight schools is that we work hard to create a togetherness so that staff can learn from one another and support each other.

“We don’t expect staff to have all the answers and never make mistakes. We want them to learn from their failures as much as their successes.”

Eddie the Eagle told delegates that from the age of 13, when he started skiing, it was his dream to compete in the Winter Olympics.

He added: It was through determination, resilience, and perseverance that I made it to the Olympics – all traits that are vital to teachers and those working in education.

“If you have a dream, you have to hold on to it and you’ll get there.”

Andy Brown also spoke at the event which was being chaired by BBC Radio Tees presenter Rachel Teate.

Another key speaker was Andrew Hammond, brother of former Top Gear co-host Richard Hammond. Andrew is a headteacher and author of several children’s books.

Chris Simmons, chair of the Ad Astra trustees gave a vote of thanks at the end. He said: “Schools are at the centre of communities, and I want to thank you all for your hard work.

“You fly the flag for our children. You love them, you teach them, you care for them, and you play a huge part in shaping their lives.”

Just under £450 was raised during the day for the Russ Devereux Headlight Project – a charity providing mental health support.

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.

Eighty-six per cent of its schools are judged by Ofsted to be either “outstanding” or “good”.

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.

Eddie the Eagle and Andy Brown video

As part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the schools within our trust have joined together to sing one of our Queen’s favourite songs. We hope you enjoy it!

A primary school in Hartlepool is celebrating after landing a gold award for its commitment to promoting arts and cultural activities throughout the school.

Barnard Grove Primary School recently received the prestigious Artsmark Award from Arts Council England.

The Artsmark Award is the only creative quality standard for schools and was awarded after assessors were impressed by the school’s many initiatives.

They said: “Children are exposed to a range of experiences, both within school and beyond. Many of them are arts-based, including visits from artists and authors or trips to the theatre and cinemas.

“You plan with the Arts in mind and subject leads meet regularly to review the ways the Arts can play into more general learning.

“You have also used the Arts to help boost test results and using the cornerstones curriculum you feel that you are able to teach all subjects more effectively through the Arts.”

Dr Darren Henley OBE, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, commented:

“I would like to congratulate Barnard Grove Primary School on their Artsmark Award.

“Becoming an Artsmark school demonstrates that through offering a broad, ambitious, and creative curriculum, every pupil can develop character and resilience, increasing their knowledge, curiosity and skills that will remain with them through to adult life.”

The school, which is in the King Oswy area of Hartlepool, has 341 children on its roll and is judged to be a “good” school by Ofsted. It is one of eight primary schools within the Ad Astra Academy Trust.

Headteacher Lee Walker, said: “We are delighted to achieve our Artsmark Gold Award which recognises that as a school we are delivering high-quality arts and cultural opportunities as part of the curriculum.

“Staff throughout the school continue to work extremely hard to ensure that all of our pupils are creative and can access a diverse, high-quality cultural education.”

Helen Reed, who has played a key role at the school in helping to gain the Artsmark Gold Award, said: “It has been a real team effort across the school to ensure that the arts and cultural provision is embedded throughout the curriculum.

“Over time, we have increased the opportunities for pupils to learn through the Arts; both within school and through extra-curricular opportunities.

“Staff appreciate how the Arts can boost confidence and pupils’ overall attitude to learning.

“The school also offers a wide range of creative opportunities for children ranging from visits from authors to trips to the theatre.”

The Artsmark Award lasts for a period of two years – after which the school will have to make a fresh submission to Art Council England to retain it.

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

For further information about Ad Astra Academy Trust, visit www.adastraschools.org

The Mayor of Middlesbrough has welcomed the appointment of a new headteacher at the largest primary school in central Middlesbrough.

Charlotte Haylock, previously an Executive Headteacher within Ad Astra Academy Trust has been supporting Ayresome Primary School for 15 months and has now been permanently appointed to lead the school into its next stage of development.

Andy Preston, the Mayor of Middlesbrough, recently visited the school to congratulate Charlotte and meet with pupils from the School Parliament and also talk about his vision for the community and how he envisages Ayresome Primary to be a big part of this.

Mayor Preston said: “Middlesbrough is making great progress and schools like Ayresome Primary are vital to our future strength and successes – so it’s fantastic to visit and see first-hand just what an incredible place this school is.

“I would like to thank all of school staff for the energy and passion they commit to Middlesbrough’s children.”

Ayresome Primary is the largest of the eight primary schools within the Ad Astra Academy Trust with over 700 pupils and 100 staff.

Headteacher Charlotte Haylock commented: “I immediately fell in love with the school and my vision for the future at Ayresome was welcomed by all the staff, the community and the Trust.

“The Trust and the Government are investing in the future of this school, demonstrated by the significant funding for improvements that are just starting.

“It’s going to be an exciting journey and we will be recruiting more teachers and support staff in the near future.”

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.

Eighty-six per cent of its schools are judged by Ofsted to be either “outstanding” or “good”.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Charlotte which demonstrates that we place our strong leaders where they are needed the most.

“Charlotte has already made an impression in the school and the community. She is a very visionary and credible leader and will work relentlessly to ensure the community of Gresham, Middlesbrough get a school they can be even more proud of.”

Andy Brown was invited recently to the House of Lords to share education best practice with key Government figures.

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.

For further information about Ad Astra Academy Trust, visit www.adastraschools.org

One of the North-East’s most successful academy trusts is set to add a further primary school to its portfolio.

Sunnyside Academy in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough will join Ad Astra Academy Trust on 1 April 2022, bringing the total number of primary schools under its umbrella to eight.

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.

Eighty-six per cent of its schools are judged by Ofsted to be either “outstanding” or “good”.

Sunnyside Academy – which is home to 314 pupils between the age of three and 11 – has been a single academy trust since 2014. It is a mainstream school with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) bases, including for children with visual and hearing impairments.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said “We are delighted to welcome Sunnyside Academy into our family of schools and are looking forward to supporting them to further improve through the fantastic collaboration that exists across Ad Astra schools.

“At the same time, we are looking forward to the benefits that Sunnyside Academy can bring to Ad Astra with their specialist provision and knowledge.”

Julie Sutton, Headteacher of Sunnyside Academy, commented: “Our trustees have considered a number of options in the last few years, but unanimously agreed that joining Ad Astra Academy Trust would be of significant benefit to both parties and ensure that all of our children reach their full potential.

“We have clear school improvement priorities that we are striving towards and being part of a large Trust will help us achieve our goals. Ad Astra Academy Trust has an enviable reputation in the education sector and everyone at Sunnyside is looking forward to the next chapter in our proud history.”

Last month (February), Ad Astra CEO Andy Brown, was invited to the House of Lords to share education best practice with key Government figures.

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.

For further information about Ad Astra Academy Trust, visit www.adastraschools.org