Page 12 - Ad Astra Trust Newsletter 2025

Sunnyside Academy

Inclusion
At Sunnyside Academy, we are fully committed to inclusive provision. Although we are a mainstream school,
we have several resource bases that provide specialist support for communication, vision impairment, hearing
impairment and neuro diversity. We were delighted to be awarded with the status of Centre of Excellence.
Luke Myer MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland came for a tour of the school and joined the
Student Council in our celebrations in March. He was “truly impressed by the school’s ethos and outstanding
SEND provision”.
We also had a peer review visit in April. This is where leaders from other schools spend the day in the school
talking to pupils and staff and looking at provision. It was a very successful review and the report highlighted
that “Sunnyside is truly inclusive – it is the beating heart – there is a palpable, strong ethos of love,
trust and care.”

Togetherness
In March, our Y6 pupils travelled to Cumbria for a fantastic team building experience at Robin Wood
Adventure Centre in Alston. It was a three-day residential visit that included many amazing activities such as
canoeing, zip wire travel, climbing wall and team challenges. There certainly were some sleepless nights but
it was a great opportunity to have fun, work together and make many unforgettable memories before they
leave Sunnyside Academy at the end of the summer term. It was so successful that we are doing it all
again next year!

Mrs Sutton

12