An investment into state-of-the-art sensory equipment is reaping rewards for children enrolled in the early years provision at a primary school in South East Northumberland.

Having seen the benefit of a sensory ‘safe space’ for its older pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to use during school hours, staff at William Leech C of E Primary School in Lynemouth – part of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, set about sourcing capital to create something similar for its youngest learners.

Often referred to as ‘reset rooms’, sensory rooms are used in two different ways; to provide a safe place for children to calm and regulate their behaviour when they become overwhelmed, or as a reward space for children where they can develop their sensory needs.

Part-funded by the school itself, an additional £500 was sourced from Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust’s Endowment Fund to complete the project.

Amy Thompson, Headteacher at William Leech C of E Primary School, commented:

“Children with SEND requirements can easily become dysregulated in classroom environments. Lights, sounds and too much activity can cause what we call ‘sensory overload’ which can result in children exhibiting behaviours which might be harmful to their wellbeing.

“Several children within our two-year old and nursery provisions have sensory needs due to SEND, some of which are quite profound, so we knew that we had to do something to ensure that there was a safe space in school for them to go to should they become distressed, angry or upset. This is beneficial for the child displaying these behaviours and also allows the other children in the setting to continue with their learning.

“The new sensory suite has proved a huge success so far. We have already seen increased engagement with activities within the suite and in the main classroom following time spent in the sensory room. Over time, we hope to see a decrease in the amount of dysregulated behaviours in school altogether.”

The new early years sensory suite at William Leech Primary features blackout blinds and a blackout tent, sensory lighting and projections, weighted lap toys and sensory table top toys, as well as soft play equipment – everything that children need to help them self-regulate and relax.

Wendy Scott, Nursery Teacher at William Leech C of E Primary School, added:

“The new sensory room is brilliant. The children are engaged and fascinated. It gives the children quality time to regulate and develop skills.”

For more information about William Leech C of E Primary School, visit www.williamleech.ncea.org.uk.

Tuesday 8th February is Safer Internet Day – an annual campaign to help make the internet a safer, more secure place for people of all ages to enjoy.

Ahead of the celebrations, the Peer Mentors group at Bishop’s Primary School have been working hard to create a range of resources to support their fellow pupils to recognise potential scams or threats online and how to keep their devices and data safe (but we thought it might be beneficial to share these with you too!)

Top 10 tips for staying safe online:

1. Make sure your antivirus software is up to date – this can help to filter out harmful viruses.

2. Be careful what you download – not everything is always as it seems!

3. Never publicly share personal details like your home address, email address or telephone number online.

4. Be careful what you post – will you live to regret a comment you made on a friend’s photo? Or will a status you post potentially be misread and end up hurting somebody? The internet has a long memory, so be careful what you share.

5. Use strong passwords – try to avoid using things that are “easy to remember” like ‘password123’ as hackers can guess these within minutes! Instead, use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols to keep your accounts secure.

6. Be careful to only shop online from reputable companies, not everything you may see advertised on Google or social media is genuine. If you’re ever in doubt, search for the company or website on Trust Pilot or Feefo to see what fellow online shoppers’ experiences have been like.

7. You would always be wary about talking to a stranger who approached you in the street – apply the same principle when communicating with people online – are they who they say they are?

8. Think about the networks you connect to when you’re out and about – your devices may be more vulnerable when connected to a public WiFi network in a coffee shop or shopping centre.

9. Cover your webcam – some viruses will let hackers access your webcam without you even knowing so make sure to cover your camera whenever you’re not using it.

10. Watch out for phishing scams – these can take multiple different forms but are most commonly emails which may look genuine at first, but are really designed to trick you into sharing personal details like your bank accounts. We’ve shared some further tips about how to spot email scams below.

 
Some further tips for recognising email scams:

• The “sent by” address will either be a jumble of random letters and numbers or have an unusual domain (not .com or .co.uk)
• The email will contain links to click to ‘confirm your details’ or ‘make a payment’
• The email may have an attachment which looks strange or unsafe to open
• The email may give you a limited time to reply
• There might be spelling mistakes, bad grammar and sentences which don’t quite make sense
• If the email contains any logos or images, these may appear ‘pixelated’ or blurry
• If requesting money, the amount will usually be quite specific, not rounded up to the nearest pound/pence to try and make it seem legitimate, eg £692.88 instead of £700,00.

 
For more information about Safer Internet Day, visit https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2022.

A range of useful resources to help you and your family stay safe online can also be found at:

• Childline
• CEOP
• Age Concern (for older internet users)

Pupils at a primary school in Ashington have taken part in a cutting-edge training course to become ‘Mini Medics’.

The children, aged 10 and 11 from Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School thoroughly enjoyed the half-day course, delivered by Simonside Outdoor Adventure, where they learned basic first aid skills including how to assess a person’s medical needs and how to raise the alarm in case of an emergency.

Pupils also got to take part in some practical first aid such as how to tend to cuts, grazes and sprains, as well as more advanced emergency care techniques such as compression-only CPR and how to put people into the recovery position.

Jess Williamson, Headteacher at Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School, said:

“We are incredibly proud of all of the children who took part in the Mini Medics course.

“First aid is such an important life skill for people to have, at any age. The children were all extremely sensible and listened well; joining in when instructed and correctly following the procedures. The sense of pride they had in themselves following the session was fantastic to see.”

In September 2020, basic first aid was added into the relationships, sex and health education national curriculum (RSHE) to ensure that children at all key stages have at least some basic awareness and understanding of first aid and the role it plays in supporting our emergency services.

The Mini Medics course, which is accredited by Nuco Training, has been purposely designed to support the national curriculum and build on children’s knowledge in a way which avoids any confusing terminology and respects their level of comfort and ability.

Year 6 pupil from Thomas Bewick Primary, Aston Jo, commented:

“I enjoyed learning how to put people into the recovery position. It was really fun. We had to try and clear the airway of the dummy we were using by hitting it on the back. We were then shown the Heimlich Manoeuvre and the object came out of his mouth.”

Tony Mordue, First Aid Trainer at Simonside Outdoor Adventure, commented:

“It was a pleasure to work with the staff and pupils at Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School on the Mini Medics course.

“The children were really engaged with the session and asked some really great questions. It was wonderful to see them working together and supporting each other to master skills which hopefully, if they’re ever called upon to do so, will really help members of their family at home or members of the community in a time of need.”

Operating as part of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School provides primary education for children aged 2-11.

To find out more about the school, visit www.thomasbewick.ncea.org.uk or for more information about Mini Medics, visit www.minimedics.co.uk.

A project to improve the outdoor play areas at a primary school in South East Northumberland has had an unprecedented impact on the mental health and wellbeing of its pupils.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, as many schools across the country continue to struggle to find a balance between getting back to ‘normal’ and keeping infection rates down, children at Bishop’s Primary School in Ashington are supporting their own relationship recovery through the power of play.

After so many months spent in and out of lockdown and kept apart from their peers through the necessary enforcement of class bubbles and social distancing, pupils are exploring what it is to socialise and are self-teaching themselves the all-important skills of teamwork, collaboration and communication through a series of new interactive playground markings which have been installed in the school’s outdoor spaces.

Clare Marriott, Headteacher at Bishop’s Primary School, commented:

“Play has become a particularly important aspect of children’s learning, especially since lockdown. Our outdoor spaces were looking a little tired and in need of improvement so we decided that, instead of just repainting our original sports court markings, we would include some fun, interactive playground markings to encourage children to play together and learn at the same time.

“We found a wonderful company online, Fun & Active Playgrounds, who we engaged to supply us with a range of interactive number caterpillars, hopscotches, mazes and trails and alphabet jumps. We also purchased a range of hula hoops, bats and balls and skipping ropes to further develop playtimes and lunchtimes for our children.

“While we anticipated that the pupils’ response to the changes would be a positive one, we’ve been absolutely overwhelmed at what we’ve seen in just the few short weeks since the work was carried out. We’ve got children from different year groups playing together, we’ve got children supporting each other with the different games, we’ve even seen children encouraging their parents at home time to have a go on the hopscotch! The dance mat in particular has become a firm favourite with both pupils and staff, so much so, that we’ve now added a portable music system and disco lights!

“The impact to date has seen a dramatic transformation in the quality of children’s play. The children are happier, more active and more engaged in the classroom after every break time. By making free play a key priority of our School Action Plan, we will ensure the impact is sustainable and long lasting for relationship recovery, learning and play. Going forward, we want to install more markings and some wall mounted games too. We have also booked some skipping tutors to work with every class to teach the children some classic skipping games.”

Jess Sparks, Marketing Manager at Fun & Active Playgrounds, commented:

“It was a pleasure to work with Bishop’s Primary School and to be able to provide their pupils with extra opportunities for fun outdoor play and learning. We know how important it is for children to get their daily exercise, not just for their physical fitness but for their mental health too, and particularly during present times, so it’s been great to be a part of this project to make their playtimes more active and engaging.

“All our markings and games are made from durable, environmentally-friendly thermoplastic which can last up to ten times longer than paint. This means their markings will be around for years to come, and will benefit pupils both present and future.”

Bishop’s Primary School offers provision for children aged 2-11 and operates as part of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust. For more information, visit www.bishops.ncea.org.uk.

A new community reading service is helping to bring stories to life for pupils and parents at a primary school in South East Northumberland.

Designed to engage children in the concept of ‘reading for pleasure’, the weekly Story Club at Grace Darling C of E Primary School in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea explores different ways to access stories, such as through local libraries and also online.

The popular sessions are hosted by representatives from the Community Reading Partnership, a new initiative which has seen a number of community hubs created within the local area, designed to improve people’s mental health and wellbeing through encouraging them to read.

While Story Club is available exclusively to pupils and parents of pupils who attend the school, the community hubs are open to all and welcome readers of all ages to each session, who come together to talk about reading, discover new books, meet likeminded individuals and find escapism through literature.

Mrs Sharon Cole, Co-Headteacher at Grace Darling C of E Primary School, commented:

“Reading is a huge part of our curriculum at Grace Darling so getting involved with the new Reading Partnership programme within Newbiggin was a great fit for us.

“From the moment that our pupils enter Nursery, we actively encourage interaction with stories and nursery rhymes and it is our ambition that by the time our children leave Year 2, they are all fluent, independent readers.

“Our pupils are all really enjoying their weekly Story Club and it’s wonderful to see so many parents coming along to participate in the sessions too, many of whom are also accessing the community-based Reading Partnership sessions and taking that little bit of time for themselves to focus on their health and wellbeing.”

The Community Reading Partnership was pioneered and continues to be part-funded by Ann Cleeves, best-selling author of the popular detective series, ‘Vera’.

Having delivered a keynote speech at the Regional Public Health England Conference about the therapeutic value of reading and its ability to improve people’s health and wellbeing, Ann joined forces with Local Authorities and Public Health England to get the Community Reading Partnership off the ground – creating 9 new roles for Community Reading Workers within the North East alone.

Jane Sampson and Sarah Carlson are the Community Reading Workers responsible for the sessions hosted around Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. They said:

“It has been wonderful getting to know the staff, pupils and parents at Grace Darling Primary as well as members of the wider community within Newbiggin over the past few weeks and we’re delighted to see already the impact that the sessions are having on people’s confidence and wellbeing.

“Our reader-centred approach is designed to support readers of all ages and abilities to discover new titles which appeal to their interests, and help them to relax and unwind in a safe and welcoming environment.”

For more information about the community reading sessions at The Hive in East Lea and the Arts Centre in Newbiggin, on Front Street and Gibson Street, contact read@northumberland.gov.uk. To find out more about Grace Darling C of E Primary School, visit www.gracedarling.ncea.org.uk.

Have you got a great idea that will improve the environment and tackle climate change in your school or local area?

NCEAT is looking for ideas for projects that will help us shape the sustainable future of the Trust and collectively reduce our carbon footprint. Can you help us?

We want pupils from across our Trust schools to submit their ideas for projects which might support their school or local community to be more environmentally friendly. The project could be anything, but to give you some ideas, it could…

The winning project from each school will receive support from local businesses to help get the project off the ground. The creator of each winning project will also receive the brand new CEO’s Pupil Leadership Award.

How to enter

Ideas will be judged on 5 different criteria:

Deadline: Entries must be handed in to your Headteacher or Principal by Friday 26th November 2021.

Please note…

This competition is limited to pupils who attend an NCEA Trust school, either:

• Bishop’s Primary School
• Castle School
• Duke’s Secondary School
• Grace Darling C of E Primary School
• James Knott C of E Primary School
• Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School
• Warkworth C of E Primary School
• William Leech C of E Primary School

For more information, please see the CEO’s blog or email marketing@ncea.org.uk.

Good luck!

At NCEAT, we’re incredibly proud of our rich and varied curriculum and the opportunities we offer through our extra-curricular and enrichment activities to broaden our pupils’ cultural capital and expand their horizons.

One of the beautiful things about working as part of a multi-academy trust is that by sharing best practice and pooling our facilities when needed, we can ensure that all of our Trust schools can offer equal opportunities for our pupils.

We recently saw this in action when a cohort of Year 3 and Year 4 pupils from NCEA Warkworth C of E Primary School paid a visit to our Robert Stephenson Campus in Ashington to take part in a range of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) workshops.

Over the course of two days, pupils enjoyed sessions in Design Technology and Food Technology with our dedicated teaching staff and gained a range of new skills.

In Design Technology, the children created a design for a reflective endangered animal badge. They sanded down materials, shaped them and also learned how to safely use a drill machine with an adult. The children then attached lights to the back of their shapes to complete their badges.

On their first day in Food Technology, pupils learned about the ingredients and method to make cheese scones and then worked in pairs to cook batches of them, all the while learning about what they needed to do to stay safe in the kitchen. On their second day, the children learned how to use knives and peelers safely to prepare vegetables for vegetable soup, which also taught them how to safely use a hob.

Laura Ritson, Headteacher at NCEA Warkworth C of E Primary School, commented:

“Being able to access additional, high-quality facilities as part of an academy trust is so valuable to us at Warkworth Primary.

“The children had a wonderful time during their STEM days in Ashington and we’d like to say a huge thank you to all of the teachers who led the workshops and to the staff behind the scenes for making it possible!”

To find out more about the benefits of joining Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, visit https:/www.ncea.org.uk/about-us/trust-services

In recent years, the subject of people’s mental health and wellbeing has become rather a hot topic.

Following in the footsteps of celebrities and even royalty, more and more people are becoming comfortable with sharing their thoughts and feelings around their mental health and using platforms like social media to raise awareness for conditions such as anxiety and depression, which affect far more people across the UK than you’d imagine, including a startling number of school-age children and young people.

This new cultural awakening has challenged employers to consider their own policies and provision around staff wellbeing and mental health, but what about schools?

Laura Ritson, Headteacher at NCEA Warkworth C of E Primary School shares her insight into the importance of mental health education and the provision of wellbeing support in schools.

Mental health in the curriculum

Mental health and wellbeing plays a central role in the curriculum at Warkworth Primary, so much so, that in March 2021, the school was awarded the School Mental Health Award by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools – one of just five schools nationally to achieve the prestigious Gold standard.

The body of work to achieve the award was extensive and incorporated multiple strategies and approaches including mindfulness clubs, yoga, the construction of mental health and wellbeing areas in each classroom and the introduction of a school therapy dog, to name a few.

The logic behind all of this? With good mental health, pupils and staff are more likely to be motivated and engaged therefore more likely to reach their true potential.

“Our in-school wellbeing provision was informed by a lot of research from sources such as The Church of England Education Office and the Place2Be charity which all made links between good mental health and improved learning outcomes,” Laura said.

“By educating pupils at the earliest opportunity about the importance of looking after their mental health and encouraging others around them to do the same, we hope to create an environment where both our children and staff feel safe and supported. As well as making mental health and wellbeing awareness central to our PSHE and RSE curriculum, we try to create as many opportunities as possible throughout the school week for pupils to talk about their feelings – no topic is ever off limits as understanding is key.”

Mental health in the community

The Covid-19 pandemic saw the school’s wellbeing practices start to transcend the school itself and have an impact on the wider community around Warkworth.

“Lockdown was a difficult time for many people – stuck in isolation, kept apart from friends and loved ones, the entire nation’s mental health took a bit of a knock,” Laura continued.

“At Warkworth primary, our school vision is #Strive together as one, so we wanted to do something to help maintain a sense of ‘togetherness’ while we had to stay apart. We organised a community heart campaign where our children designed and delivered a series of paper hearts to residents for them to display in their windows. We also sent wellbeing bags containing activities and resources home with pupils to help support pupils and their families, and organised weekly live wellbeing sessions to provide a safe space for pupils and their parents to discuss their thoughts and feelings.

“The feedback we had from the campaign was absolutely incredible, it just goes to show what a little bit of time and communication can achieve.”

Raising the profile of mental health

Sunday (10th October) was World Mental Health Day and all across NCEA Trust, staff and pupils have been taking part in activities to raise awareness of the importance of mental health as well as vital funds for organisations such as Young Minds, who provide vital support to vulnerable children and young people.

“There has never been a more important time for us all to start looking after ourselves a bit better,” Laura concluded.

“By teaching the importance of self-care and helping children to understand their thoughts and feelings from an early age, hopefully we can help to curb the upward trend in mental health conditions affecting young people.”

You can find out more about the mental health and wellbeing programme at Warkworth Primary at: https://warkworth.ncea.org.uk/key-information/mental-health-and-wellbeing/

This Sunday (10th October), all across the UK, people will be taking part in activities to mark Fragile X Syndrome Awareness Day.

What is Fragile X syndrome?

Taking its name from the unusual way it impacts the X chromosome, Fragile X is a genetic syndrome which can cause a range of developmental problems, including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment. Commonly diagnosed in early childhood as babies start to hit their key milestones such as walking and talking, Fragile X is the most common inherited cause of learning disabilities.

Affecting around 1 in every 3,600 boys and 1 in every 4,000-6,000 girls, the effects of Fragile X syndrome can vary dramatically from person to person, but most will experience lifelong difficulties. This is something that one of our wonderful teachers at Castle School, Louise Washer, understands better than most.

Louise’s son Josh was diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome when he was 20 months old. Now a young man embarking on his further educational journey towards working in hospitality, Louise bravely shared her personal story of living with Fragile X syndrome with colleagues at Castle School to raise awareness of the condition and the upcoming awareness day.

Louise’s story

It was first noted by healthcare professionals that there might be something amiss with Josh’s physical development at his 8 month check-up – he couldn’t sit up unaided or support any weight on his legs. It was also discovered that he had severe glue ear in both ears – a condition which causes the build-up of fluid within the middle part of the ear canal. This can be a physical feature associated with Fragile X. It wasn’t until Josh was 20 months old however that he was formally diagnosed via a blood test.

Symptoms of Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X can manifest itself in a number of different ways and at varying levels of severity. Many of the behavioural traits of individuals with Fragile X are very similar to those on the autistic spectrum – avoidance of eye contact, social withdrawal, communication difficulties and repetitive behaviours. There are however a number of physical traits and behaviours unique to those with a Fragile X syndrome diagnosis.

Physical similarities in children and young people diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome include a long and narrow face, large ears, a prominent jaw and forehead, unusually flexible fingers and very flat feet. These characteristic physical features usually become more apparent with age and affect most males and around half of females with Fragile X.

Unique behaviours and personality traits on the other hand might include periods of anxiety, fidgeting or impulsive actions as well as periods of hyperactivity which can affect speech patterns and the child’s ability to concentrate, which in turn impacts their ability to learn despite Fragile X individuals usually having incredible memories.

Managing Fragile X in school

Taking these unique characteristics into account, at Castle School, we have developed ways of working with children with Fragile X as well as other severe learning difficulties to help them feel secure and relaxed in the classroom.
By minimising the number of distractions in the classroom – limited displays and colours as well as items on desks, and adopting a teaching style which sees staff sitting side-by-side with pupils to limit the need for direct eye-contact, we can maximise pupils’ attention span and help them to feel at ease.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about Castle School, how we work and our facilities, please get in touch to arrange a visit, or check out our website at www.castle.ncea.org.uk.

For more information about Fragile X syndrome, the Fragile X Society is the charity behind Sunday’s awareness day. Visit www.fragilex.org.uk.

A local mental health charity has helped to make a group of schoolchildren’s dreams come true, bringing their vision for a brand new forest school area to life after vandals destroyed their original site during lockdown.

Staff and service users from Blyth Star Enterprises’ woodwork and horticultural departments have worked tirelessly through the summer holidays to transform part of the playing field at NCEA Warkworth Primary School into a woodland wonderland, ready for the start of the new academic year.

‘Forest school’ is the name given to the outdoor education delivery model used by primary schools across the UK which encourages pupils to engage with the natural world to help them learn personal, social and technical skills. The programme also helps to promote environmental awareness and positive mental health and wellbeing through time spent in the great outdoors.

Having previously used an external site located around one mile away from the school campus, forest school has been part of the curriculum at Warkworth Primary for a number of years. During the second coronavirus lockdown however, the site was targeted by vandals who used the area as a ‘drinking den’ before setting fire to it, leaving the site completely unusable.

The school posted a public appeal on social media about the incident, which is how the partnership with Blyth Star Enterprises was established.

Kevin Alexander, Supervisor at Blyth Star Enterprises’ woodwork department, explained:

“We were deeply saddened by what had occurred at Warkworth Primary’s forest school site. It was just mindless vandalism and we wanted to do something to help put things right for the children.

“This past 18 months has been really tough on our young people, going in and out of lockdown and being unable to see their friends and family and just be normal kids. Playing outside, building dens and things is all part of that, so we were delighted to be able to support with the construction of the new forest school area in the school grounds.”

Working from a hand-drawn plan which was developed in partnership with the pupils themselves, staff and service users from Blyth Star Enterprises visited the school to scope out the project, which would include the build and installation of a seating area around the fire pit, six new craft tables for outdoor woodwork classes, two mud kitchens, a woodland assault course and a number of full height ‘fairy doors’ to create secret entrances to a network of willow tunnels.

Horticultural staff from Blyth Star’s Stakeford Nurseries also agreed to supply and plant over 40 different trees and shrubs to help add to the site’s woodland feel.

Laura Ritson, Headteacher at NCEA Warkworth Primary School, commented:

“We have been absolutely blown away by the enthusiasm, creativity and determination shown by Blyth Star Enterprises toward our forest school project. Every time Kevin and the team came to site, they had a new idea about how we could make the forest school even more magical for the children.

“Promoting positive mental health and wellbeing is central to everything that we do at Warkworth Primary which made working with Blyth Star Enterprises all the more special, knowing that our forest school project was helping to provide real work experience for people living with lifelong mental health conditions and learning disabilities. We really can’t thank them enough for all of their hard work and it’s a perfect example of how our shared community vision ‘strive together as one’ leads everything we do at NCEA Warkworth Primary.”

“We’ve really enjoyed working on the project,” Kevin added.

“The volume of the work and the repetitive nature of some of the elements, such as making sure that all six of the woodwork benches were exactly the same, has challenged our service users and helped them to hone their skills as craftsmen. We really hope the children enjoy their new forest school – we can’t wait to see the finished result!”

Providing living support and meaningful day services which replicate real working environments, Blyth Star Enterprises supports more than 350 people across Northumberland living with severe and enduring mental health conditions and learning disabilities.

For more information about the charity, or to find out more about commissioning a woodwork or gardening project, visit www.blythstar.org.uk.

NCEAT’s primary schools have been recognised in the UK’s top 50 schools for Accelerated Reader usage.

Accelerated Reader is an online platform which supports pupils’ reading skills. When they first start using the platform, pupils complete a STAR reading test which gives them a level based on their reading ability and advises on the books they should be reading. This allows teachers to ensure that pupils are challenged with an appropriate text and develops their reading fluency.

Once they have finished reading their book, they can then complete a comprehension quiz to assess whether they have understood what they have read. This gives teachers valuable information about pupils reading ages and also reading comprehension ability.

Prior to the summer holidays, the primary schools within the Trust had a big push on reading for pleasure, encouraging pupils to read at home with parents and carers. This push has seen pupils carry out over 28,537 Accelerated Reader quizzes online since August – that’s 28,537 books read across Bishop’s, Grace Darling, James Knott, Thomas Bewick and William Leech C of E Primary Schools!

Jack Christophers, Director of Literacy, commented:

“We’re absolutely blown away by what our pupils have achieved through Accelerated Reader. The statistics speak for themselves – our pupils have put in an amazing amount of effort and we’re extremely proud of each and every one of them.”

To find out more about reading in the primary curriculum, visit https://bishops.ncea.org.uk/pupil-hub/reading-corner/

Shocked by the scenes on the news about the ongoing unrest in Afghanistan, pupils at a primary school in Northumberland have taken it upon themselves to lead social action and are looking to encourage others to do the same and carry out ‘acts of love and good works’, which is part of their school vision.

Pupils at NCEA Warkworth C of E Primary School have challenged themselves to fill their school hall with donations for the refugees who have fled Afghanistan and made it safely to the UK, many of whom are now trying to rebuild their lives in the North East of England.

The children came up with the idea after being inspired by the work of one of their teachers, Kimberley Sharp, who runs the popular ‘A Child’s Wish’ Facebook group, which provides clothes, toys and essential items to women and children who have fled from domestic violence.

Having seen photos of the work Kimberley has done in the past to fill her living room at home with gifts and resources for families, the pupils decided they wanted to replicate the effort, but on a bigger scale, to fill their school hall with items which could be donated to charities in Gateshead who are supporting those who have fled conflict in Afghanistan.

Laura Ritson, Headteacher at NCEA Warkworth C of E Primary School, commented:

“This week in collective worship we’ve been exploring our vision # strive together as one (Phillipians 1.27) and reflecting on all of the ‘acts of good works’ we’ve completed over the years.

“When we asked the children what they wanted to do next, they started talking about some of the images they’d seen on the news about Afghanistan over the summer. We discussed what’s been happening in more detail and the pupils unanimously voted that they wanted to help and wanted to inspire others to help too.

“Filling the school hall is no small feat, but our children are so determined, we have no doubt that they’ll do it! We have until 30 September to collect as many items as possible so any support we can get from the local community would be greatly appreciated.”

The charities supporting the refugees are particularly looking for general items such as food, second hand furniture, cleaning products, toiletries and clothes (including school uniform, pyjamas and underwear) suitable for men, women and children of all ages, shapes and sizes. Many small children and babies have also been affected by the crisis in Afghanistan, so items like pushchairs, books and toys are also welcomed.

If you would like to support the appeal, there is a collection point for all items at Warkworth Primary School, 2 Guilden Road, Warkworth, NE65 0TJ. The deadline for donations is Thursday 30 September 2021.

For more information about Warkworth C of E Primary School, visit www.warkworth.ncea.org.uk.

Pupils at Grace Darling C of E Primary School in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and Duke’s Secondary School in Ashington have welcomed a very special visitor, The Right Reverend Mark Wroe, Bishop of Berwick.

Formerly the Archdeacon of Northumberland,the Right Reverend Mark Wroe was installed as the Suffragan Bishop of Berwick in January this year – only the second person to have received the title in living memory after the Diocese of Newcastle resurrected the role in 2016 following a 444 year hiatus.

Serving the areas between the Tyne and Tweed rivers, the Bishop’s role is vast and varied. Having been consecrated during the Covid-19 pandemic, this visit has been one of the first opportunities for the Right Rev. Mark to get out to meet some of the children and young people in the South East of the county.

During his visit, the Bishop was treated to a tour of the full Grace Darling C of E Primary School campus, visiting each class in turn to view their displays and find out how they were settling back into school after the summer holidays. He met with the school’s ‘Gardening Gang’ who look after the school’s outdoor spaces and spoke with staff about the school’s involvement in the Thrive programme for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in children.

On arriving at the Duke’s Secondary School campus in the afternoon, the Bishop met with the school’s Principal, Russ Atkinson, and was shown around some of the classrooms where Covid-19 catch up sessions were taking place for students in critical exam years. The day was rounded off with a meeting of school leaders from across Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust (to which Grace Darling C of E Primary School and Duke’s Secondary School are members).

Commenting on his visit, the Right Reverend Mark Wroe, said:

“I’ve been really impressed by what I’ve seen today. The resilience that has been shown by teachers and pupils during what has been an incredibly challenging time for schools is just amazing and it’s great to see how people have come together to support each other. I’d like to thank Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust for having me today and I’ll look forward to visiting again in future.”

Alan Hardie, CEO at Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, added:

“It was wonderful to have Bishop Mark with us today. At NCEAT, we value our close working relationship with the Dioceses of Newcastle and Durham and it is always a pleasure to host members of the clergy at our schools.”

A secondary school in South East Northumberland has been recognised for a second time by the British Council for its outstanding work to integrate international teaching and learning into the curriculum.

Duke’s Secondary School in Ashington has been reaccredited with the International School Award having demonstrated how elements of international education have been embedded into the culture of the school, resulting in pupils having an increased knowledge of other countries, cultures and languages, awareness of key global issues, global citizenship attributes, and an appreciation for cultural diversity.

Assessed against 13 different activities, ranging from taster sessions in Modern Foreign Languages including Mandarin and German, as well as Art, English and Maths-based projects carried out in partnership with schools in Belgium, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Croatia, Duke’s was praised by assessors for its innovative approach to international awareness, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Elizabeth McNally, International Coordinator at Duke’s Secondary School, commented:

“While the pandemic was and continues to be a challenge for schools, in regard to the activities we had planned to support our international curriculum, the worldwide handling of coronavirus added a new dynamic to our programme and allowed us to adopt new activities which focused more on the promotion of international friendship through shared experience.

“Our pupils found common ground with the students from overseas in their experiences of lockdown and disruption to their schooling. Working closely with our twinned school in Remscheid in Germany in particular, the students formed friendships and wrote to each other, practicing their written and spoken language skills translating messages back and forth.”

James Pearson, fellow International Coordinator at Duke’s, added:

“We decided to create a ‘Gratitude Tree’ in school where we could pin notes about the things we were grateful for during lockdown. The whole school got involved and we also included notes from our European pen pals, written in French and German.”

The assessment also explored how Duke’s has been able to promote understanding of its local community in Ashington to international students and how international culture has also been shared with other schools locally.

Operating as part of Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust, Duke’s Secondary School naturally partnered with neighbouring Bishop’s C of E Primary School and Castle School – the Trust’s speciality school for pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities, to further the reach of its international curriculum.

The assessor acting on behalf of the International School Award team for the British Council, commented:

“The international dimension is firmly rooted in your school’s curriculum and whole-school ethos. Your links with schools in different countries are providing rich learning experiences for students and staff. Over the course of two academic years (2019-2021) you have carried out a range of international activities which include different subject areas and age ranges. You have introduced extra activities during the Covid pandemic enabling your students to reflect and exchange feelings and thoughts on happiness and gratitude with their partners at Roentgen Gymnasium in Remscheid, promoting international empathy and friendship.

“Your ambassadorial role is well established via your work in introducing an international dimension to transitional activities in your feeder primary schools, as well as supporting progress towards International School Award accreditation. Congratulations to all concerned! We wish you continuing success and enjoyment with your international enterprises.”

Russ Atkinson, Principal at Duke’s Secondary School, added:

“We are delighted to have once again been awarded the International School Award. Promoting understanding of international cultures and supporting all of our pupils to become global citizens who can contribute positively to their local communities is an important part of our ethos here at Duke’s and we’re honoured to have had that commitment recognised once again by the British Council.”

For more information about Duke’s Secondary School, visit www.dukes.ncea.org.uk.