Five-times Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave CBE sailed into Teesside this week to help inspire teachers and education bosses.

The most successful British rower in Olympic history was Guest Speaker at Ad Astra Academy Trust’s Festival of Education 2023 Conference.

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

Over 250 teachers and school leaders attended the day-long event, held at Teesside University, Middlesbrough.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “Sir Steve Redgrave has a proven track record of sustained success at the highest level and that can only be achieved through hard work, resilience, and determination.

“These are just some of the attributes which we want to instil in our teachers and staff and Sir Steve Redgrave is a fantastic role model to demonstrate how success can be achieved against a backdrop of the daily challenges we all face.”

The event was chaired by leading educationalist Maggie Farrar CBE and included a series of workshops and discussions throughout the day on key current issues and challenges for schools.

Sir Steve Redgrave spoke about how one of his teachers at school had given him the opportunity to have a go at rowing.

He said: “Teachers are so important to guiding young people and one of my teachers gave me the opportunity to be a rower. If you ask any Olympian who their inspiration was, most will say one of their schoolteachers.”

He added: “Work ethic is the key to success. Even if you have talent you have to work hard; the harder you work, the better you become.”

Former newspaper editor and children’s author Peter Barron MBE hosted the question-and-answer session with Sir Steve Redgrave and also spoke at the event along with Anthony Daulphin of the Standing Ovation Project – a multi award-winning national education body.

Pupils welcomed guests at the start of the event which included an address from 10-year-old Janna Oyedeji from Rosebrook Primary School and a music and dance display by Crooksbarn Primary School.

Pupils also produced a range of artwork depicting Sir Steve Redgrave’s hugely successful rowing career which he was really impressed with.

Chris Simmons, chair of the Ad Astra trustees gave a vote of thanks at the end. He said: “What a day it has been with excellent speakers and workshops. We have outstanding staff across all of our schools who provide inspiration and raise the hopes and aspirations of young children.”

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last eight years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for over 3,500 pupils and 525 employees in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees.

Sir Steve Redgrave CBE with Ad Astra Academy Trust CEO Andy Brown OBE

Delegates at Festival of Education 2023

Janna Oyedeji of Rosebrook Primary School welcomes guests at Festival of Education 2023

Click below to view videos of Festival of Education 2023

Video – Andy Brown- Festival of Education 2023

Video – Sir Steve Redgrave – Festival of Education 2023

Video – Sir Steve Redgrave praises artwork

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.

Click the link below to listen to the BBC Radio Tees broadcast.

Amy Oakden – BBC Radio Tees

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

Video – Janna Oyedeji – Speaking up for Nature winner

Video- Preston Earl – Speaking up for Nature winner

Video – Lois Huntington – Rosebrook Primary School

A Teesside primary school has received high acclaim for its commitment to involving parents in the day-to-day activities of the school.

Rosebrook Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees has landed the prestigious Leading Parent Partnership Award (LPPA) following a glowing report.

LPPA is a national initiative aimed at improving the relationship between schools and parents for the benefit of pupils.

In her report, LPPA Assessor Angela Charlton, said: “Walking into Rosebrook Primary School, you are met with an overwhelming sense of belonging. Throughout the day, I was presented with overwhelming evidence to show that this school is at the heart of their community, that strong partnerships with parents ensure that every child is nurtured and supported to reach their potential in a supportive and inclusive way.

“Evidence was presented to show how parental support is delivered across the school, considering the needs of the children and their families. Twitter, Facebook and Dojo are used effectively to communicate with parents.

“The school is indeed a welcoming, communicative and friendly place for parents. During the tour of the school, parents were observed working alongside their children in the classrooms.”

The report goes on: “Rosebrook Primary School promotes the awareness and participation of all groups of parents in supporting their children’s learning and developing their own learning through a wide variety of activities which are clearly communicated through the school website as well as Dojo, newsletters and emails.

“Staff are clearly aware about their roles and responsibilities when it comes to building strong partnerships between home and school. Staff work closely as a team to ensure that the vison is embedded across the whole school.”

During the LPPA visit, parents were quick to heap praise on the school with one saying, “The reception team are a lovely bunch of women, nothing seems too much, they are chatty and friendly.”

Leanne Todd, Headteacher of Rosebrook Primary School, commented: “We are all thrilled to receive the award in recognition of a huge team effort to work closely with our families to build long-lasting relationships. Rosebrook staff go above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis and I am extremely proud that their work has been acknowledged.”

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, added: “We work very hard across all of our schools to promote positive, pro-active communications and involvement with parents and carers.

“The LPPA is testament to the tremendous initiatives at Rosebrook Primary School and everyone involved in the school should be extremely proud.”

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

To view the full LPPA report click here

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.

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!

Click here to watch Ad Astra’s wellbeing video.

Rosebrook Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees 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.

Click here to read the full article.

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