A group of schools across Teesside and County Durham have pledged their support to a charity that provides free beds for struggling families.

Ad Astra Academy Trust, which has ten primary schools under its umbrella, demonstrated its commitment to the national charity during the Trust’s annual Festival of Education, held recently at Teesside University.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said; “We became aware of the fantastic work that Zarach Charity is undertaking so decided to invite them to participate in our annual festival.

“No child should be without a bed as this can seriously impact on their education and well-being. A number of our schools have already signed up to work closely with the charity and I am sure others will do likewise soon.

“Not only do the charity provide a new bed and mattress to families in poverty, but they also provide bed linen and pyjamas/nightwear. It is a fantastic scheme, and we are delighted to support it.”

Since Zarach Charity was set up in 2018 it has provided beds for over 9,000 children.

Jess Sandy, the charity’s National Development Manager, said: “We would like to thank Ad Astra Academy Trust for inviting us to the Festival of Education 2024.

“It was an amazing day that gave us the platform to raise awareness of our Every Head a Bed scheme. We raised an amazing £385 with our raffle on the day, and we have seen lots more donations being made online too.”

For further information, visit zarach.org

The ten primary schools within Ad Astra are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees, Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough and Deaf Hill and Kelloe in County Durham.

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last nine years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for over 3,500 pupils and over 500 employees.

A group of staff from schools across Teesside and County Durham have been recognised for their commitment and long service.

The 64 staff members have accumulated over 1000 years between them and work for Ad Astra Academy Trust which has ten primary schools under its umbrella.

The awards were presented at the Trust’s recent annual Festival of Education at Teesside University which was attended by over 350 school staff, educationalists and the Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham.

Speaking at the event, Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “Our employees are our most valuable resource, and this initiative reflects the Trust’s desire to recognise long service, and to thank staff for their continued support, commitment and loyalty to the Trust.

“Service milestones are achieved at five-year intervals following ten years’ service. As many employees have transferred into the Trust all continuous service is counted.

“To each of these employees, I just want to simply say thank you for all you do.”

Each employee will receive a badge, certificate and letter. The badge contains the number of years worked.

Martyn Ingram, the Trust’s Human Resources Manager added: “Our staff are central to everything we do, and it is important that we recognise their hard work and commitment.

“The 64 staff members receiving awards accumulated 1075 years’ service between them. This is a significant achievement and deserves to be recognised in this way.”

The ten primary schools within Ad Astra are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees, Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough and Deaf Hill and Kelloe in County Durham.

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last nine years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for over 3,500 pupils and over 500 employees.

A well-known Hartlepool public figure is to stand down from a key education role which he has held for the last nine years.

Chris Simmons has been Chair of Ad Astra Academy Trust since 2015 and the announcement came at the Trust’s recent annual Festival of Education at Teesside University.

Ad Astra Academy Trust has ten primary schools under its umbrella across Teesside and County Durham.

Mr Simmons, who headed up the music department at the former Henry Smith School in Hartlepool for over 25 years and was a key figure in Hartlepool Youth Choir for decades, received a special send off from dignitaries and pupils.

Mrs Sue Snowden, the Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, who carries out duties on behalf of His Majesty King Charles, thanked Mr Simmons for his service and along with pupils presented him with a star, which is named after him, and artwork of a tree where pupils from each school printed fingerprints to represent the leaves.

Speaking at the event, Sue Snowden, said: “Chris’s impact on children’s lives in terms of education across the region and especially within Hartlepool has spanned almost 60 years, and his impact within the world of music has been evident worldwide.

“Chris has always been a champion of children and in particular drove the policy of the Council to improve educational outcomes for Hartlepool children and was granted Freedom of the Borough in 2005.

“It gives me the greatest pleasure to thank you personally for your hard work, commitment, and dedication and present you with this token of appreciation for all you have done.”

Chris Simmons thanked the Lord-Lieutenant and then went on to praise Ad Astra Academy Trust staff.

He said: “I cannot thank you enough for everything you do in driving the Trust forward. All of your efforts and hard work will stay with children forever and help them enormously on their journey in life.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to serve you in my various roles. There’s a great togetherness and staff trust each other and believe in one another.”

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “Chris has been an inspiration and pillar of strength to everyone across the Trust.

“He has carried out the role with great empathy and integrity and been a tremendous servant.

“Chris has been by my side for over 27 years in different roles and I cannot thank him enough for his support, tireless effort and dedication.”

Mr Simmons has also been Chair of Governors at West View Primary School and Vice-Chair of Lynnfield Primary School and a Hartlepool councillor for nine years.

He was also Vice-Chair of the British Federation of Young Choirs and President and then Vice-President of the European Federation of Choirs for 6 years.

Chris Simmons will stand down at the end of the summer term but continue to be a member of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

The ten primary schools within Ad Astra are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees, Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough and Deaf Hill and Kelloe in County Durham.

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last nine years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for over 3,500 pupils and over 500 employees.

Pupil power was one of the central themes at an education conference which took place in Middlesbrough recently (Monday 1 July).

Ad Astra Academy Trust, which has ten primary schools under its umbrella across Teesside and County Durham, held its annual Festival of Education at Teesside University.

Over 350 teachers and educationalists attended the day-long event in Middlesbrough.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, said: “Our Annual Festival of Education presents an excellent opportunity to celebrate our successes and maximise the benefits of collaborative working.

“As a Trust we are continually looking at making things better and we focused on a number of themes at this year’s event.

“One of those involved pupils from each of our ten primary schools addressing the delegates and informing them of the things that they would like to see improve.

“Our Pupil Leadership team is a key voice, and it is important that we take their views on board.

“Another important theme at the event was Early Years provision to ensure that we are providing the best possible education for our youngest pupils.”

Speaking at the conference, Andy Brown said: “Despite the challenging circumstances across the world, I continue to have unwarranted optimism about the future of education in this country and the growth and direction of our Trust.”

He also took the opportunity to announce a new Staff Wellbeing Charter for the Trust and said: “The Wellbeing Charter demonstrates our commitment and dedication to support, improve and enhance the wellbeing of employees.

“Wellbeing should be interwoven into everything we do, with the understanding that happy employees perform better and live healthier lives.”

Keynote speakers at the event included Tom Sherrington, an experienced former headteacher who has worked in schools for over 30 years and Bruce Robertson, the Headteacher of Berwickshire High School and author of The Teaching Delusion trilogy.

There was also a passionate presentation from brothers Andy and Matt Smith who were abused as children and have since set up their own company called Smash Life to try and ensure that vulnerable children get the appropriate support to help them achieve in life.

The Lord Lieutenant of County Durham, Sue Snowdon attended the conference and joined pupils in making a presentation to Chris Simmons, who is standing down as Chair of Ad Astra Academy Trust after holding the position since its inception in 2015.

Zarach Charity’s Beds for Heads also benefited from the event – a charity initiative to provide free beds for poverty-stricken families.

The event was chaired by BBC Radio Tees presenter Rachel Teate. It was opened by singers from Sunnyside Academy and closed by Middlesbrough musician Finn Forster.

The ten primary schools within Ad Astra are Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees, Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough and Deaf Hill and Kelloe in County Durham.

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last nine years has grown across the Tees Valley, providing education for over 3,500 pupils and over 500 employees.

 

Click on the link below to view the full Festival of Education programme

Ad Astra Programme 2024

Youngsters from primary schools across Teesside and County Durham came together this week (22 April) to demonstrate their science knowledge.

Pupils from Ad Astra Academy Trust schools met up at AV Dawson offices in the Port of Middlesbrough for the day-long event where they showcased their talents.

Prior to the event, pupils were tasked with devising a specific project on a science theme which they then shared with fellow pupils at the event.

Topics were wide ranging and included inventions, density, biodegradables, evolution, and the human body.

At the event, pupils received a tour of AV Dawson’s 360 degree viewing platform where they learned about the vast range of local industries and businesses.

There are ten schools under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust. They are Sunnyside and Ayresome in Middlesbrough, Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton-on-Tees, Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool and Deaf Hill and Kelloe in County Durham.

Pete Wiley and Helen Durnion, School Improvement Leads with Ad Astra, helped co-ordinate the event.

Pete Wiley said: “We aim to organise a collaborative event for our schools each term and this time the topic was science.

“All of the children worked really hard to prepare for the event and it was a great way for them to demonstrate their talents and learn from each other.

“The event also provided an excellent opportunity for children to learn about the fantastic range of industries and careers that exist on their doorstep, and this can only inspire them to achieve high and reach their goals in life.”

Mr Wiley added that the event was a huge success and thanked AV Dawson for providing the venue.

Andy Brown OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Astra Academy Trust, added: “Science is an important part of the school curriculum and all of the children excelled at the event.

“Science is a massive sector in the jobs market, and it is important that we highlight to children at a young age that there are fantastic opportunities in their local area.”

The event was supported by Andrew Stogdale of Sparks Tees Valley who delivered a science show to children, highlighting the many opportunities in the local area.

Ad Astra Academy Trust was formed in 2015 and over the last nine years has grown to provide education for over 3,500 pupils and 600 employees.

22 April 2024

A two-year pilot project involving several Teesside primary schools has improved the speech, language and communication skills of nursery pupils (3 and 4-year-olds).

Ad Astra Academy Trust, which oversees eight primary schools in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees, joined forces with SHINE – an education charity that works with schools and other organisations, to help children reach their true potential – to launch the £52,000 initiative in 2021.

Such has been the success of the scheme; Ad Astra Academy Trust bosses are set to continue the programme across its eight primary schools.

Pete Wiley, Ad Astra Academy Trust’s School Improvement Lead, said: “Among our schools, we observed that two-thirds of pupils enter reception with below-typical language and communication skills.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated this problem, leading to a surge in referrals to speech and language services, which are already overwhelmed.”

 

The Trust developed a wide-ranging project, encompassing various strategies designed to enhance children’s communication and language abilities.

 

These included improving the quality of nursery environments, equipping staff with the necessary skills to foster high-quality interactions with children, and involving parents in the process.

 

Since the project began, schools across the Trust have witnessed significant improvements in how well children communicate.

 

For example, at West View Primary School in Hartlepool, 51.1% of children are classed as “ready for reception” this year when it comes to listening and attention – an improvement of 10 percentage points (40.8%) on the previous year.

 

Regarding speaking, 46.6% are deemed “ready for reception” – an improvement of 8 percentage points (38.6%) compared to last year.

 

Laura Wears, SHINE Champion at West View Primary School in Hartlepool, commented, “There’s certainly a case to run this project indefinitely. Language-rich environments, with highly skilled staff, are the key to developing young people’s speech, language, and communication skills.

 

“These skills are fundamental building blocks within a child’s development, and it is imperative to embed this early in a child’s education.”

 

Meanwhile, at Brougham Primary School there have been several initiatives including:

• Training for early years staff, building expertise in delivering high-quality interactions unique to each child.
• Development of a communication-friendly environment that promotes conversation and interaction.
• Empower and enable parents to develop their own children’s communication and language through parent workshops such as ‘stay and play’, creating handouts for parents to refer to later.

 

Fiona Nicholson, Deputy Headteacher at Rosebrook Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees, said: “It is so important that our youngest children get off to the best possible start at school and the SHINE project has helped us to focus on the children who need additional support to bring their speech and language skills to the required level.

 

“It has enabled us to invest in a variety of resources to promote creativity and imagination. Staff have also taken part in training around developing questioning and vocabulary to ensure our school is a ‘word rich’ environment.

 

“It has been a really positive project with a marked improvement of communication skills amongst 3 and 4-year-olds which is vital to their future learning.”

 

Pete Wiley added: “The project has been a real success story. Staff knowledge and understanding of how to support communication and language has grown, pupils are generally making better progress and parental involvement has improved.”

 

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 Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees.

 

The eight 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 Ayresome and Sunnyside in Middlesbrough.

 

Youngsters from Rosebrook Primary School have benefitted from the SHINE project

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

Ad Astra’s 2023 Trust Dividend video which was launched at the Festival of Education on the 3^rd July 2023.

 

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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.