A Motor Neurone Disease awareness day was held across six schools on Friday as part of a campaign inspired by a hugely popular headteacher who has been diagnosed with the illness. 

 MESSAGES and symbols of love are everywhere you look in the little school that’s trying to come to terms with huge sadness. Orange and blue balloons, ribbons, cakes, posters, drawings, banners, decorations and handprints adorn playground fences, windows, corridors, walls, desks, and classroom doors at Hartburn Primary. And it’s all for Mrs Park.

The school, near Stockton, is bursting with the official colours of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, in an emotional demonstration of support for its beloved headteacher. Claire Park, head at the school for the past five years, was diagnosed with MND in June – and the Hartburn pupils, staff and parents want her to know she’s in their hearts.

They’ve been joined by five other schools in the Prince Regent Street Trust: Barley Fields Primary, at Ingleby Barwick; Kader Academy, at Middlesbrough; Oxbridge Lane Primary, at Stockton; Village Primary, at Thornaby; and Wolviston Primary. All the schools are showing their support in different ways, and today is the first in a series of MND awareness days as part of a trust-wide response to Claire’s devastating diagnosis.

The aim is to increase understanding of the disease, raise funds for research, and to build a legacy for someone the pupils describe as “the best and kindest headteacher”. “If she was here with me now, she would want everyone to know how grateful she is for the support – it’s been overwhelming,” says Claire’s husband, Matthew, who is visiting Hartburn Primary for the awareness day. As well as raising vital funds for national MND charities, including the MND Association, there’s an appeal by the Friends of Hartburn Primary to raise £50,000 to create a play area at the school that will be known as ‘Mrs Park’s Park’.

Claire, who is in her mid-40s, was finally diagnosed with MND in June after a year of misdiagnoses. The “living nightmare” began after she fell while dancing during a holiday with friends, in Ibiza, in July 2024. An ankle injury took time to heal, and she began having balance and gait issues. She had also injured her hand, and developed problems with her grip. Unusually, Claire, normally so resilient, also began to struggle emotionally – a common symptom of MND.

Frustrated with a lack of progress through the NHS, Claire and Matthew arranged a private consultation with a neurologist in London, and she was initially diagnosed with functional neurological disorder. However, she was also sent for a precautionary MRI scan on her brain and spine, leading to a doctor telephoning after a while to say the results showed “nothing of concern” and that she could pick up a copy of her results from her GP. To the couple’s horror, the detailed results showed there were signs of ALS, the most common form of MND. The diagnosis was confirmed the following week at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

“MND is the cruellest illness,” says Matthew. “All you can say is that today is better than tomorrow because it’s a progressive disease, slowly robbing Claire of everything. “The average life expectancy from the point of diagnosis is one to two years but it varies. Claire’s a very positive person and we try to make the most of every day, finding joy and making memories.” For example, Claire, Matthew and their two daughters, Evangeline, 15, and Emilia, 14, have recently returned from a motorhome tour of Europe and have just embarked on a precious holiday to Disneyland, in Florida.

Meanwhile, the schools in the trust are going to great heights to show how much they care. Mandy Lockwood, a teaching assistant at Hartburn, has  volunteered to skydive from 10,000 feet, at Shotton Airfield, to raise funds for Mrs Park’s Park. “I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone. It’s scary but I keep thinking it’s nothing compared to what Claire’s going through,” says Mandy, apologising for having to wipe away tears. To help with her fundraising, a colouring competition has been launched. For a minimum donation of £1, the children get to colour a picture of Mandy with a parachute.

Claire’s best friend, Gill Ball, previously assistant head at Village Primary when Claire was headteacher before she moved to Hartburn, is organising “Hikes for Claire”. It’s a series of fundraising walks that have so far raised £13,000. “The walks have given me and my family a sense of purpose in a situation that feels very out of control,” says Gill.

“It’s the little, day-to-day things that affect Claire most. She’s fiercely independent and hates having to rely on others. “She was really happy the other day because she’d managed to clear out the cutlery drawer on her own. “But she’s such a selfless person, her biggest concern is for the impact it’s having on those close to her. She’ll often say ‘there’s always someone worse off ‘– that’s what makes her so special.”

Jill Ellison, Chair of the Friends of Hartburn Primary, is leading the fundraising campaign to create Mrs Park’s Park. “Claire had always wanted to resurface part of the playground and create a friendship area for the children,” she recalls. “We decided to launch the appeal for Mrs Park’s Park on the day she was diagnosed. When we emailed to tell her, she sent a message back, in true Claire style, saying: “That’s a gorgeous idea.”

For Julia Armstrong, CEO of Prince Regent Street Trust, the positive response to Claire’s illness is a justifiable source of pride. “We are all heartbroken because Claire is an amazing person who has touched a lot of hearts. It’s been a shock and deeply affected us, but it’s so heartwarming to see how staff, parents and pupils have pulled together.”

The MND awareness day has been a difficult lesson for children so young, but it’s clear they understand its importance. Grace Butterworth, one of the Head’s Ambassadors at Hartburn Primary, speaks for them all when she says: “Mrs Park is a really wonderful headteacher, and we need to help people like her with this terrible disease. Hopefully, there’ll be a cure one day.”

CHILDREN at Teesside school marked the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway with a week of activities – culminating in a public exhibition praised by their local MP.

Pupils at Kader Academy, in Stockton, spent a week learning about their town’s contribution to the story of steam power by making models, visiting nearby Hopetown museum and attending a performance of The Railway Children at the Hullabaloo theatre in Darlington, creating informative displays to share their discoveries, and more.

Parents, families, and local residents were then invited to the school for a special exhibition showcasing the children’s work, alongside train-themed performances by the school choirs, who sang hits including ‘The Loco-Motion’ and ‘Love Train’.

Andy McDonald, member of Parliament for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, was among those who visited the school’s exhibition. He said: “This is absolutely wonderful – well done to Kader for grabbing this opportunity to celebrate our town.

“It’s a joy to see our young children connecting with their own history, because our region gave birth to the railways, and they know it.

“They know it, they’re celebrating it, and they’re learning more about it. It’s a wonderful display, and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our region and our heritage.”

The pupils were even inspired by a piece of the original Stockton and Darlington Railway track, loaned to the Prince Regent Street Trust school from the museum collection at Hopetown.

The activities also sparked new interests among the pupils.

Marissa Watson, a pupil at the school, said: “I wasn’t really interested in the railways, but when we started learning about the history of it, I realised I really liked it!

“I found out my uncle actually really likes trains, and makes YouTube videos about the railways, so I’ve started helping him with those.”

Assistant headteacher Victoria Emms said: “I think it’s really important for us as a community to know where we came from – we certainly know where we’re going as a school!

“The turnout to this event shows the amazing support we have from our local community, and it’s just fabulous that we can all come together and look back at our heritage with such pride.”

Sam Lee, the school’s history lead, added: “It really has been heartwarming to see how proud the children have become as they’ve learned about their town’s past and unique role in world history.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Hopetown and the Tees Valley Museums for supporting us, to all the families who have got involved, and to the children for approaching this project with such passion and fascination.”

NEARLY 200 young Teesside athletes from five different primary schools made new friends while taking part in different sports.

Around 180 children from five Prince Regent Street Trust schools came together at Middlesbrough Sports Village to run, jump, throw, and compete in friendly contests.

The School Games Event, now in its third year, encourages socialisation between the schools by placing children from different schools in mixed teams.

Julia Armstrong, chief executive of the Trust, said: “When we launched this event, we decided we wanted to encourage our children to mix together well, socialise, and make new friends, instead of pitting schools against each other.

“To this end, we divided them up into different teams, all named after local landmarks like Team River Tees, Team Transporter Bridge, and Team Roseberry Topping competing to win the Trust Cup.

“I’m incredibly proud of how all the children approached the event with a sense of ambition, fair play, and respect.”

Events included hurdles, javelin throw – using a safe foam dart – flat races, relay races, and more.

Not only did children receive medals for winning events, but outstanding pupils were also presented with awards for displaying the core values the Trust works to foster – qualities like determination, respect, honesty, and passion.

The event was led by Hartburn Primary School’s PE lead, Mark Whitecross, with support from PE leads across all five Trust schools.

It was also supported by young sports leaders from nearby Macmillan Academy.

He said: “It’s fantastic to see so many young people enjoying competing, trying new things, and making friends.

“I’m very grateful to the Trust for all their support, and to the PE leads from every school for making this event happen.”

The afternoon concluded with a school sports day favourite: a ‘cracking’ classic egg and spoon race.

Staff and governors at Oxbridge Lane Primary School, in Stockton, marked officially joining Prince Regent Street Trust with celebration cupcakes, following months of working in partnership.

Headteacher Lauren Amerigo said: “We’re overjoyed to formally become the sixth member of the Prince Regent Street Trust, and to start an exciting new chapter for our school community.

“We’ve already seen the benefits of working with the Trust, and I’m confident that this partnership will continue to improve both the experiences and outcomes for our children.”

The school is undergoing a £7.5m refurbishment, and recently made national headlines when builders uncovered a well-preserved wartime bomb shelter beneath the playground.

The refurbishment is expected to finish in summer 2026 and will update the school’s existing facilities while also adding new learning spaces.

Julia Armstrong, chief executive of Prince Regent Street Trust, added: “From the moment we first visited Oxbridge Lane Primary, we could see it was a welcoming, inclusive, and ambitious school that we’d be proud to count as part of our Trust.

“I’m delighted that the school’s leadership team have chosen to join us, and I look forward to an exciting and fruitful relationship that will maximise the opportunities for the children in this community.”

Harry Smith, chair of the school’s trustees, said: “When we decided that Oxbridge Lane’s future would be best assured as part of an education trust, we very carefully considered many trusts before deciding which to join.

“Prince Regent Street Trust stood out thanks to their openness, willingness to share and work together, expertise, and local focus. They seemed like a very good fit for our own school values.

“We’re proud of our school’s unique identity, and becoming part of a local trust that understands and respects that has been incredibly reassuring.”

Hundreds of education professionals attending the annual conference of Prince Regent Street Trust have been told: “We are creating a very special legacy.”

The Trust’s third annual conference was staged at Hardwick Hall Hotel, near Sedgefield, with the theme: “Enhancing Education Through Collaboration.”

The event began with a welcome speech by the Trust’s CEO, Julia Armstrong, who told the 300-strong audience: “I feel so proud of what we have achieved together, and my aim is to make it better and better.”

“There are always things we can do better, and I want you to tell me what they are, so we can continue to move forward,” she added in her opening remarks.

Julia said the future of the Trust would focus on improvement, listening to the views of staff, arranging stakeholder focus groups, and creating a culture in which everyone understands the organisation’s values.

The conference heard that the latest employee survey showed 97 per cent of staff feel the Trust invests in professional development.

“There is high turnover elsewhere but not with us – everyone seems happy in their schools, and our aim is to be an employer of choice,” added Julia.

She pledged that health and wellbeing of pupils and staff would continue to be high on the agenda, with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) another “huge priority”.

Julia finished by telling the audience “Thank you for everything you do” before handing over to the Director of School Improvement, Keith Morrison, who reminded delegates of the Trust’s core principles: Excellence, Opportunity, and Partnerships.

“Aiming for education excellence is key to our success and, ultimately, that’s what our children deserve. We are creating a very special legacy here – a culture where everyone thrives,” said Keith.

“We want you all to feel part of something bigger. We want every one of you to not just feel that you belong in your schools, but that you belong in Prince Regent Street Trust.”

Autonomy and independence, while sharing values and beliefs, is key to the Trust’s partnership model, added Keith: “We have a shared goal – to give pupils what they deserve every day.

“The Trust has so many opportunities and there is fantastic collaboration going on, but we have to make sure the collaboration is purposeful and impactful. Everything we do must have a positive impact on our pupils.”

Keith finished by highlighting some of the positive aspects of the Trust’s “fantastic” schools: Hartburn Primary School; Village Primary School, at Thornaby; Wolviston Primary School; and Barley Fields Primary School, at Ingleby Barwick. He also welcomed Oxbridge Lane Primary School, at Stockton, which is scheduled to join the Trust next month.

Keynote speakers were Senior HM Inspector, John Lucas, explaining the more collaborative approach to Ofsted inspections, specialist education presenter ‘The Real David Cameron’, and motivational speaker, Paul McGee, known as SUMO Guy.

Workshops were held across a variety of disciplines, including artificial intelligence, human resources, systems, and SEND.

Ofsted changes will make inspections better – pledge to Trust conference

OFSTED changes will put collaboration at the heart of future inspections, the Prince Regent Street Trust annual conference was told.

Senior HM Inspector John Lucas was a keynote speaker at Hardwick Hall Hotel and praised the Trust for “being steadfast in doing what’s best for its children”.

“Thank you for what you are doing for children in this fantastic region – children need caring, talented, dedicated professionals like yourselves,” he told the audience.

John outlined the major changes taking place following Ofsted’s biggest ever consultation exercise – ‘The Big Listen’ – which attracted 22,000 responses.

“We want to regain the trust of the dedicated professionals we work with,” he said.

The consultation has led to the immediate scrapping of single-word overarching school judgements, with a new report card system being introduced, along with an end to ‘ungraded’ inspections and deep-dive methodology.

John added: “We want to improve how it feels to be inspected, while encouraging and supporting education providers to raise standards.

“We want inspections to be collaborative and transparent, and for children to achieve the best outcomes they can. We want schools to be those safe places where children can thrive and flourish.

“The biggest changes are yet to come. We want inspections to feel and look different and at the heart of that will be collaboration.”

John said best practice would be shared and there would be a more tailored approach to place greater emphasis on the context of individual schools. There would also be a sharper focus on SEND children and those who are disadvantaged and vulnerable.

John ended his presentation with an appeal to delegates to make their views heard and help shape the new report cards.

“We will consider all of the responses as they come through,” he promised.

Children from a North East education trust figured out a way to combine work and play in a special maths challenge competition.

Nearly 100 Year 4 pupils from the six schools that make up the Prince Regent Street Trust gathered at Barley Fields Primary School, in Ingleby Barwick, for a celebration of maths and learning.

Splitting into teams named for local Teesside landmarks – such as Team Captain Cook Monument, Team Roseberry Topping, and Team Transporter Bridge – children from different schools worked together to solve maths-based challenges all over the school grounds.

Emma Hills, maths lead for Hartburn Primary School, led the day. She said: “This is the first time we’ve run this challenge across the whole trust, and it’s been a fantastic experience.

“The children have really enjoyed the day. It’s something different, it gets them outdoors and active, and most importantly, it helps them develop their maths skills in a fun and engaging way.

“We’ve been especially impressed with their resilience – they make mistakes, but because it’s presented as a game, they just dust themselves off and try again!”

The children tackled a variety of activities designed to make learning maths interactive and exciting. These included a giant 100-square human ‘snakes and ladders’ game, interactive ‘smart wall’ video games, 3D modelling, orienteering around the school grounds, and a numeracy puzzle relay race requiring them to leap from spot to spot.

At the end of the morning, the team with the highest score was awarded the Prince Regent Street Trust Annual Maths Challenge Cup.

Alice Tattersall from Kader Academy, who was part of the winning River Tees team, said: “Maths is one of my favourite lessons, but my favourite part of the day was winning the trophy!

“I’ve loved today because I got to see friends from other schools, and I really enjoyed the maths games.”

Emma added: “I want to say a big thank you to Barley Fields for hosting us. The school has been the perfect setting to launch this annual event, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!”

Education inspectors have praised the “impressive community spirit” at a Teesside primary school that has again been rated as ‘Outstanding’.

The latest Ofsted inspection at Wolviston Primary School has led to ‘Outstanding’ ratings in Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Early Years Provision, with ‘Good’ ratings in Quality of Education, and Leadership and Management.

Inspectors particularly praised the role played by the pupil-led ‘Wolviston Wolf Pack’— a group of children who design games and play with younger classmates to encourage friendships and teamwork.

The report – the first since the school joined the Prince Regent Street Trust – noted: “This helps pupils of all ages to mix confidently. It also contributes to the impressive community spirit throughout the school.

“Pupils love receiving rewards certificates from the head boy and girl. They are proud to collect ‘wolf tokens’ or take home ‘Wolfie’, the school mascot.”

Susan Hawes, headteacher, said: “I am delighted with the report. It is a testament to the dedication and commitment of the Wolviston Primary School community, recognising that the school is very much at the ‘heart of their village’.

“It is a privilege to work alongside our small staff team, who strive tirelessly to ensure the children in our care receive a unique educational experience.

“While the report gives us much to be proud of, we remain focused on our school improvement journey and on continuing to strengthen the educational experiences that our children deserve.”

The report spotlighted improvements the school has made to its curriculum, saying: “Experienced staff with strong subject knowledge bring the curriculum to life. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They enjoy connecting learning to local history. This includes studying the impact of the Second World War on nearby towns.”

Beyond academic subjects, inspectors also recognised Wolviston Primary’s strong emphasis on personal development and wellbeing: “Pupils enjoy exceptional pastoral care blended with high academic standards. Pupils achieve well. This is evident in published outcomes.

“Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the school’s work. The school teaches pupils to look after their own mental health and that of others.”

Julia Armstrong, CEO of the Prince Regent Street Trust, said: “I am so proud of the staff and leaders, and this is another wonderful success story for our Trust. Everyone at Wolviston Primary School should be so proud of all they have achieved!”

Keith Morrison, the trust’s Director of School Improvement, said: “I am always struck by the warm, nurturing atmosphere that leaders and staff have created at Wolviston Primary, as well as the staff and leaders’ drive for continuous improvement, and the laughter and happiness that are integral parts of the school’s ethos.”

Kay Steven, Chair of Trustees, added: “I would like to thank the wonderful staff, children and parents, for their ongoing support of Wolviston Primary School.

“The leaders and staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure pupils at the school receive the best possible start to their educational and life journey, and it is fantastic that their achievements have been recognised.”

At Prince Regent Street Trust we strive to provide unique experiences and opportunities for our children and to create special memories. As part of our programme of trust-wide events, and following on from our success last year, pupils from our five Prince Regent Street Trust schools, and from our partner school, Oxbridge Lane Primary School, came together for our annual Christmas songwriting event.

This wonderful event, held at The Globe Theatre in Stockton, allowed many of our talented writers, singers, musicians and performers to showcase their talents and to work in partnership to produce and perform an original Christmas song.

Supported by staff from our schools, including our passionate and talented music leads, as well as a range of professional musicians, our pupils enjoyed a wonderfully unique experience, which culminated in an emotional performance of their original song, ‘Christmas in Our Hearts’.

A wonderful day was enjoyed by both pupils and staff, and we cannot wait for next year’s event! You can watch our video below:   

With our children at the heart of Prince Regent Street Trust’s vision, the 12^th July 2024 provided our pupils with an ‘opportunity’ (one of the trust’s core values) to take participate in our ‘Prince Regent Street Trust Games’ at Middlesbrough Sports Village. The Prince Regent Street Games is an annual feature of the trust’s calendar.

Eight teams were made up of a mix of year 5 and 6 pupils from the trust’s five schools (Barley Fields Primary, Hartburn Primary, Kader Academy, Village Primary and Wolviston Primary), as well as pupils from our partner schools. Each team, named after iconic local landmarks, competed for the Prince Regent Street Trust Games Cup.

At our event, Team GB Olympian, Richard Kilty was on hand to offer encouragement and was happy to pose for photographs with children and staff. Born in Stockton on Tees, Kilty or the ‘Teesside Tornado’ is a British track and field sprinter who has competed in range of events and achieved major success on the European, world and Olympic stages. It was an honour to have Richard at our event to inspire our pupils and staff to continue to strive for ‘excellence’ (another of our trust’s core values).

Pupils’ efforts and achievements were celebrated across the day and all were rewarded with a medal. Headteachers and members of the trust’s central team, awarded trophies to pupils who, throughout the day, demonstrated the core School Games Values of passion, self-belief, respect, honesty, determination and teamwork, as well as the trust’s values.

The event, organised by members of the trust’s PE working party, received positive feedback from staff and from the many parents and carers who attended. Our pupils had a wonderful day, enjoying a range of events, making new friends and cheering on their teammates. We are already looking forward to next year …

Kader Academy, based in Acklam in Middlesbrough, had voted to join in December 2023 and has now merged into Prince Regent Street Trust, a successful primary-only multi-academy trust (MAT) located in Stockton.

Following a lengthy programme of due diligence, which started with Kader working in partnership with the Trust in 21/22 following the pandemic. The 469-pupil school becomes the fifth member of Prince Regent Street Trust alongside Hartburn Primary School, Village Primary School, Wolviston Primary School and Barley Fields Primary School.

Headteacher Alison Mitchinson said the school began formally exploring merger options following publication of the government’s Schools White Paper which promoted the intention for all schools to be part of a MAT, originally by 2030. However, the Academy had also previously explored joining a Trust prior to the pandemic, knowing that there were benefits to working and collaborating within a group.

The school’s interest in joining a MAT had been “a long and very considered one”, Alison explained, which included understanding what joining a trust could mean for the school; evaluating the benefits of joining several locally-established MATs; and working alongside Prince Regent Street Trust as a partner school.

“At the heart of our school improvement strategy is a long-held commitment to working in partnership with other strong schools – sharing practice, challenging one another and working in collaboration – and we are clear that joining Prince Regent Street Trust is the right thing for our children, staff and wider community,” she said.

“We explored a number of different models, but wanted to be part of a MAT that was primary-based, and as a successful school already one that would give us a high level of autonomy. Prince Regent Street Trust will challenge us, and us working with other high-performing schools will hopefully allow us to give something back to them. The trust’s comprehensive and personalised support around non-teaching elements, including finance, estates and compliance, will allow us to concentrate fully on teaching and learning.

“For the children there will not be much change. In fact, their education will only continue to improve as a consequence of joining, and the carefully selected partner schools share this value and vision for their own schools and their pupils. The day-to-day running and management of the school will remain the same – practically our logo and uniform will be unchanged – but we will be given additional support to improve without having decisions taken away from us. In particular, we will benefit from cross-Trust curriculum meetings, peer networks and working parties, and a wealth of training and CPD opportunities.”

Paul Leadbitter, Chair of Kader Academy Trust, will join the Prince Regent Street Trust board of directors as part of the merger, added: “We researched the models of collaboration available to our school in response to significant changes in the educational landscape. After thorough research which considered many different models of collaboration, we concluded that it was in the best interests of pupils, parents and other stakeholders to join Prince Regent Street Trust.

“Over the past 12 months we have developed a deep association with Prince Regent Street Trust, giving us the chance to get to know their Chief Executive, Central team and Headteachers, who have been honest and open from the beginning. Governors have attended Prince Regent Street Trust’s Trustees meeting, which have been really valuable. We have got to know the trust throughout this period, carried out huge amounts of due diligence in the process, and are really excited about the future”.

“I am also excited by my new role with the Trust and that I will continue to have an association with Kader. I am looking forward to sharing my expertise across the five Trust Schools and assisting the executive team with future growth”.

Julia Armstrong, CEO of Prince Regent Street Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kader Academy into our family. Kader is a school very close to my heart as all three of my children attended the school and I was a member of staff, including being the Deputy Headteacher, for twelve years. We are continually striving for excellence and, in all cases we are seeking impact on our pupils through achievement, equality of opportunity by offering enriching life experiences, and in supporting their preparation for future life.

“Kader staff will benefit from a bespoke package of support including development opportunities for the senior leadership team, governors, teaching and non-teaching staff, which will impact positively on many areas of the school, as well as finance and operations.”

For Alison, who joined the school in 2005, she is now looking forward to a new dawn in retirement as the Academy looks to appoint her successor. “My time here over the last 19 years have been a delight, we pride ourselves on the cheerful atmosphere in our school, the sense of family and community, and our children are extremely happy and very well mannered.

“I am fortunate to lead a very talented staff team here and by joining Prince Regent Street Trust they will have the opportunities to broaden their horizons through different settings in the other high-performing schools, both leading and sharing their experiences. This is a wonderful opportunity for Kader Academy.”