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.”

As our Trust grows we have been able to create more collaborative opportunities for our pupils, we started with the summer sports event and we are closing the calendar year with an amazing, original Christmas song! A group of key stage 2 pupils from our trust schools and from Kader Academy attended a song writing workshop at in Middlesbrough. Our pupils spent much of the day working with our amazing music team and a selection of talented musicians to compose a Christmas song. They spent the morning completing a writing workshop to come up with the lyrics and then the afternoon completing the performance. The experience highlighted, and allowed our pupils to demonstrate, their talents for composing, singing and playing a variety of instruments.

On the 28^th June, all Year 5 and 6 pupils from Prince Regent Street Trust’s schools participated in a trust-wide sporting event at Middlesbrough Sports Village; the Prince Regent Street Trust Games. With children at the heart of the trust’s vision, the event provided pupils with the ‘opportunity’ (one of the trust’s core values) to take part in a range of sporting events across the day, earning points for achievement and effort. Pupils from Ingleby Manor Free School did a wonderful job of overseeing and scoring the events.

Eight teams, each made up of a mix of pupils from the trust’s four schools (Barley Fields Primary, Hartburn Primary, Village Primary and Wolviston Primary) and named after local landmarks, competed for the Prince Regent Street Trust Games Cup. As well as striving for ‘excellence’ (another of the trust’s core values), pupils formed new friendships; supported, encouraged and worked in partnership with their teammates; and most importantly, had fun!

All pupils were rewarded with a medal, with headteachers and members of the trust’s central team awarding trophies to pupils who, throughout the day, demonstrated the core School Games Values of passion, self-belief, respect, honesty, determination and teamwork.

One recipient commented, “I felt proud to get the headteacher award and the medal and trophy are now in my bedroom.”

The day culminated with the presentation of the Prince Regent Street Games Cup to team ‘Stockton Flyer’ who topped the scoreboard after the eight events. Pupils from the four schools were keen to share their positive experiences of the day:

“It was the best day I’ve ever had because I made new friends with children from other schools that I had never met before and they encouraged me to do my best!” (pupil from Wolviston Primary)

“I made some new mates and we worked hard to come up with a celebratory dance if we won and we did! It was so much fun!” (pupil from Village Primary)

“We have never been to the Sports Village and done anything like this before and we enjoyed it so much- we can’t wait to go again next year!” (pupil from Hartburn Primary)

“I felt nervous at first but by the end of the day I had made lots of new friends.” (pupil from Barley Fields Primary)

The event, organised by members of the Prince Regent Street Trust’s P.E. Working Party, was a great success, with positive feedback received from staff and from the many parents and carers who attended.

Trust Sports Leaders commented that, “It was lovely to see the children mixing and making new friendships rather than competing against another school.  There was a great atmosphere between all the children!”.

Nicola Nixon, P.E. Lead at Village Primary stated, “The whole day was a huge success. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces and hearing all of the cheering made the hard work worthwhile. Every School Games Value was on display and fun was had by all.”

Due to its success, the Prince Regent Street Games will become an annual feature of the trust’s calendar.

Julia Armstrong, CEO, said, “We all thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was great to see all of our children together and competing in mixed teams. There was a buzz of excitement and we will definitely arrange more of these types of events in the future linking to a range of curriculum areas.”

Village continues to be a good school and is rated within the top 200 schools in the country for the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check.

Congratulations to Village Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees on achieving a rating of ‘good’ following their most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023. The school, which is part of the Prince Regent Street Trust, was highly praised by the inspector. Particular attention was paid to the quality of education the school provides, with the inspection report highlighting that ‘leaders have designed an interesting and exciting curriculum’, and that ‘children make a fast start to learning in the early years’. The effectiveness of the school’s reading curriculum and phonics programme were celebrated: ‘leaders have a clear focus on reading to help pupils access all areas of the curriculum’, ‘children in the two-year old provision love sharing a book and listening to stories every day’ and ‘books match their phonic knowledge, so pupils quickly become confident, fluent readers’.

The inspection report includes many references to how effectively the school supports pupils’ personal development, for example, ‘pupils engage in tasks positively without letting any fear of making a mistake get in the way’. The school has a clear vision for all of its pupils which underpins many aspects of school life. This was recognised during the inspection with the report stating that, ‘pupils are motivated to ‘explore, dream and discover’ (the school’s motto). Staff and leaders at Village Primary School are passionate about preparing pupils for later life and to contribute positively to society; the inspection report expresses that, ‘leaders develop positive attitudes in pupils to  help them to be successful in their next steps in life.’

The headteacher of Village Primary School, Robert Birtwhistle said, “I am absolutely delighted with this report. The most pleasing aspect is that the inspection represents years of hard work, dedication and a commitment to improving teaching practice. Our focus on evidence-based pedagogy has really paid off and has been recognised as a key strength in school. The staff here are our greatest resource because they nurture the whole child, valuing the moral, spiritual, educational, sporting, musical and cultural talents equally. Another extremely pleasing aspect of the Ofsted process is that the parental surveys highlighted that ‘100% of parents would recommend this school to family members or friends’. This shows the support and community environment that exists at Village Primary School. The Ofsted inspector also recognised the key work that had been carried out with regards to workload and wellbeing. This approach has refined work life balance and ensured staff morale is high, which was praised highly in the report and further highlighted through staff questionnaires and staff voice. The inspection praised our whole-school curriculum for its tailored and bespoke arrangements for our children and our community. This has had a great impact with regards to children knowing more, their attainment and progress, and most importantly, their happiness.”

The school’s Chair of Governors, Lisa Davies, stated,” As Chair of Governors and as a parent, I could not be prouder and happier with the recent Ofsted experience. The inspector got to see a true reflection of what we see at Village on a daily basis; how amazing the school and staff are, and how they embrace and encourage our children to be the best they can. We were delighted to share our experiences with the Ofsted inspector, about how the school provides an engaging curriculum, has the wellbeing of the children at its heart and how the children feel happy and safe at school. Speaking on behalf of the Board of Governors, as we go forward, we will continue to work diligently to maintain and improve the excellent standards of our school. We would like to thank the wonderful staff, children and parents, for their ongoing support in making Village Primary School a great place for our children to learn.”

The inspector recognised that the school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and how leaders and staff promote positive attitudes to, and an appreciation for, learning: ‘pupils behave well and demonstrate good manners’ and ‘pupils enjoy being in school and love learning’.

Jaime Irvine said, “As the Vice-chair of Prince Regent Street Trust and the previous Chair of Governors for Village, I am immensely proud of this latest Ofsted report. As a Governor for the last 15+ years I can see that the school just keeps getting better and better. It was a hard decision to join a trust, however the support the trust has given the school, coupled with the autonomy and freedom to develop its own curriculum that meets the needs of the school’s particular cohort, has meant that the school has retained its own identity. This latest Ofsted encapsulates exactly what Village Primary stands for: a safe place, where children are loved and cared for while they are offered a rich and varied curriculum which has built a real love of learning. As well as a great Ofsted outcome, the school has recently received a letter from the Schools Minister congratulating the school on becoming one of the top 200 schools in the country for the multiplication tables check. This really highlights how the fantastic leaders and staff in school, supported by the governors and the trust, have instilled exceptionally high aspirations for their children. Well done Village Primary and Prince Regent Street Trust.”

It is highlighted in the report that arrangements for safeguarding are effective, and how ‘leaders make certain staff are well trained to spot any safeguarding concern’ and that ‘leaders take swift, appropriate action to help pupils and families’.

Leaders at all levels work tirelessly to ensure pupils at the school receive the best possible start to their educational and life journey. The report highly praises leaders’ efforts and achievements, stating that, ‘trustees receive good quality information from the local governing board’, that ‘school leaders are kept on their toes while being supported’, and that ‘leaders treat staff with trust and respect’.

Julia Armstrong, CEO of the Prince Regent Street Trust said, “This is our second successful Ofsted inspection this term and I am totally thrilled with the outcome. I’m so proud of all the staff, parents and other stakeholders of the school and all that they do to support our children; a very well-deserved outcome for an exceptional team! The trust schools are going from strength to strength, and Village Primary’s recent recognition from Nick Gibb for their exceptional multiplication tables check results that put them in the top 200 schools in the country, is a true reflection of that. Well done Village Primary: you are making such a difference to the lives of so many children!”

Village Primary School actively promotes Prince Regent Street Trust’s core values of excellence, opportunity and partnership, with the role, and positive impact of the trust recognised during the inspection process. The report states that, ‘the trust provides good support leaders and teachers’ and ‘trust-wide network meetings allow teachers and subject leaders to share ideas with colleagues’. This confirms that Prince Regent Street Trust appreciates, values and invests in its staff, and provides an appropriate balance of robust challenge and targeted, timely support.

Keith Morrison, the trust’s Director of School Improvement reinforced that, “Village Primary is a unique and highly effective school. Leaders recognise that pupils at the school need and deserve the best start in life and this is achieved through the tireless commitment and professionalism shown by all staff. Leaders have implemented an exciting and inspiring curriculum that has been specifically designed for, and is adapted to meet the needs of, all pupils. School leaders have high expectations and aspirations for all pupils; as a result, they achieve highly and are prepared for the next stages of their educational

journey. Having had the privilege to visit the school on many occasions, I am always struck by the warm, nurturing atmosphere that leaders and staff have created. There is a line in the inspection report which states that ‘teachers talk of being in a ‘school you want to be at’ and for me, this speaks volumes. All members of the Village community should be so proud of their achievements and of their pupils; the children at Village Primary are a credit to the school and to their community!’

The school’s recent Ofsted inspection and the subsequent report recognised many of the unique qualities of Village Primary School. The statements: ‘pupils aspire to be ‘the best they can be’, ‘relationships are warm and caring’, ‘staff celebrate pupils’ achievements’, and ‘pupils aspire to be voted to a position of responsibility’ encapsulate the school, its vision, its culture and its success, which is so richly deserved.

In addition, the school recently received a letter from The Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP and Minister for Schools, celebrating Village Primary School’s achievements in the 2022 multiplication tables check: “Your average pupil score of 24.4 out of 25 makes Village Primary School one of the top 200 performing schools in England …’. He goes on to say that, “The excellent achievement of your pupils is something the Government hopes to see replicated in schools across the country. Knowing times tables is vital for school and day-to-day life. Recalling multiplication and division facts up to 12×12 is important for progression in maths. That is why we recently introduced these checks, as a helpful tool for teachers to identify those pupils who need extra support. I would like both to congratulate your staff and pupils for their hard work and success and to thank you for your leadership in continuing to promote the important subject of mathematics.”

Mathematics Leader, Jordan Mansell said, “We are very proud of our children because they have worked incredibly hard at home and in school on their multiplication skills.”

The school’s Chair of Governors, Lisa Davies, stated, “Not only did the school achieve an amazing Ofsted report, but Mr Birtwistle received an email from Nick Gibb (Minister of State for Schools) congratulating the school for being in  the top 200 performing schools across England for the multiplication tables check. As a parent I know how much pride and effort is put into teaching our children their times tables and understand how important this is in developing their maths skills.”

Headteacher Robert Birtwhistle said, “This really is wonderful news. I am such a proud headteacher and it is an honour to lead this fantastic school community. I am proud of the children’s hard work, resilience and independent learning. Their self-motivation and desire to succeed is a key part of this success. I am also equally proud of the staff here. They mentor the children on a daily basis to be the best they can be. This does not involve stress, pressure or studying. Instead, staff facilitate learning, model problem solving and provide fascinating lessons that inspire young people. Equally, the support from the Thornaby community is fantastic. All of our parents and carers value learning, especially maths, as a much-needed skill in modern Britain.”

Director of School Improvement, Keith Morrison commented that, “This really is a remarkable achievement and is testament to the dedication of all staff and pupils at Village. The school’s mathematics lead has a strong vision for the subject, has high expectations of pupils and staff and has worked tirelessly to ensure the school’s mathematics curriculum is effective and that pupils achieve the highest of standards.”

Trust CEO, Julia Armstrong said, “Huge congratulations to Village Primary School! To be one of the top 200 schools in the country is just an amazing achievement! I could not be prouder of our staff and leaders. Another brilliant success story for our Trust!”

Barley Fields Primary School converts to an academy and joins Prince Regent Street Trust

Barley Fields Primary School, based in Ingleby Barwick in Stockton-on-Tees, has completed its conversion to academy status and joined Prince Regent Street Trust, a successful primary-only multi-academy trust (MAT) also located in Stockton.

Following a consultation with pupils, parents and carers, staff and other interested parties in November and December last year, and a programme of due diligence, the 702-pupil school becomes the fourth member of Prince Regent Street Trust alongside Hartburn Primary School, Village Primary School and Wolviston Primary School. 

Headteacher Caroline Taylor said the school began formally exploring academisation last April 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.

The school’s interest in joining a MAT had been “a long and very considered one”, Caroline 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 give something back to them too. 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 children there will not be much change. In fact, their education will only continue to improve as a consequence of joining, and 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.”

Glynis Pattison, Chair of Governors at Barley Fields Primary School, 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 apply to convert to become an academy.

“Over the past 12 months we have been working as a partner school with Prince Regent Street Trust, giving us the chance to get to know their Chief Executive and Headteachers, who have been honest and open from the beginning. Governors have attended Prince Regent Street Trust’s Trustees meeting, which has 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.”

Julia Armstrong, CEO of Prince Regent Street Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome Barley Fields Primary School into our family. Having worked with the school extensively to identify mutual compatibility, especially in terms of shared ethos, and the benefits of them joining our trust we believe that together we can create solid foundations for the future.

“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.

“Barley Fields 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 Caroline, who joined the school when it opened in 2006 with just 38 children before becoming Headteacher 10 years later, she is now looking forward to a new dawn for Barley Fields Primary. “Our journey over the last 16 years have been a delight,” she revealed. “We pride ourselves on the atmosphere in our school, the sense of family and community, and our children are extremely good and very well mannered.

“Academic standards and outcomes are very high, and children enjoy a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum, underpinned by our approach to ‘growth mindset’ which recognises that setbacks are a necessary part of the learning process and allows people to ‘bounce back’ by increasing motivational effort. Above all, we value our spirit of openness and friendliness.

“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, all in other high-performing schools, both leading and sharing their experiences. This is a wonderful opportunity for Barley Fields Primary School.”

Congratulations to Hartburn Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees on achieving a rating of ‘good’ following their most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023. The school, which is part of the Prince Regent Street Trust, was highly praised for the quality of education it provides and for its curriculum offer which is underpinned by the three core principles of resilience, high expectations and local and global responsibilities.

The headteacher of Hartburn Primary School, Claire Park said, “I am so incredibly proud to lead such a passionate, exceptionally talented and nurturing staff team. We are absolutely thrilled with our Ofsted inspection outcome; our school continues to be a good school. The report recognises many of the unique characteristics of our exciting provision, including the very rich, wider curriculum offer which includes an array of residential visits; leadership and teamwork opportunities and community partnership work. We are incredibly proud of our family-centred school ethos and of our pupils who are incredible ambassadors. They are excellent role models who encompass the ‘Hartburn Hopes’; character virtues we all aspire to. Our regular newsletters and social media posts are testament to the memorable learning activities the children experience on a daily basis. The inspectors verbal feedback moved us to tears and the parent view responses reflected the school’s mission to support our families, as well as the children. Hartburn Primary School is a very happy place to be.”

The report outlined significant strengths relating to the core subjects, stating that ‘adults teach phonics effectively, and this helps pupils to learn to read well’ and that ‘leaders have high ambitions for pupils in mathematics’.

The school’s Chair of Governors, Claire Berry, said, “As a governing body, we took immense pride when we discussed our school with the Ofsted inspector. We provided examples of exceptional practice that the school demonstrates on a daily basis, which enables our children to have the best possible outcomes, within a safe and caring environment. The report gives us many reasons to be proud of our children and staff, but this does not mean that we will become complacent: we will remain forward facing on our journey of continuous improvement. The local governing body would like to thank all of our children, their families, staff and the wider school community for helping make Hartburn Primary School an incredible place for children to start their educational journey.”

Within the report there are many references to how effectively the school supports pupils’ personal development, for example, through the promotion of ‘Hartburn Hopes’: a set of core values which encourage pupils to ‘make the right choices and do the right thing’. Pupils at Hartburn Primary School are encouraged to be ‘agents for change’ and are supported to be ‘active citizens’ who positively contribute to life in school and to their local community. Through those references it is clear that the school strives to instil core values in pupils which prepares them for the next stage of their education and for their future. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes were celebrated with specific references to how pupils ‘behave well’, and ‘respond quickly to instructions from adults to maximise the time spent learning’.

Leadership at all levels was highly praised, with the report stating how ‘governors put the interests of pupils at Hartburn at the core of all their decision making’ and how leaders ‘are mindful of staff workload and well- being’. This recognises the positive culture and ethos that has been created at Hartburn and how the well-being of pupils and staff is high on the agenda. Kay Steven, the Chair of Trustees for Prince Regent Street Trust, explained, “As Chair of Prince Regent Street Trust, and previous Chair of Governors at Hartburn Primary School, I am extremely proud of the dedicated school and trust staff, leaders, governors and trustees who have all contributed to the success that has been captured in this first Ofsted inspection report that we have received since the trust was established in 2018. All stakeholders can be confident that the children in our schools have, and will always remain, at the heart of everything we do.” It is highlighted in the report that arrangements for safeguarding are effective, and how ‘leaders promote a culture of vigilance to ensure that pupils are safe’.

Julia Armstrong, CEO of the Prince Regent Street Trust said, “As the CEO of the trust, I am truly delighted with the outcome of the inspection and very proud of all of the staff and children for their ongoing hard work and commitment. We have very strong leaders, teachers, teaching assistants and non-teaching staff across our schools who clearly ensure that our children get the very best education that they deserve. We have a well-established and proven track record with our school improvement strategy across the trust which is taking us from strength to strength. We work in partnership with a large number of schools across Teesside and together, we continue to strive for excellence for all of our children.”

Hartburn Primary School actively promotes Prince Regent Street Trust’s core values of excellence, opportunity and partnership, with the role, and positive impact of the trust recognised during the inspection process. Staff reported that ‘senior leaders and the trust create a working environment that is
supportive’. The trust’s relentless focus on school improvement and its investment in staff were celebrated in the report, with specific reference made to how ‘staff appreciate working together with other trust colleagues to share good practice’.

Keith Morrison, the trust’s Director of School Improvement reinforced that, “The school is at the heart of the community, with leaders and staff working tirelessly to ensure every pupil in their care receives a unique educational experience, and where a culture of excellence permeates many aspects of school life. I have had the privilege to observe first-hand the quality of education provided by the school and it is obvious that the rich, broad and inspiring curriculum that has been specifically created, provides pupils with a strong foundation for the next stage of their learning and for later life. Leaders and staff at Hartburn Primary School are passionate, ambitious and outward facing. They work in partnership with our trust and partner schools in their continued drive for educational excellence.”

The school’s recent Ofsted inspection and the subsequent report have recognised Hartburn Primary School’s achievements; all members of the Hartburn community should be incredibly proud of their success which is richly deserved!

Parents salute Village Twos Nursery as it marks end of first term and prepares to welcome more children

A new nursery provision for two-year-olds at Village Primary School in Thornaby is celebrating the end of its first term after opening in September.

Village Twos Nursery was set up by the school, part of Prince Regent Street Trust, to support children in the local community and a “seamless transition” for children into Village Primary School.

With 24 spaces available across morning and afternoon sessions, the provision has already proved “extremely popular” with families in the area according to Gillian Ball, EYFS Leader at Village Primary School and Village Twos Nursery.

“Village Twos presents a fantastic opportunity for babies and toddlers born during the pandemic who are in need of a coordinated and caring start to their education,” she said. “We offer high-quality provision, developed by highly skilled staff. For parents who are attracted to Village Primary School, they can now also send their children to a nursery on site, so they remain in one place.”

“Our curriculum and experiences are tailored to the interests of two years old and the needs of our community. Everything we do is built with an understanding of what children of this age want and need as well as being engaging, exciting and real. We have termly topics, ‘Me and My Family’, ‘Special People and Animals’, and ‘Growing and Minibeasts’, but we start with the basic, prime development areas and ensure children receive a full varied experience that prepares them for full time school. A big advantage is the school knows where the children need to progress to.”

“The facility we have is absolutely wonderful, and we have invested in some gorgeous resources to support early years’ excellence. We look forward to welcoming more children in January, and spaces are available every half-term.”

Lyndsey Mason, whose son has attended Village Twos since it opened, described it as a “fantastic nursery with friendly staff and good values”.

She explained: “My son absolutely loves Village Twos and he is upset if he cannot come or if it is the weekend as he adores seeing the teachers and the other children. He loves playing, bringing his pictures and creations home, and he talks about his new friends and snack time. He has come on so much with sharing and his speech: before he was only saying one word band, and now he is saying two or three at a time. All my children have done well at Village Primary School and it is the best option in the area. We wanted him to get used to the school before he starts full-time and it is working brilliantly.”

Lyndsey’s partner Scott Sinclair added: “Village Twos is really family-orientated and that is what we like. The staff are approachable and cannot do enough for you. We would both recommend the nursery to other local families.”

Another parent, Laura Roberts, commented: “My son loves it, he asks to go to nursery as soon as he gets up, and literally runs to school. His speech has come on loads. He was hardly talking before, and now he is interacting well with other children outside of school. I would definitely recommend the nursery to others because the earlier they are in, the better for their development. It brings them on and gives them the experiences they need. It both prepares them for nursery and sets them up for school.”

Robert Birtwhistle, Headteacher at Village Primary School, said that he was delighted by the response to Village Twos Nursery. “Early years’ foundations for learning are so important and what we have created is an opportunity to impact the lives of children in our community much earlier,” he revealed “It is unique to our area – responsive to need, part of the community and led by very dedicated staff who have come from that community – and is also aligned to our overall approach as a school to be public-facing.” 

Robert went on to thank Prince Regent Street Trust for its support, which included overseeing the design and build of the facility: “We would not have achieved this without the Trust. It has enabled a really important community project, giving the children the very best start. The Trust team has taken a lot of pressure off us as a school and allowed us to concentrate on the education and development offer at the nursery.”

Free places are available for eligible two-year-olds in receipt of a ‘Golden Ticket’, whilst paid places are £5.48 per hour. For more information, or if you would like to visit Village Twos Nursery, please contact the school on 01642 676768.