With over 1.6 million pupils in England now registered as having special educational needs (SEN)[1], the much-needed additional spaces made available via Discovery Special Academy will support pupils’ educational, therapeutic and medical needs in the Teesside area.

Currently, students are placed in temporary accommodation on the site of one of Discovery’s sister academies, and this new provision designed and delivered by Portakabin will allow all students, carers and teaching staff of Discovery Special Academy primary and new additional secondary school to be located on one site.

Comprising eight dedicated SEND teaching classrooms and shared teaching spaces, the new academy building will also feature a music and drama room, art classrooms and food tech rooms, as well as a hall and an area for sensory integration therapy.

Jennifer Duncan, Executive Head Teacher, Discovery Special Academy and SEND comments: “When we started this project with Portakabin, we were entering into a new world of construction and learning about MMC. We needed a company who could design and deliver a bespoke, high-quality building to serve the academic and therapeutic needs of our growing academy community in a tight timescale.

“And I am delighted that we found Portakabin.

“The level of care, quality and professionalism throughout has ensured that together, we are on track to deliver this complex project on time. It is a privilege to have been part of such a dedicated team who listened, and who understood the needs of the clients. Students will thrive in this new environment and staff will be able to continue to deliver excellence of provision for years to come.

“It will also continue to benefit the wider community, breaking down barriers and supporting the vision for a truly inclusive Tees Valley. We are incredibly excited about taking ownership of the building in a few weeks and I know the students will love every aspect of this innovative and collaborative design.”

Thanks to the entire school building being manufactured using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), the custom designed modules were precision built by Portakabin at its manufacturing facility in York and successfully transported in convoy and installed in Middlesbrough in June.

Over a five-day period, 30 modules were craned seamlessly into place, much to the delight of the current primary school students, who watched avidly from their classroom windows each day!

Jamie Blogg, Contract Sales Manager at Portakabin comments: “It’s essential to us at Portakabin that we create a school that is not only attractive, but more importantly provides a flexible and safe environment that is welcoming not only to its pupils and staff, but also to parents, carers and the wider Teesside community.

“It’s brilliant that the team here at Portakabin can be part of the Academy’s growth journey and we can’t wait to welcome the students and teachers to their new learning space later this year.”

Discovery Special Academy will also have new car parking provisions for visitors and staff, alongside multiple mini-bus bays and a dedicated ambulance bay. The single-storey modular building will be surrounded by an external courtyard and landscaped playing field and will link to the current primary school with a covered walkway.

Highcliffe School has partnered with HISP Multi Academy Trust to receive access to its extensive school improvement network and to receive funding to improve some of its buildings.

HISP MAT currently works with schools across wider Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Southampton and Portsmouth areas.

The partnership has brought in funding for staff training and development, as well as new facilities and opportunities for students – for example from the Solent Maths Hub and the Science Learning Partnership.

Headteacher Patrick Earnshaw said he is excited to be working with HISP MAT and can’t wait to welcome the positive impact it will have on the students, teachers and overall quality of Highcliffe School.

Acting CEO of HISP MAT Amanda Parry said: “Our partnership with Highcliffe School will uphold their outstanding standards of teaching and will provide students, teachers and staff with even more opportunities to succeed.

“It is fantastic to see the students and teachers making use of our wider support and resources such as the Solent Maths Hub.

“I am really excited about the future we are shaping for Highcliffe School.”

Patrick Earnshaw added: “Working with HISP will consistently ensure we are providing our pupils and staff with the resources they need to flourish. HISP is helping us lay the foundations for success.”

HISP MAT also works with Tanners Brook Primary, Portswood Primary and Thornden School, however it has five further schools set to join the trust in the near future.

To find out more about HISP MAT, visit its website: https://www.hispmat.org

Blue Sky, which is based at The Lodge at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, part of the Romero Catholic Academy, welcomed more than 20 education professionals to one of its first in-person sessions as part of a bid to help teachers in the region maximise their potential.

The session saw a mixture of teachers, teaching assistants and leaders hear about the new opportunities and take part in a seminar focussed on improving pupil engagement and progress in Maths lessons.

Will Allen, Director of Blue Sky, has collaborated with strategic and professional partners to harness talent across primary, secondary and special schools in the region ahead of the launch.

The programme aims to ensure the best possible teaching standards for the benefit of children and young people in the city by providing school-to-school support in target areas.

He said: “This is an exciting new chapter for Blue Sky as we expand our training and development opportunities to teachers across Coventry, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, and ultimately have a real impact on the learning experience of children across the region.

“The level of expertise we have across the Romero Catholic Academy is tremendous, and while we continue to make this accessible to our own staff members, our expansion means that we will also offer these opportunities to other schools as part of a bespoke support package, whether that’s for certain subjects, leadership skills, or for SEND learning.

“Our new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme will be one of our flagship provisions following our expansion, but we will also look to extend invites to events, seminars and workshops throughout the school year, while having the capability to visit schools to deliver training in house.

“We’d love to hear from other schools and fellow education professionals about their personal development plans, and look forward to rolling out our new and improved provision in the next academic year.”

Blue Sky is delivering CPD to schools across the city throughout the academic year, including courses on Catholic Leadership, Senior Leadership Development, Subject Leadership, Teacher Development and a wide range of additional training and workshops.

For more information visit blueskytsa.org.

The proposals for the first primary school at the development of the former barracks at Waterbeach have been announced by Cambridgeshire County Council. The new school will be called Deneia Primary Academy, to reflect the history of the area, and will be a part of Anglian Learning, a multi academy trust based in East Anglia covering Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk.
The school will be built as part of Urban&Civic’s Waterbeach development and, subject to successful final planning permission, will offer education for children from age four through to eleven. Deneia Primary Academy will open from September 2024.

Anglian Learning has been working with Urban&Civic, Van Heyningen & Haward Architects, Cambridgeshire County Council and the constructors of the school, RG Carter, throughout the design stages. The new 630 place, 3 form entry academy will have extensive grounds and will be an environmentally friendly building. The school will be built as a nearly net zero energy building and whole life carbon emissions are minimised within the proposals. These designs will produce a building and grounds that are resilient in the face of climate change.

Provision for each year group at the school will be created using linked classrooms and shared breakout spaces to facilitate flexible and creative approaches to learning. The academy has additional facilities to provide bespoke provision for children with special educational needs.

The school has also been carefully designed into the wider development by providing nearby woodland play areas and a car free zone, so the children can walk, cycle and scoot safely to school. It will also have a shared public square in front of the school for parents to meet and the community to come together.

Jonathan Culpin, CEO of Anglian Learning (pictured), said: “We are delighted to be the sponsors for this new primary school. As a Trust our vision is for dynamic, empowered learners who will thrive and lead within their community. Deneia Primary Academy will be built with an outstanding setting and learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, and this will enthuse the children in their learning and deliver on our ambition.”

Rachael Johnston, Executive Headteacher for Deneia Primary Academy, said: “I am thrilled to be leading the establishment of this new school for Anglian Learning. The eco-credentials of the school build with sustainable and reusable materials, will significantly influence our curriculum. For example, the extensive grounds, including mature woodland, pond and wildlife area will provide the opportunity for outdoor learning through our Forest School whilst the orchard, with heritage fruit trees, will provide pupils with the experience of growing their own food and will be incorporated in lessons on cookery and nutrition.

“As an Anglian Learning school, there will be a strong focus on the arts, due to the formal Memorandum of Understanding that the Trust has with Arts Council England and our commitment to embed arts and culture within all of our academies.”

Caroline Foster, Project Director at Urban&Civic (pictured), said: “This is a significant milestone for the development, and we are really pleased to be working with an Academy Trust that shares our vision for the community. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the County Council and Anglian Learning on the delivery of Waterbeach’s first primary school in an inspirational woodland setting.”

Deneia Primary Academy will be the sixteenth school to join Anglian Learning. Formed in 2016, the Trust spans education from early years through to Year 13 with nine primary schools, six secondary schools including two sixth forms.

The new school will have a Local Governing Body, comprising members of Anglian Learning, the local community and parents. It will be at the heart of the community at Waterbeach New Town, a thriving, diverse community in a sustainable and well-connected location in Cambridgeshire. The development will be delivered in phases with each phase containing the facilities, amenities and services the new community needs – from homes and schools through to green space, play areas, sports facilities, shops, eateries and community spaces, all connected by an extensive network of footpaths and cycleways.

To find out more about Deneia Primary Academy and to register an interest in places at the school, please contact enquiries@anglianlearning.org.

The latest key addition is Warren Porter (pictured), who joins the company as MAT Product Specialist. Warren was previously Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Nottinghamshire-based Esteem Multi-Academy Trust. A qualified accountant, he has also worked as a Management Accountant at the Transform Trust and Finance Consultant at SAAF Education, a leading provider of business support services in education. Warren will utilise his vast MAT experience to help shape the IMP roadmap whilst also providing support to the product and sales teams within IMP.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to join IMP Software and am looking forward to supporting the next phase of its growth,” Warren said. “As a former MAT Finance Director, and a qualified accountant, this is the perfect role for me as I have always had a keen interest in systems and software. Having previously been an IMP customer I have never used another piece of software that has delivered so much value to the sector. It transformed finance within my trust overnight. The support and implementation team was the best support from a provider, software and non-software, I have experienced as a customer. I am proud to be part of a company that has had such a significant impact across the sector.”

Warren’s arrival is the 16th appointment made by IMP Software in the last year, with other roles spanning development, implementation, support, marketing and sales, and he explained the IMP ethos that also attracted him to the role. “Having got to know them as a customer, they understand MATs completely, but every cog in the machine works extremely well, every function supports the business extremely well, all at a high level of competency,” he said. “I wanted to be able to work with an elite group of people in this space. They value their staff – and that gives you every opportunity to succeed. I want to be a person who is critical to IMP and making significant impact in various areas of the business, and whose ideas help to define the product and bring new products to market.”

Will Jordan, Co-Founder of IMP Software, added: “We are delighted to welcome Warren, and all our new arrivals, in what has been a hugely successful year for the company. We position ourselves as the experts in MAT finance and our customers look to us to provide guidance on key sector issues, so we need credible and expert people to ensure that we are able to provide the best possible advice, whilst also ensuring that our solutions keep offering significant value as the sector goalposts change. The political direction of travel, following the recently-published Schools White Paper, is for MATs to grow in size and IMP is the only system that naturally supports MAT finance teams with this challenge. In anticipation of consistent future growth, as a business we are always recruiting so the door is always open for proactive approaches from individuals who have relevant expertise, are passionate, and have a deep commitment to customer service. We are very aware that our ability to both attract and retain the very best people will be tightly linked to our continued success.”

Let’s Go Zero is the national campaign uniting teachers, pupils, parents and their schools as they all work together to be zero carbon by 2030. Every school that signs up is pledging to work towards a more sustainable future while calling for much-needed government support to help all schools reach their zero carbon goals.

Targets across schools were set to encourage a creative approach towards helping the environment, these targets were set way before the energy price hikes and increases in the cost of living communities have experienced in the last 12 months.

There have been some great examples across the Trust of the types of work being done within schools and the community including meat-free Mondays, litter picking, foodbanks, “Energy Saving Champions”, gardening clubs and recycling.

Helen Rowland, Chief Executive Officer at Focus-Trust, said: “The Lets Go Zero campaign has been amazing in supporting the continuation of our sustainability efforts Trust wide.

“By taking lots of small steps towards being more environmentally friendly, our schools are responding to our children’s demand that we protect our planet and lead the way in our communities.

“We are incredibly proud of all the work children are doing across the schools, all whilst learning about sustainability on the way.”

Focus-Trust is a charitable primary schools trust which is based in the North West of England and West Yorkshire with a vision of providing ‘great schools at the heart of our communities’ where children thrive, achieve and succeed.

The national student voice initiative was created to bring students from across the Trust’s 43 academies together to encourage them to use their voices to drive change and make a difference.

This year marked the introduction of the first fully-fledged democratic elections, which gave the students the opportunity to take part in a 10-step election that included nominations, full in-person campaigning, ballot elections and an exciting results day.

The students campaigned on a range of issues that mattered the most to them and used their voices to effectively communicate their points and inspire others. Their campaigns have centred on issues such as mental health, championing diversity, and bolstering the voices of those who are disadvantaged.

The elections were split into OAT’s four regions, with academies electing up to 4 students, dependant on the size of their academy to represent their voices regionally. Now the regional student teams have been elected, they will nominate and elect 20 members to form the National Student Voice who will represent and act on behalf of OAT’s 33,000 students.

Each regional student leadership team selects three issues to focus region-wide projects and initiatives on. Last year, the student leadership team for the West highlighted LQBTQ+ campaigns as a salient issue and as a part of this commitment organised a pride campaign to celebrate diversity.

A crucial part of the Trust’s national student voice councils is their contributions to the #WeWill campaign, a national social action project. Through the campaign, the student councils have supported the creation of various projects that centre on health, recycling, the arts, eco-sustainability, and all share the same goal of making a difference in the communities in which the academies serve.

The student voice teams were also instrumental in organising the Trust’s Ukrainian humanitarian appeal which utilised the collective power and support of the community of academies. With the student network already in place, the national student voice team were able to quickly and effectively organise a Trust wide appeal that enabled them to raise over £15,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee.

The final round of elections will take place over the next few weeks, where the incumbent regional student voice ambassadors will have the opportunity to put together pitches for their campaign to be part of the national council.

Holly Weaver, Former Chair of National Student Voice at Ormiston Academies Trust, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my experience as Chair of National Student Voice, working closely with other passionate students to enact change and draw attention to the issues we really care about.

“It was good to see how our opinions were valued and were influential in deciding the #WeWill projects. It is important that these projects are shaped by pupils’ ideas as it will ensure they have the most impact on our community.”

Debbie Kinsella, Lead Practitioner for Enrichment at Ormiston Academies Trust, said: “This year’s student voice elections have been truly fantastic. Hearing the passion, thoughts and ideas of our students has been inspiring and I look forward to seeing the amazing work that they do in their time as ambassadors.

“We created our regional and national student voice as a way to bring our students together and to motivate them by showcasing how they can affect change and make a difference. It has been wonderful to see our students be so dedicated and enthusiastic about making the most of their positions.”

This pilot, involving primary schools from the Nottingham hub, will strengthen the Trust’s existing relationship with its local broad-based alliance, Nottingham Citizens.

COVID-19 has underlined the necessity for schools to be responsive to the needs and injustices of their communities, and schools across the country continue to grapple with the task. This strategic action by L.E.A.D. demonstrates the value of an intentional, sustainable and powerful civic purpose at the heart of the Trust.

Six primary schools initially and senior Trust staff will receive support and training to develop a ‘community of practice and action’ to equip them to: bring about systemic changes to their communities; connect effectively with other civic institutions; and address the many issues young people and their families face beyond the ‘school gates’. Over the two years, the Community Organising curriculum will enhance the wider life and learning of each academy in the Trust and locality.

Dr Sebastien Chapleau, Headteacher in Residence and Lead Organiser with Citizens UK, said: “At a time when many in the educational sector are trying to work out how best to respond to the needs of families beyond the school gates, and when many Multi-Academy Trusts are trying to define what it means to be a Civic Trust, we’re excited to work closely with the L.E.A.D. community of schools to develop key systems and practices to build power and take action with thousands of young people and their families.”

Meeta Dave, Headteacher, Radford Academy and Nottingham Citizens Leadership Group member, said: “A number of L.E.A.D. schools are already significant members of our alliance, and this partnership will strengthen the voice of the school communities in their locality and beyond. We are looking forward to learning from this new relationship, creating change for the common good and weaving Community Organising into the primary curriculum.”

For more information on the Trust, please go to www.leadacademytrust.co.uk. If you would like to know more about the work Citizens UK undertake, please visit https://www.citizensuk.org

LEO Academy Trust, which serves over 3,500 pupils across six primary schools in the borough, started the initiative to engage pupils with the many different forms of art and inspire them to have fun expressing themselves.

The Big Arts Week forms a key part of the Trust’s mission, which aims to prepare pupils with lifelong skills and help them develop their independence, confidence and character through creativity, performance and sport.

This year’s LEO Big Arts Week will focus on the theme of the environment. There will be a range of imagery, books, music and dance-based activities and workshops throughout the week to provide hands-on creative learning opportunities, whilst engaging pupils with sustainability and ways to look after the planet. This will include:

• ‘Junk’ percussion workshop with Donald O’Neill, teaching children how to build and play their own percussion instruments from recycled materials.
• Dance workshop with Lily Webb, where pupils will learn a fun dance routine to ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, delivered via a virtual session for children to access at home or in school.
• Arts and crafts session with local artist, Doug Shaw, where pupils will create their own piece of nature-themed artwork inspired by the local area, re-using everyday materials.
• Poetry activities and a competition with children’s poet and illustrator, Mikey O’Crikey

After what has been a particularly challenging 18 months for pupils coping with the upheaval and disruption of Covid-19, providing enriching opportunities for children to have fun and be creative this summer is especially important.

Each Big Arts Week activity is designed to inspire pupils and encourage them to try a new skill, supporting their social and emotional development as we transition out of lockdown.

Dominique Briggs, director of partnerships and extended schools at LEO Academy Trust, said: “We are thrilled to launch this year’s LEO Big Arts Week and give pupils a dedicated space to engage with arts and culture, something which many of us have missed out on during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Creative learning is a vital part of a child’s education, yet lockdowns and school closures have made it more challenging for children to take part in the creative activities they love such as attending music lessons, going to the theatre and dancing with friends.

“We are delighted to be running a range of exciting workshops this week delivered by expert local artists, which will help children develop their confidence, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills, but above all have fun with learning. It has been a joy to see the brilliant work that pupils have done so far and how much they are enjoying taking part in the music, arts and creative writing activities.”

For more information please visit: http://www.leoacademytrust.co.uk/659/events-calendar/event/42/leo-big-arts-week

Wellspring Academy Trust held its annual Festival of Learning virtually, showcasing the future of trust-wide interaction and shared learning. Whilst the shift was necessary due to Covid restrictions, the process has revealed how effective, engaging CPD can be delivered on a large, geographically diverse, trust-wide basis.

Natalie Hardman, chief administration officer, at Wellspring explains: “Our Festival of Learning is a highlight of our year, and a fantastic opportunity for our community of 25 schools to get together, be inspired and share their knowledge. There was no way we could let Covid stop that!

“Moving online proved hugely successful. We had 1,696 people all online together to watch the live stream of our keynote speaker and attendees booked 5,182 sessions in total. As well as colleagues from across the trust, we also welcomed colleagues from a further fifteen non-Wellspring schools.

“Sharing best practice across a trust that is spread across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and eight local authority areas can be a huge logistical challenge, but our virtual Festival of Learning has demonstrated quite convincingly how technology can overcome that challenge. One of the clear benefits of being part of a large trust is the vast amount of experience contained within it. By developing online opportunities for collaboration, we can really make the most of that.

“We are now exploring more options for online learning, including broadcasting of expert knowledge sessions for educational professionals across Wellspring and beyond. Professional generosity is an important part of our charitable purpose and we are committed to sharing our knowledge and expertise to benefit all. The opportunity for increased online sharing and CPD within MATs and the education sector as a whole is a really exciting prospect.”

Wellspring’s Festival of Learning was held on 12 February and attendees benefited from workshops on a huge variety of subjects ranging from behaviour management approaches to how to best use the Google Education platform. A keynote speech was delivered to all by Jaz Ampaw-Farr before attendees than joined their chosen four sessions throughout the course of the day.

Wellspring currently manages 25 schools, with that figure set to grow significantly over the next few years. It operates in mainstream primary and secondary, as well as having extensive experience in delivering special and alternative provision. Wellspring also manages a portfolio of complementary services, include mental health support services, community projects for young adults with special needs, and a host of training and consultancy services around behaviour management in schools.