Schools North East secures 50k for Teesside Schools
Seven primary schools across Teesside will help disadvantaged pupils fulfill their true potential, thanks to Schools North East and the SHINE Foundation.
Following a successful bid to education charity SHINE (working in partnership with Schools North East), the schools within the Ad Astra Academy Trust have been granted £52,080 to improve the speech and language skills of three and four year olds over a two year period.
The schools are based in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees and Phillippa Kermotschuk, Deputy Lead for School Improvement with the trust, highlighted just how important the awarding of the grant could be for the children, stating that “We are seeing an increasing number of children entering our schools with below-average speech and language skills. We want to ensure that all of our children get off to the best possible start at school and this funding will help us to focus on the children who need additional support to bring their speech and language skills to the required level.”
The SHINE grant will involve a range of initiatives including the appointment of speech and language champions at each school and programmes for parents to help them support and encourage their children.
Schools North East Director Chris Zarraga praised the work of the schools involved, saying “The awarding of this grant is evidence of the wonderful work schools are doing across the North East and why they should be rewarded and encouraged to do more. With support from Schools North East, the SHINE Foundation has, to date, awarded £330,000 to be used in similar initiatives and has helped over 3,500 disadvantaged children in the region. At Schools North East, we are painfully aware that many children in the North East are behind their peers and we work to level that playing field. Through grants and initiatives such as these, we can see that those efforts are working.”
Dr Helen Rafferty, interim chief executive officer at SHINE, said: “SHINE is delighted to be working with the Ad Astra Academy Trust on this important and inspiring project. We know that the early years of a child’s educational journey are critically important in giving them the best possible chances in life, and that speech and communication is one of the most vital skills our children can develop.”
The timing of the grant is also important, with Key Stage One pupils being earmarked as a group that has regressed during multiple lockdowns, with Dr Rafferty also noting the benefits this grant will have for years to come: “We are looking forward to seeing many more children in the region find their voice and thrive throughout their school years.”
Leanne Todd, headteacher of Rosebrook Primary School, said: “It is so important that children get off to a good start with their speech and acquisition of language as it enables them to succeed in all areas of the curriculum as well as to socialise and interact with others.
Ms Todd also had one eye on how the grant will assist the trust amidst the government’s current catch-up scheme, saying that “The initiative will help our schools to identify issues at an early stage in a child’s development, meaning we can intervene sooner to enable all children to keep up or catch up.”
The seven primary schools within Ad Astra Academy Trust to benefit from the grant Barnard Grove, Brougham, West Park and West View in Hartlepool, County Durham, Ayresome in Middlesbrough, Teesside and Crooksbarn and Rosebrook in Stockton, Stockton-on-Tees.