Our Academies

Sedgefield Community College has a long established reputation as being one of the leading schools not only in County Durham, but in the whole of the wider region. Judged to be ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in all possible respects, we have consistently been amongst the very highest performing schools across the North East and Cumbria. In recent years we have also been regularly recognised in The Sunday Times list of the Top 50 11-16 schools in the country.

When you visit Sedgefield Community College for the first time, you will see that the school is fortunate to enjoy recently constructed, contemporary buildings that house our students. As you walk through the school, you will appreciate the calm and purposeful atmosphere that has been established. Looking into classrooms, you will see evident enthusiasm from students as their excitement for learning is cultivated and allowed to grow.

Sedgefield Community College has an innovative and highly effective approach to Teaching and Learning and the professional development of teachers. Ultimately, our approach is designed to enable teachers to develop a range of practical skills to improve their classroom practice and to become reflective practitioners.

It has been recognised that teachers who are trained in this way make exceptional progress in the early years of their career and consequently have the capacity to rapidly become excellent teachers.

Many of the teachers who train with us are able to move into leadership positions within their first few years in the profession and then continue to develop in a wide variety of key roles within our school and beyond.

Where some teacher training providers may focus on supporting large groups of trainees in each school year, we want to focus on you as an individual. We want to make sure that anyone who does join our School Direct programme receives the bespoke, personalised package of training that they need to flourish. We know we can achieve this as we have a consistent track record of excellence and this only comes from the quality of our teaching and learning.

Find out more about Sedgefield Community College here.

They are an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ nursery and primary school situated in the heart of the historic town of Sedgefield, County Durham. They provide a stimulating and exciting educational experience for 3-11 year olds.

Sedgefield Hardwick is a learning community which evolves and changes. They believe that education is about expanding expectations and building on firm foundations. It is critical for success that every learner is well equipped with a balance of social, moral and academic skills.

“Sedgefield Hardwick Primary Academy is aspirational for all pupils. Pupils’ individual contributions to the school community are valued and celebrated. The curriculum is
ambitious. The school’s ethos, of ‘Instil, Inspire, Innovate’ is clear to see. This is reflected in pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and their positive attitudes towards school. Pupils achieve exceptionally well from their starting points.” - Ofsted, 2024

They have excellent staff who are committed to providing unique, stimulating and interesting learning opportunities which motivate our learners to apply their skills. For them, the true measure of successful learning is how well they are able to use creativity in self-directed situations. At Sedgefield Hardwick, they all have a part to play in shaping the future and are all valued, respected and heard.

“Pupil’s behaviour is exemplary. In lessons, pupils are focused, respectful and eager to learn. The school’s approach to behaviour prioritises teaching pupils how to regulate their emotions.  The school’s commitment to developing pupils’ character is outstanding.” - Ofsted, 2024

At Academy 360, we want everyone to realise their potential to succeed. Our vision is to provide a learning experience for all students that is first class and enables individuals to succeed, realising their potential. It is our belief that everyone has an important part to play in raising standards, no matter what position they hold within the Academy. Our caring and happy environment enables staff and students to grow in self-confidence.

Find out more about Academy 360 here.

The Beacon of Light School is a place where education and opportunity light the way to a brighter future.

The Beacon of Light School is a unique 80 place Alternative Provision for young people aged 13-16 who are experiencing challenges in mainstream education. Their curriculum offer provides life changing opportunities to the students who attend, not only in terms of improved educational outcomes but also in the longer-term outcomes of training, work and economic wellbeing.

Students are at the very heart of the school community and staff are passionate about embedding strong foundations and values for their future achievement and success. 

We recognise every student is an individual and celebrate this through personalised, inspiring and authentic learning experiences designed to nurture talent, build character and shape futures.

Their experienced team of qualified staff tailor learning pathways and deliver a bespoke educational programme designed to meet the needs of each and every young person in their care.

Offering the highest quality academic and vocational routes, they encourage all students to pursue excellence and aim high, instilling confidence, a strong sense of self-belief and a positive mindset to achieve their goals. They align workplace qualities within a curriculum context so all students are “work-ready” with a set of future-proofed skills as their ‘employability passport’ – fully prepared for the next exciting stage of life’s learning journey.

South Hylton operate a unique South Hylton Passport, where enrichment, opportunity and talent development meet academic rigour. A rich set of coherently planned experiences, trips and after-school clubs enhance and supplement their bespoke curriculum offer. They call this the SHPA Passport to reflect the extent to which the SHPA curriculum goes above and beyond the statutory requirements. Academic progress, personal development and character building are a continual focus for all staff and are at the core of all that they do. 

Alongside their carefully planned curriculum offer, which ensures that all subjects meet the scope and ambition required of the National curriculum, they also have a bespoke Character Curriculum.  

This Character Curriculum ensures that subjects such as PSHE and RE are taught and revisited regularly and are part of a daily program, which also incorporates Oracy (through the Voice 21 program); Citizenship (through Rights Respecting) and a range of vital life skills (through the Skills Builder program) 

The safeguarding of children is extremely important to them and with the support of their caring and nurturing staff, their children feel safe, happy and know that they are listened to. They have high expectations of all pupils and this is evident through the positive rewards children receive through their Frogget rewards system and their adherence to the School’s golden rules.  

Children are very keen to talk about how much they enjoy play times. Since they became an Opal School (earning a Gold Award) the resources and activities available to the children are something that they are very keen to discuss and share! 

Oxclose Community Academy is a place where diversity is celebrated and every individual is valued. They foster a culture where all students are encouraged to actively engage and contribute to the vibrant community. At Oxclose, their curriculum is designed to be expansive, creative, and ambitious, ensuring that each student can reach their fullest potential and cultivate a genuine passion for learning.

They firmly believe in the transformative power of education. Every moment within their Academy is dedicated to growth and development. Learning extends beyond the confines of the classroom, with a rich array of extracurricular activities complementing their Academic curriculum.

Their dedicated and experienced staff are committed to supporting each student on their journey, regardless of the obstacles they may encounter. With high expectations and unwavering support, they guide their students towards becoming responsible, empowered individuals who are prepared to carve out their paths in society and fulfil their aspirations.

Oxclose Community Academy is a high achieving and inspiring learning environment where pupils feel safe and confident. They are challenged in every lesson to broaden and deepen their learning.

We are a thriving community school with aspirations to provide a world class learning experience.

Oxclose Primary Academy are proud of the school and the way that everyone works together to make it a happy place to work and learn.

'We believe that education should be an exciting journey and our aim is that every child leaves Oxclose Primary Academy with a love of learning that will remain with them throughout their lives.' 

Whatever the needs or interests children may have, they aim to ensure all children feel safe, have fun and enjoy success.  They are constantly striving to give the children the best possible education by aiming to provide high quality teaching and learning, care and support.  As a community, they are committed to establishing high aspirations and a love of learning, enabling all children to be caring, confident and independent learners. By providing a well-structured and integrated curriculum, and by promoting good behaviour through positive reinforcement, they aim to enthuse in all children a love of learning as well as mutual respect and care for the school family.

They are fortunate to have a resourced provision for pupils with physical and medical difficulties.  As such, they offer a full range of facilities and opportunities for children with physical and medical needs led by their very skilful staff. 

They take pride in their relationships with parents and carers. They believe education is most successful if there is a strong partnership between home and school and that children learn best when home and school work together for their benefit. They want everyone in their school community to feel a sense of pride and ownership in what they achieve together. A child’s talents and achievements are always celebrated by the whole school community and shared at every opportunity.

It is their aim that by working together we can give all children the strongest possible educational foundation upon which to build – as their motto states, ‘Forward Together, Together We Succeed’. 

Excelsior Academy is based on the schools within schools model - we have five schools, each with its own accommodation, Principal, leadership, teaching staff, inclusion teams, and of course learners. We remain the only 3-19 inclusive school in Newcastle.

Excelsior Academy serves the West End of Newcastle and our learners come from a rich, ethnically diverse community. We specialise in supporting EAL learners.

Our ambition is to ensure that our pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences which will help prepare them for their lives after school. We want our learners to be successful academically having both character and culture. Opportunities are rife; we work closely with our local community and business partners to develop exciting opportunities for our young entrepreneurs, artists, performers and sports people.

At Excelsior Academy we strive to meet the needs and aspirations of all our learners to enable each and every pupil to achieve and flourish, so we place ‘the child’ at the heart of all we do.

Find out more about Excelsior Academy here.

The team at Thomas Walling share “a determination to provide the best possible education to all pupils” (Ofsted 2021), and they are very proud that the dedication and ambition of their staff were recognised with a Good judgement in every area from Ofsted in May 2021. 

They provide a stimulating and exciting educational experience for 2–11 year-olds. They have high aspirations for all children while also ensuring that they are building on firm foundations. They are an inclusive school that goes the extra mile to ensure that every child is valued, inspired and safe, and they truly believe that the best learning should be fun.

They are very fortunate to be part of the Laidlaw Schools Trust: a strong family of schools committed to making a real difference to the lives of all our children and the communities they serve. This partnership offers us tremendous opportunities to share learning expertise and to enrich the curriculum through extra-curricular activities and clubs. 

They are also lucky to have a fabulous governing body who care deeply about the school; they both challenge and support them to go that extra mile. Together with the caring community, supportive parents and enthusiastic pupils, the Thomas Walling team make sure that our children receive the very best start in life.

Atkinson Road is an amazing and truly unique school in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne with children coming from over 40 different countries and speaking over 40 different languages.

They are lucky to have a fabulous and enormous Early Years site where the youngest Nursery children (2-years-old), up to their Reception classes, learn, work and play together. Together, they make our Academy an exciting place to be, right in the centre of the amazing Benwell community.

They pride themselves on how well they welcome new children into the family and how they care for each and every one of the children and staff in the school, holding wellbeing at the heart of all that they do. Their very special children, parents, carers and staff team work hard to maintain a “wonderfully supportive school”, where the children have a “strong sense of belonging”.

It is their aim to create a safe family atmosphere where everyone can all feel happy, valued, respected and listened to, so all children are in the best possible place to learn. They have created a truly outstanding school with excellent teaching and learning, inspired by their relevant and creative curriculum. This bespoke curriculum is specifically designed to be language rich, to develop vocabulary and to develop a love of and mastery of reading and writing. They aim to challenge the children so they leave us as confident, successful and ambitious young people, excited for their next stage of learning. They celebrate individuality and enable teamwork so that children enjoy school and are happy. Together they ensure that children receive the very best start in life, achieving all that they can.

Westgate Hill is a vibrant, inclusive, family-orientated school with a strong community ethos. Their entire team has worked incredibly hard to achieve their Outstanding Ofsted judgement in October 2021. They are so proud to be a caring community of learners with a fantastic staff team, dedicated governors, supportive parents and happy, engaged children.

They have high aspirations for children, and are very fortunate to be part of the Laidlaw Schools Trust. This partnership offers them tremendous opportunities to enrich the curriculum and share learning expertise and opportunities within a strong family of schools. Laidlaw Schools Trust is committed to making a real difference to the lives of all children and the communities they serve.

They value their staff, and their well-being is paramount. Each member of the team is highly dedicated. They always go the extra mile to ensure that every child is valued, inspired, engaged, and safe. Their bespoke curriculum is language-rich, aimed at mastering the basics we need for life in reading, writing, and maths, and developing knowledge and curiosity about the world. They complement this with their varied and extensive offering of clubs and extra-curricular activities.