SEND: What’s the latest situation around funding?

When it comes to working in special and hospital schools, and alternative provisions, no two days are the same.  Things are constantly developing and evolving (not always for the best), which is why Schools North East, through our partner NNoSS (National Network of Special Schools), always ensures the lines of communication are open wide with …

Gateshead whiz kids get set to take robots to World Finals in Texas!

A group of talented Gateshead pupils are preparing to battle bots across the pond after winning a national STEM competition. Wow! Just wow! Huge congratulations to everybody involved. This is the perfect opportunity to show the rest of the world what the North East of England is made of… The five pupils from Wardley Primary, …

Government boosts special needs places by 60,000 (finally!)

Hurray! Our voices have been heard! In a press release published on Tuesday 26 March, the government announced that it's investing a record amount of money (£850 million, to be exact) to create over 60,000 new school places for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This means more children and young people will …

Revealed: Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2024

Recruitment and retention within the education sector has long been an elephant in the (class)room. Over the past ten years, the overall number of teachers in state-funded schools has failed to maintain the same rate of progress as pupil numbers. The pupil to teacher ratio has increased from 17.1 in November 2010 to 18.0 in …

Community Foundation Funding: How Ryton Federation used theatre and drama to dramatically improve pupils’ writing skills

Schools North East partnered with the Community Foundation to make a staggering £100,000 of funding available for schools wishing to develop their cultural, sporting or careers provision for disadvantaged and looked-after children. Funding of up to £4,000 was available per bid for schools across Tyne and Wear.  This project meant so much to us all …

Rosa Street Primary Achieves Centre of Excellence

Let the good news roll on! This time it’s from Rosa Street Primary School, which is celebrating a very special achievement indeed… The school, which is based in Spennymoor, has achieved the IQM Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status. Congratulations to everybody involved in this impeccable achievement! We never tire of learning about …

Beyond the classroom: Game-changing event sparks girls’ interest in STEM

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects play a critical role in the successful development of society, which is why we’ll always need more qualified professionals in these fields. And of course, here diversity is considered crucial for innovation because the difference in backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences can yield stronger results. That being said, why …

Schools North East Patron’s Dinner 2024: A roundup of the evening

At Schools North East, we’re no strangers to arranging a yearly series of events to strengthen the North East education community. Just look at our annual events calendar as proof! These experiences typically take place in the form of conferences and webinars, however, there is one special night of the year where we do things …

Spring State of the Region Survey: Your snapshot of the current situation in NE schools

Can you believe we’re seven months into the 23/24 academic year already? We imagine it feels like only a few weeks ago you were psyching yourself up for a fresh start in a brand new school year, and now? Well, dare we say it, the summer holidays are on the horizon once more… But let’s …

Esh Winning teacher rubs shoulders with political powerhouses!

Huge congratulations to Kaye Burns, a teacher from County Durham, for beating hundreds of applicants in securing a truly unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Kaye took part in the ‘UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador’ programme and as a result, pupils at Esh Winning Primary School will massively benefit.  Debates, Q&A sessions, and in-depth discussions  This rare opportunity gave …