Northern Education Trust’s, The Oak Tree Primary Academy in Stockton, has received a very positive monitoring inspection. Ofsted recognised the significant improvements made following the appointment of a new principal and assistant principal as well as the reorganisation of the governing body to form an academy council, which supports all three of the trust primary schools in Stockton.

The main findings cited were the leaders’ ‘ambitious vision for the school’, their ‘passion for creating a culture of excellence’, the fact that ‘leaders work as a team, taking collective responsibility for improving pupils’ outcomes and life chances’ and that ‘leaders have created a positive learning environment which is inspiring and motivating to pupils.’

Ofsted also mentioned the benefit to both staff and pupils of the effective support by trust leaders ensuring that joint monitoring and coaching is in place for staff with less experience and to provide professional development programmes so that best practice can be shared and adopted across trust academies. Ofsted said that the now well established ‘trust-wide systems and approaches’ are responsible for the rapid improvements being made.

Due to the hard work of pupils and staff, outcomes are also showing significant improvement, with an increase from 26% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined in 2016, to 76% in 2018, which was above the
national average.

Principal, Mrs Elizabeth Pollitt said:

“We are absolutely delighted with the findings. The whole school community truly deserves the fabulous acknowledgement for everything that the children achieve. Staff, children and parents work in partnership to ensure progress for the children both academically and personally. We wholeheartedly live and breathe the trust vision, ‘Outcomes Focused, Child Centred’.

Jane Wilson, deputy CEO, praised the staff and children: ‘Mrs Pollitt, her staff and the children are to be congratulated on this very positive report which we are absolutely overjoyed with. The impact of the implementation of the NORTHERN model of school improvement is evidenced in this dramatic improvement in performance’.