Nicholas Postgate

The headteacher of Teesside’s most in-demand primary school says it will take years for teachers to help pupils overcome the effects of lockdown and the coronavirus crisis.

Katie Haycock, currently head of Wolviston Primary School – which Teesside Live recently named the hardest primary school to secure a place at locally – says nobody yet knows what long-term damage has been done to children.

“The majority of Wolviston pupils wanted to get back to school to be with their friends and start learning again, but we’ve had to re-establish and relearn their routines,” said Mrs Haycock.

“We carried out a wellbeing survey and the only reason some children didn’t want to come back was worrying about their parents at home, especially if they had health conditions.

“But the long-term effects on children are still not known. It’s not just this year, it’s the knock-on consequences. If you didn’t get your GCSE or A levels it can impact your whole career and the rest of your life.”

Mrs Haycock, who will take up a new role as director of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust after Christmas, says vulnerable children and those with special needs have been especially badly hit by missing school during lockdown.

“This has been a difficult time for all of us and especially young people, but the effects are heightened for those children who already have anxiety and get upset by a change of routine or see the world differently,” she said.

“They haven’t had access to the specialist support schools are so good at providing and the one-to-one learning they’re used to. Even the wearing of masks can be problematic with regards to communication.

“Schools will be assessing all children and looking at how they can put in catch-up interventions, but for children with special needs, we need to come up with bespoke, creative strategies.

“We also need to help schools support parents and carers because having a child with special needs can be rewarding but it can also be tough and at times very lonely.

“Parents have just spent six months helping children with their education at home while doing their own work and worrying about financial pressures and the prospect of another lockdown. They might also be concerned about sending their children to school because children with complex needs sometimes have underlying health conditions.”

Mrs Haycock, who will join NPCAT after five years as head of Wolviston, says she will be building on the good practice she has already seen in place within the trust’s 27 schools.

“I’ll miss the children, but I started out teaching in NPCAT schools and it feels like a family,” she said.

“My role will be to further enhance the provision of specialist help for children and support school leaders, SENDCOs and staff across the trust, as well as being there for parents.”

The trust is creating specialist teams for counselling, educational psychology and speech therapy to support this work.

“A trust should be about collaboration and we’ll be looking at how we can pool resources between schools,” said Mrs Haycock.

“My long-term goal will be to have specialist hubs to share best practice and expertise. I’ll also be looking at funding streams to support what we need to do.

“Being the SENDCO at Wolviston has given me a deeper understanding of the difficulties pupils and their parents face and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing children make progress.

“It’s hard work and you have to celebrate small gains, but we also need to have high aspirations. With quality first teaching and targeted interventions, it’s possible to make a real difference.

“If we act early enough we can narrow the gap to enable all children to achieve their full potential, so we need to break down as many barriers as possible.”

Trinity Catholic College’s Year 6 Open Evening has its premiere on Tuesday October 6 from 6pm-8pm.

Parents planning to send their children to the school will get the chance to hear from the leadership team and see the excellent facilities on offer.

See the school website and social media on the day for links, including on online prospectus and an introduction to every department.

St Peter’s Catholic College’s Year 6 Open Evening has its premiere on Wednesday September 30 from 6pm-8pm.

Parents planning to send their children to the school will get the chance to hear from the leadership team and see the excellent facilities on offer.

See the school website and social media on the day for links, including on online prospectus and an introduction to every department.

An ambitious modernisation programme has been unveiled for one of Middlesbrough’s oldest schools as it prepares to celebrate its 80th birthday.

St Peter’s Catholic College in South Bank has a long and proud history, with illustrious alumni including folk singer Vin Garbutt, Formula One engineer Rob Smedley and professional footballers including Boro and England Golden Boy Wilf Mannion.

The extensive improvements at St Peter’s will build on that heritage with a state-of-the-art fitness suite and changing rooms, a new digital learning wing and Exhibition Centre along with a comprehensive facelift to the outside and interior of the famous building.

The school assembly hall will also be transformed with a new lighting and sound system and retractable auditorium seating to ensure parents and pupils have the perfect vantage point for school productions.

Other changes include new internal windows, flooring and signage and improvements to the reception area.

Announcing the plans, Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT) chief operating officer Jim Farquhar said: “We are determined to enhance the fabric of our extensive school estate for the benefit of pupils and staff.

“In addition to this announcement at St Peter’s, further announcements will be made in the coming months on significant infrastructural developments at both primary and secondary schools within our trust.”

Head of school Stephanie Garthwaite said the investment adds further to the positive momentum at the college. 

“With two years of improving GCSE results and a new leadership structure in place, our community is working collaboratively with the trust and this announcement is a clear acknowledgement of the positive impact of this.

“As the pupils have returned they’re already appreciating changes over the summer that have made our classrooms much brighter and more open and they’re excited about the plans for the fitness suite and changing rooms.”

Executive headteacher Michael Burns added: “Our pupils are so proud to attend a school with so much history and the new facilities will ensure St Peter’s continues to evolve while still retaining its distinctive character.

“This community has such a proud heritage of sporting achievement and we already have an excellent sports hall and multi-use games area (MUGA), but the changing rooms needed updating and we also wanted a new strength and conditioning facility that provides a focus on reinforcing the drive for healthy lifestyles.

“We held a series of meetings over the summer and the trust is ploughing this investment in because they can see a real need. 

“It will be fantastic for our pupils not to have to travel to other areas and we also hope local people will be able to use the new facilities, as well as our Combined Cadet Force and partner sports clubs, putting St Peter’s very much to the fore in supporting our community.”

Year 7 pupils Thomas and Harriet are thoroughly enjoying their first term at senior school after moving up from St Margaret Clitherow’s Catholic Primary School just across the road.

“I’m really enjoying it, I love all the lessons, especially Art and Catering,” said Thomas.

Harriet added: “It’s a really nice school and I love it here.”

The new fitness suite and changing facilities will be bespoke permanent buildings and the trust is hopeful that work will begin shortly and they will be ready for use this academic year. 

Plans are also advancing for St Peter’s year-long 80th-anniversary celebrations in 2021, with exhibitions and memory walks providing opportunities for former pupils to visit the college.

Covid rules permitting, an anniversary banquet in the Pamela Hanrahan Refectory, named after a former headteacher, will draw the celebrations to a conclusion.

St Peter’s has commissioned a videographer to prepare footage to be aired at a special virtual open evening for parents of Year 6 children from local primary schools on Wednesday September 30.

Four willing volunteers are in training to run a half marathon to raise funds to help support young people going to Lourdes – and they’d love you to sponsor them or even join in if you can!

NPCAT’s trust policy impact and assurance manager Catherine Kelly and her fiends Liz Jayasuriya, Chris Lovell and Father Phil Cunnah all hope to cover 13 miles, the distance of the Great North Run, which has been cancelled this year.

“Lourdes is a hugely formative experience for the young people who travel with their schools,” said Catherine, who came up with the idea and will run from Normanby to Saltburn with Liz.

“Volunteering to care for our supported pilgrims alongside doctors, nurses, handmaids, brancardiers and as musicians helps children form their aspirations for the future.”

Many of the pupils who will benefit from the funding attend those NPCAT schools that take groups of young pilgrims to Lourdes every year.

“Our youth actively participate in services and celebrations, reading in front of hundreds of pilgrims and building lasting friendships with one another spanning across the diocese from Hull to York and Middlesbrough,” said Catherine.

“We want to make sure all of our young people have the opportunity to participate. However, some of our schools are located in the most deprived areas of the country and many young people need extra financial support to attend.”

Primary school teacher Chris, who will be running from Norton to Yarm and back, was planning to take part in his fifth Great North Run this year.

He has been to Lourdes three times as a student and once as an adult and has a special reason to be devoted to the shrine – his parents Siobhan and Martin met there!

“The funds raised will help give children the opportunity for personal and spiritual growth and to travel and experience different customs,” said Chris.

“I’ve made friends for life through Lourdes and everyone you speak to about says the same. Even if you only see them once a year on pilgrimage, they’re still friends for life.

“Last year it was lovely to see how much some of the kids grew in confidence with the supported pilgrims. Put all that together and the reason to go is love and growth.”

Father Phil is going to run from his home at Bishop’s House in Linthorpe to St Mary’s Cathedral and back.

The event takes place on September 13, which is also Education Sunday, and Catherine would love it if others will also do something for our youth that day.

“It could be absolutely anything in your own home, outside, walking, cycling, running, knitting, whatever you want,” she said.

“We’d all do something individually but unite on social media by using the hashtag #runningforlourdesyouth and sharing what we’ve done.

“Once you’ve decided, share the Go Fund Me link with your story and then share a photo or document saying what you’ve done on the day, not forgetting to use the hashtag.

Follow @mymissionteam on Instagram and Twitter for live updates on the day.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS OF HOW YOU CAN SPONSOR THE RUNNERS

The 23 primary schools within the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust family recorded a “highly encouraging” figure of 96.1% of children returning for the first day of term.

School staff and members of the trust’s Attendance Team – which was strengthened by a further five key appointments in the summer – have been working with families to reassure them and address any concerns.

NPCAT’s head of attendance, safeguarding and welfare Jill Benson was delighted with the start to this most unusual school year, with more children attending than the national average for an ordinary school day (95.8%).

“It’s highly encouraging to see so many children back,” she said. “All our schools have detailed risk assessments in place to prevent the transmission of coronavirus and parents are telling us that’s given them the positive reassurance they need to bring their children back.

“Schools have done an excellent job in getting the message across, with the support of the Attendance Team. Where children have been reluctant to return or parents have contacted schools with concerns, we’ve been able to reassure them and talk through what the risk assessments entail.

“We appreciate the concerns and anxieties pupils and parents have, particularly with mental health being a big issue at this time. We’ve made lots of calls to anxious parents and I’d expect more children to return as the week goes on.”

Kendra Sill, headteacher of St Benedict’s in Redcar, which has 387 pupils, said everything had gone to plan.

“We have a very strong community here and I’d like to thank parents for their cooperation,” she said. “They followed the one-way system and respected each other’s social distance.

“St Benedict’s has a learning mentor who kept in contact with those children who needed extra support during lockdown and was there ready to meet and greet any children who might find it tricky.

“But there were no tears or problems and the parents I spoke to said it was perfect. We had prepared so thoroughly and sent out communications throughout the holidays so that parents knew exactly what was going on.

“The children were all in their classrooms learning by nine o’clock, just as we’d planned it.”

Lunch was served so efficiently that it finished earlier than usual after children had enjoyed the usual choice of hot and cold dishes.

“The kitchen staff were brilliant,” said Mrs Sill. “At the end of the school day we had a staggered finish time. There were lots of smiling faces and one little boy didn’t want to go home! It’s been lovely to see them all – they were ready to return.”

NPCAT is one of the country’s largest Catholic academy trusts, with 9,000 pupils in 27 primary and secondary schools and a sixth form college across Teesside and into North Yorkshire.

During the summer it recruited further safeguarding partners, additional attendance managers, a home-school liaison officer and an attendance support officer.

“We’re a forward-thinking trust and as well as recruiting to improve the quality of teaching and learning, we have increased our capacity to support pupils and parents and ensure children have access to their education by improving attendance,” said Mrs Benson.

“Before lockdown the trajectory of our attendance figures was moving in the right direction and we’re determined to continue improving.

“Having the Attendance Team in place means we can respond more quickly to support parents and pupils and also adds to our ability to give pastoral support, which is all part of our role.”

The trust’s four secondary schools began a staggered return on Wednesday.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has issued an open letter to parents ahead of this week’s reopening of schools.

Mr Williamson says that parents who choose not to send their children back to school “could well put a huge dent in their future life chances”.

Here is the letter in full:

There are always a few nerves before the first day back at the start of a new school year. This year, understandably, there may well be some parents who have particular worries about their children returning to the classroom.

So first and foremost, I would urge you to keep in mind that all four of our country’s chief medical officers, including Chris Whitty, are unanimous in believing the health risk posed by Covid-19 to children is extremely low.

An extensive study by the British Medical Journal this week said that the risk of severe illness due to Covid for children was ‘vanishingly small’ and the chance of them being admitted to hospital because of the virus was ‘tiny’.

In fact, it is generally accepted that there is a far greater risk to children’s health and wellbeing if they don’t go to school. The chief medical officers said in their joint statement:

‘Very few, if any, children or teenagers will come to long-term harm from COVID-19 due solely to attending school. This has to be set against a certainty of long-term harm to many children and young people from not attending school.’

But more than that, I want to reassure you that huge lengths have been taken to prepare all our schools for this moment.

Over the past few weeks, the Schools Minister Nick Gibb and I have been visiting schools and seeing for ourselves some of the fantastically innovative ways they will be looking after children.

And I’d like to reassure you how these safeguards will help minimise the risk of infection:

Primary children will stay in groups to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

In the event of local restrictions being put in place, older children and staff will wear face coverings in communal areas where they can’t easily social distance.

Strict hygiene and cleaning protocols are in place and PPE is being distributed to every school to bolster their supplies for use in the unlikely event that a pupil develops Covid symptoms. A small number of home test kits are also being distributed to all schools for anyone who develops symptoms and is not easily able to get tested.

Local authorities have been given an extra £40 million to increase school transport to reduce pressure on public transport. But it would be far better if any pupils who can do so, walked or cycled to school.

Based on this, our priority now is to get all our children back. It really is the best place for them to be. Nothing can match being in a classroom with a real teacher to inspire them and their friends to share their discoveries.

Your school will have undoubtedly talked you through all the measures they are taking to keep children and teaching staff as safe as possible.  The National Association of Head
Teachers has said that 97 per cent of schools plan to welcome all pupils full-time from the start of the autumn term and will be using all the recommended safety measures to do so.

For example, 96% of them have put in place extra cleaning regimes and 93% will be staggering lunch and breaktimes.

I know these past few months have been some of the most challenging that schools, parents and, most of all, children have faced. After all, we’ve been dealing with a previously unknown virus that caused a global pandemic. But I know you will want to join me in saying an enormous thank you to all our dedicated school staff for the incredible efforts they have made to keep children on track.

If a child is not in school, they stand to lose far more than just a few months of learning. It could well put a huge dent in their future life chances. Education is a birthright, so let’s make sure we get all children back – back to learning, back to playing and back to being kids again.

Once again, our lay lead chaplain Angela O’Brien has put together some resources to help families celebrate this weekend’s Mass together.

It includes activities and reflections.

16th Sunday of the Year Family Prayer Sheet

The Diocese of Middlesbrough has compiled a list of resources available to families who may be suffering hardship during the summer holidays.

The details have been put together by Middlesbrough Caritas, an umbrella grouping of people involved in social outreach within our diocesan family.

“These are challenging and unique times for us all, not least for our families and diocesan schools,” said Canon John Lumley, Episcopal Vicar for Missionary Discipleship.

“Given the threat of steadily increasing rates of unemployment and poverty in the country, especially perhaps as the government reduces the furlough scheme in the weeks ahead, it is likely that many families will experience loss of income and poverty – some of them for the very first time.

“With this in mind, we have prepared this list of organisations to which the parents of our school children might turn if they are in need. It is by no means exhaustive, but it is a start and may be of use to some families over the summer months. You may be able to share this information with families and friends, should they fall into difficulty.”

The link below contains details about help available within the NPCAT area.

Information for parents needing extra help this summer