Unity Day 2024
Unity Day 2024 was our biggest and best staff development day yet with more than 1,500 people joining us at Thomas Gainsborough School.
We welcomed some amazing keynote speakers, session leaders, exhibitors and wonderful staff from across our schools and Trust.
We would like to thank everyone who supported and attended the day.
You can relive Unity Day 2024 in this special video…
Staff and students at Felixstowe School are celebrating after achieving a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating – the first one in its history.
The school achieved a ‘Good’ rating in every category with students described as “happy, safe and cared for” following the inspection last month.
Headteacher Emma Wilson-Downes said: “As a school, we are delighted with the outcome of the inspection where the overall effectiveness of Felixstowe School was seen to be good.
“In all five areas, the school was judged to be good, including in our Sixth Form, which was particularly praised for its nurturing atmosphere and excellent support.
“Personal development was also highly praised, with students in receipt of a well-planned programme of study and careers education throughout the school.
“We are excited to continue our work to ensure that we continue to drive all areas further over the next months and years to come.”
Felixstowe School, which is run by Unity Schools Partnership, was previously graded as ‘requires improvement’ by the education watchdog in 2021.
The latest full inspection said pupils enjoy an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum, which means they are well placed for a range of future study or career options.
This includes in the sixth form, where students benefit from the strong subject knowledge of teachers, and teaching that focuses on individual needs.
Inspectors commented that sixth form students are consistently positive in their behaviour and attitude and are highly supportive of one another.
The curriculum also came in for praise for how it supports students with special educational needs.
Students themselves were also praised for their behaviour and their high expectations for both future achievements and making a positive contribution to society.
Tim Coulson, Chief Executive of Unity Schools Partnership, said: “Families in Felixstowe for too long did not have a secondary school graded ‘good’ in their town.
“We are proud to be associated with staff that now provide the education children should receive.”
The inspection report said the trust has provided highly effective support to the school, including adding capacity in terms of leadership which has helped to accelerate the pace of improvement.
The school was also recognised for the consideration it gives to staff wellbeing when making decisions and this has resulted in the school attracting and retaining great teachers.
We all know the importance of reading.
It can open up a world of new ideas, stories and opportunities. It can broaden horizons and education and increase development and communication and social skills.
Promoting a love for reading at a young age can help children become readers for life – something that should never be underestimated.
We might know all the benefits. But that doesn’t stop worrying statistics from the National Literacy Trust.
Did you know that only one in two children and young people said they enjoy reading or that one in 15 children and young people aged eight to 18 do not have a book of their own at home?
At Unity Schools Partnership, we place literacy among our top priorities as we know there is a clear correlation between promoting a love of reading at a young age and success as you go through education and then post-education employability skills.
Of course, it is easy to write this in a newspaper column.
But our schools are also constantly putting this into practice, as seen by a number of examples recently (photos above).
One senior staff member at Tollgate Primary School in Bury St Edmunds recently instigated a literacy fundraiser that encouraged pupils to become ‘book millionaires’.
They wanted pupils to read for 10,000,000 seconds over a month and also turned the event into a sponsored one to raise money for more school reading books.
Even better, they encouraged staff members, governors and families to take part in pursuit of the grand total – something that was impressively surpassed before the month was out.
It was a great way to engender a love of reading and also promote reading in both the classroom and at home.
In keeping with one of the key aspects of our trust – supporting each other – one primary school has seen such a surge in reading among pupils that they have imparted lessons learned to other schools within our Trust.
And just last week, County High School in Bury held a Book Mastermind and invited six feeder primary schools, in and out of the Trust, to compete in an event that I know impressed all.
I’m also reminded of one of our headteachers who spends his lunchtime reading with a few younger pupils who perhaps need that extra support.
It is about going the extra mile to ensure our young minds have a love of learning that helps them for the rest of their lives.
By Tim Coulson, Chief Executive, Unity Schools Partnership
A brand new Norfolk primary school has begun the search for its first ever headteacher.
Silfield Primary Academy, near Wymondham, is due to open in September 2025 and will have an expected capacity of 420 pupils once full.
Alongside recruiting a new headteacher, which is now being advertised, the building tender for the school has also gone out with work expected to start on site in late July.
It will be run by Unity Schools Partnership which currently has 35 primary, secondary and special schools and will increase this to include seven schools across Norfolk by the end of the year.
Tim Coulson, chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be opening a new primary school for the growing community of Silfield and we can’t wait to recruit a headteacher who shares this excitement.
“As with all our family of schools, we will provide a highly ambitious curriculum and use the experience and knowledge of opening five previous new schools to ensure Silfield Primary School is a school of choice.
“We look forward to working with other local schools and Norfolk County Council to ensure the area is a beacon for education.”
The new school will benefit from the highly respected and evidence-led CUSP Curriculum, designed by Unity and used by more than 450 schools across the country.
Unity Schools Partnership currently runs three Norfolk-based schools – Robert Kett Primary in Wymondham and Colman Infant and Colman Junior schools in Eaton – and is due to lead a new special school being built in Great Yarmouth.
Later this year, it will also add Heartsease Primary Academy, Lingwood Primary Academy, Valley Primary Academy and Henderson Green Primary Academy after the HEART Education Trust was granted permission to join the Unity Schools Partnership.
It is envisaged that the new headteacher would start in January with parent and community consultations also planned.
When asked what makes a great school, I always answer that we want it all for our children – high standards, great joy and every opportunity. A holistic approach is the secret.
Therefore, we strive to ensure so much good work goes on – in and outside the classroom. This is never more true than when we start exam season and, often at the same time, the sun shines bright on our corner of the world and staff and pupils are able to enjoy the great outdoors.
I write this just days before students prepare to begin their GCSE examinations. It is always an important time in any child’s education, but I know every effort has been made to ensure they are ready, both in terms of their learning and also their preparation.
It can be a stressful time, but talking to peers, family members and school staff can help, as well as planning breaks in between revision.
I wish everyone starting their GCSEs and A-level examinations all the very best and know that their hard work will be rewarded.
Alongside this, we want to give as many opportunities as possible to take learning outside – something that should never be underestimated.
Over the Easter holidays, Unity Schools Partnership were delighted to fund two new outdoor learning spaces for the youngest children at Steeple Bumpstead Primary School and West Row Primary Academy.
Both areas were in desperate need of work and the difference a new outdoor space has made to both schools is fantastic to see.
One staff member said: “Our new learning environment is engaging, enabling, stimulating and challenging. There are opportunities for turn-taking, risk-taking, communication and resilience and plenty of scope for investigation and enquiry.”
It is a fantastic explanation as to why these areas are so important for all pupils, and in this case, those in early years.
For anyone living and working in Suffolk, there was a rather big celebration across the county over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Whether you enjoy football or not, regardless of who you may support, we have all been Ipswich Town supporters over the last few days. The whole of Suffolk should enjoy being associated with a club that has defied the odds to win back-to-back promotions and now prepare for life in the Premier League of English football.
And even if you don’t like football, it is still a fantastic achievement which will give such a boost across all areas of Suffolk.
It was a triumph of teamwork, leadership, the whole being greater than the sum and for everyone pulling in the same direction.
It is a great lesson for us all and I would like to congratulate everyone involved in Ipswich Town.
The newly-appointed nursery manager of a brand new childcare facility in Haverhill has spoken of her excitement about the new role.
Unity Stars will open in June and will be headed by Karen Thompson, who has 17 years experience in early years provision.
While the building is on the grounds of Coupals Primary Academy, the nursery will be open to all families from Haverhill and surrounding areas.
Karen said: “We want to build something the whole town can be proud of.
“I have always been hugely passionate about childcare and the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of young children.
“I am excited about the challenge of starting a nursery from scratch and offering the best possible childcare.
“Haverhill remains a growing town and I think more childcare provision is great news for the whole community.”
Karen was formerly manager of Linton Granta Preschool, which achieved an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted grade and deputy manager of Castle Fields Preschool in Haverhill.
Having lived in the town for more than 20 years, Karen has also been a parent governor, a Haverhill Show committee member and a volunteer for Reach.
The nursery will be run by Unity Education, an arm of Unity Schools Partnership.
Unity Stars will offer provision for children aged 0-3 years, between 7.30am to 6pm, 51 weeks of the year.
Anyone who would like to know more about childcare places or working at Unity Stars should email info@unitystars.org.uk.
Construction has officially begun at Sybil Andrews Academy in Bury St Edmunds to create a new SEND unit for 18 pupils.
Representatives from the school, Suffolk County Council, Unity Schools Partnership, Concertus and Barnes Construction gathered on-site to celebrate the start of work of ‘The Abbey’ – which is part of the county council’s £55million investment into creating more than 1,000 new SEND placements across the county.
Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND at Suffolk County Council, said: “It is always an exciting milestone for any school when the first spade goes into the ground. This unit will make a significant difference to SEND families in the community and will be a great asset to the school. We set out in 2019 to provide more than a thousand new specialist placements for SEND pupils across the county, with around 741 new places already created and another 84 to be ready by September. This investment of £55million continues to make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Joe Pointon, head of school at Sybil Andrews Academy, added: “We are delighted that building work has started on The Abbey, which is a cognition and learning Unit for pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4. The plans show that the unit will have bright and airy classrooms, an outdoor learning area and break-out spaces. Once it is completed, the unit will provide a broad curriculum which will prepare the pupils for life beyond school. We can’t wait to see the new building develop over the next few months and we look forward to welcoming our first pupils in September.”
The final phase of Sybil Andrews Academy was completed back in Summer 2020 and now the original design and property consultants and main contractor who delivered these works four years ago, have returned to create a new single-storey SEND unit.
New grass and asphalt areas will be created with external canopies, helping to elevate the learning environment for the children by encouraging outdoor learning. The unit location allows for new vehicular and pedestrian access to be created. Although separate access to the dedicated and discrete learning area will be provided, careful consideration went into the location of the unit to enable students to be included in mainstream school life when needed.
Steven Ryles, Associate for Concertus, said: “We are passionate about supporting Suffolk County Council in creating calming and inspiring environments to allow pupils to develop independence and self-confidence. A highly valued relationship has been created between the project team and the school over the past nine years so we are confident that the needs of the children will be met with the creation of the new unit. We are thrilled that the project has hit this fantastic milestone”.
Damien Kerry, Associate Divisional Director at Barnes Construction, said: “We are delighted to be back at Sybil Andrews Academy helping Suffolk County Council and Concertus to release this exciting new SEND facility.”
A school’s commitment to teaching about the great outdoors has earned them two Bury in Bloom awards.
Sybil Andrews Academy is celebrating after landing two coveted Green Fingers prizes following a year of transforming the grounds in the Bury St Edmunds secondary school.
Students across all year groups have been working on a school garden – which was recognised with the gold award in the upper schools category.
And it was a double celebration at the school after Year 7 pastoral officer, Laura Caunter, won the Judges Special Award after leading the school project.
Laura said: “We were all absolutely delighted to win these Bury in Bloom awards.
“Our school garden project has been really special as it has had such a positive impact on the students and their social and emotional wellbeing.
“It has given our students a sense of responsibility, a sense of pride and help build self confidence and self esteem.”
The work of the school and Laura was praised by Green Fingers coordinator, Fiona Till.
Fiona said: “We are very proud of the close working relationship we have with local schools and Sybil Andrews Academy is a great example of that.
“The students have been absolutely fantastic and Laura is a credit to the school. Their awards were very well deserved and we congratulate all of this year’s recipients.”
Other winners of the Bury in Bloom Green Fingers awards were The Bungalow Child Care and Day Care, Glastonbury Court, Sebert Wood Community Primary School, Tollgate Primary School and Arthur Wallis who won the Young Gardener Award.
Sheikh Mohammed has provided financial support for over 500 pupil premium students from nine different schools in Newmarket to support them during the coronavirus pandemic.
The donation is part of a wider effort by Sheikh Mohammed to support those most in need during the crisis.
Families of pupil premium students will be able to use the financial support to buy food and to purchase vital equipment for their academic studies.
Nick Froy, Headteacher of Newmarket Academy, speaking on behalf of the schools, said: “It is the children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds who could fall furthest behind during this challenging time.
“Sheikh Mohammed’s ongoing support of our school, and many others in the region, has literally transformed the lives of many students.
“I would like to extend our thanks to Sheikh Mohammed for this wonderful gesture at this challenging time”.
A spokesperson for Sheikh Mohammed said the personal donation has been made because of his “deep and long-standing connections with the UK”.
The spokesperson added: “Sheikh Mohammed is committed to supporting school children whose families need a helping hand because they are missing out due to school closures.”
Past donations from Sheikh Mohammed have funded a state-of-the-art library at Newmarket Academy and substantial improvements to classroom facilities at the school.
Kedington Primary Academy was one of the 16 primary schools within Unity Schools Partnership to open to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 age groups this week. Headteacher, Vicky Doherty, reflects on the first few days…
How did the first day of the phased reopening go?
It went really, really well. Many staff said they had butterflies and it felt like the beginning of a school year, but parents reported that children were really excited and had kept asking how many more days before they could come back. We staggered the arrival times today more than we will usually – Year 6 in normal time, Year 1 after morning break and Reception for the afternoon and the parents and children were brilliant in following all our arrangements to the letter. Teachers had sent home videos to show them exactly what to do and lots of staff were on hand to support them. There were huge smiles from the children as they returned!
What was the reaction of parents and students?
We have had lots of positive feedback including one Reception pupil who said ‘I’ve had the best afternoon ever!’. One Year 6 pupil told me: “It is so much better learning at school than at home. It’s annoying to have to socially distance from each other, but we’re getting good at it and hopefully it won’t be for too much longer.”
We also had the following note from a parent: “Just a quick message to say thank you so much for everything you have put in place over the last few weeks to make today go so well for the students. My child has come home buzzing and had a brilliant day! The routines and rules have made it really simple for them – he can’t wait for tomorrow!”
What did you focus on the first few days?
Making sure children felt really welcome and had a positive start. Establishing new procedures and routines in a fun way. Some of the usual learning activities, but also activities to support their wellbeing and to manage their anxiety. We wanted time to reconnect with each other. In addition, distance learning for all those not in school including pupils from Year 2-5, many of whom were contacted by phone.
Was there a particular highlight from day one?
Just having lots of children back in the school and seeing their lovely smiles.
What would you like to say about staff?
It has been a massive piece of work to get everything ready in the building as well as supporting the children to be prepared to come back, planning teaching and learning within the restrictions and making sure everyone knows how everything will work in a safe manner. But staff have been absolutely amazing and really gone over and above including doing lots of work during their half term break. Their determination to do what they can to make sure the children have a positive start and feel relaxed has been incredible.
Staff have been absolutely amazing and really gone over and above including doing lots of work during their half term break. Their determination to do what they can to make sure the children have a positive start and feel relaxed has been incredible.
VICKY DOHERTY, HEADTEACHER, KEDINGTON PRIMARY ACADEMY