Headteacher’s Welcome
I am delighted that you are considering Benedict Biscop C.E Academy, a primary school in Sunderland, for the first stage of your child’s education. The school is an Ofsted rated academy, in all areas, for children aged 3-11 years. We are very proud of our school and the excellent opportunities provided for our children.
‘Benedict Biscop Church of England Academy is aspirational and nurturing. Pupils embody the school’s vision of ‘With God, all things are possible’ and strive to do their best.’ [Ofsted October 2024]
‘Pupils thrive both academically and socially.’ [Ofsted October 2024]
Benedict Biscop C.E. Academy was the first school of the Northern Lights Learning Trust, a successful and growing Trust, serving both primary and secondary schools across the North East region. Being part of a strong academy Trust, provides several benefits for the school, including high quality support in areas such as curriculum development, inclusion and staff development, as well as opportunities for our pupils to meet with pupils across the Trust and develop a wider sense of community.
Our children feed into Venerable Bede Church of England Secondary Academy, also part of the Northern Lights Learning Trust, so that a continuous pathway of Christian education is offered to all our children. Pupils are offered several opportunities to engage with our partner feeder school throughout their time at Benedict Biscop, to help make a successful transition.
Our vision at the school is ‘With God, all things are possible’. Our vision leads us to aspire to provide pupils with the highest quality of education and the cultural capital they need to succeed, whatever there futures may entail. We provide a stimulating and happy learning environment within which all members of our school family aim to realise their potential, in the light of the Christian faith. Our SIAMS inspection [2017], described the Academy as a place where “Christian love is lived”.
Within school we have 5 core Christian values, which underpin our daily life:
*Community,
*Hope,
*Endurance,
*Forgiveness and
*Justice
Our standards are high in all areas and we have high expectations of our children, parents and staff. In recent years, our school has been recognised as one of the Governments National Centres for Excellence and we are proud to say we are the lead school in the Northern Lights Teaching School hub, having responsibility for the professional development of education staff throughout their career in Sunderland, South Tyneside and Gateshead. We have also been recognised in Autumn 2022 as one of the first 13 Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs supporting schools, nurseries and child minders across the North East to improve their practice. These endeavours support our school to continue to improve in light of recent developments in research and leading practice in education, ensuring that we are at the forefront of education developments and therefore able to provide the best quality education for our pupils. We are also able to share our practice beyond school and provide improved opportunities for more children, something we are really passionate about.
The school sits geographically within the Wearmouth Deanery and we have strong partnerships within our local parish and wider diocesan community. In school, pupils and staff are invited to participate in daily acts of collective worship and we worship with our community, every Friday at 9am. We warmly welcome you to join us.
Our school may be the first experience which your child will have of any school and we are all keen to see that this is a very positive experience which encourages a love of learning from the very first day.
Children are admitted to our nursery, part of our mixed age early years provision with reception pupils, on a part or full time basis. Children in Reception to Year 6 attend full time. Please refer to our admission pages in the website to support your with how to apply.
‘Children have a phenomenal start to their education in this school.’ [Ofsted October 2024]
‘The school’s early years provision is exemplary.’ [Ofsted October 2024]
We believe that we can achieve the best for your child by developing a close partnership between home and school. This website is intended to give you more information about the life of the school and the learning which ensues. I hope that you find this website interesting and valuable as you make a decision about your child’s journey in education and that you take the opportunity to meet with me and discover what our school is able to offer your child.
Throughout the primary years there are regular meetings with parents and opportunities for you to share in your child’s education within our wider community, which we strongly encourage you to be involved in.
I look forward to developing a partnership with you.
Sarah Armstrong
Headteacher
