Accompaniment
The ‘Accompaniment’ project, led by St Aidan’s Catholic Academy and St Anthony’s Girls Catholic Academy, aims to support disadvantaged students moving to secondary school. Vulnerable students will be paired with an “invested person”. Together, they’ll engage in monthly activities to build confidence, a sense of belonging and provide a smoother transition to secondary school.
ASPIRE – The Guiding Principles of Character
The ASPIRE project, a five-year initiative aimed at addressing challenges faced by disadvantaged students in one of the city’s most deprived areas, is led by Sandhill View Academy. The project focuses on character development, offering students opportunities for personal growth beyond the traditional curriculum through activities that nurture ambition, sincerity, pride, inclusion, resilience, and ethical thinking. With the goal of improving attendance, reducing behavioural issues, and raising academic attainment, ASPIRE will provide enriching experiences such as educational trips, leadership programmes, and mental health support. The project also aims to enhance social mobility by breaking down barriers to higher education and university participation.
Celebrating Diverse Sunderland
Thornhill Academy’s ‘Celebrating Diverse Sunderland’ project aims to build stronger community ties and create a more inclusive environment for children to thrive academically and socially. Over three years, the project will focus on improving pupil literacy, supporting mental health, and easing transitions between primary and secondary school by building understanding between schools and their diverse communities. Research will explore topics such as early language teaching, parental engagement, and the impact of community dynamics on children’s mental health. The initiative will also involve parent and staff input through steering groups and aims to encourage greater school-community connections, boost parental involvement, and provide resources to strengthen these bonds.
Fluency First
Led by Biddick Academy, ‘Fluency First’ is an exciting evidence-informed programme of structured fortnightly reading lessons during English curriculum time for all pupils for students aged 11 to 14. Students will read out loud from ambitious sequenced anthologies that develop the wider background knowledge needed for great English attainment. Also, training will be given to help improve teaching, with a focus on how to use reading methods effectively. The project aims to develop students’ reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary.
Improving Literacy in the Classroom in Sunderland
This project, led by the Northern Education Trust, aims to upskill teachers, enabling them to feel knowledgeable and confident in addressing literacy within their subject disciplines. By collaborating with Red House Academy, Hetton Academy, and Farringdon Community Academy, the project will identify each school’s strengths, challenges, and goals. Based on these insights, a tailored training programe will be developed to promote and support teachers and leaders in effectively addressing literacy barriers in the classroom. The ultimate goal is to improve student literacy levels and help them to better access the curriculum.
Roots to Writing
Southmoor Academy is developing a writing intervention for the first three years of secondary to enhance student literacy by connecting writing skills to the students’ own experiences of life in Sunderland. that allows students to feel ownership, enjoyment and achievement in their work. Over the next 5 years, this innovative approach By focusing on local stories and themes, the ‘Roots to Writing’ initiative aims to build both enjoyment and confidence in writing, helping to bridge the literacy gap that affects students’ academic success. and raise outcomes in GCSE English across 6 Sunderland secondary schools.
True Self
The “True Self” project, led by Aspire North East, aims to create a network of mindfulness practitioners in schools across Sunderland to support pupils struggling with emotional regulation. The three-year initiative will train staff in six primary and secondary schools to implement mindfulness techniques that help students self-regulate, reduce stress, and improve their wellbeing. The ultimate goal is to embed mindfulness in all Sunderland schools, develop a shared understanding and improve student outcomes such as attendance, engagement, and academic performance.