Hartlepool's Grange Primary School joins Northern Lights Learning Trust

Northern Lights now comprises eight schools – primaries and secondaries – and more than 3,500 children and young people in an area stretching from Teesside through to Wearside. Grange is the fourth school in Hartlepool to become part of Northern Lights.

Head teacher Leanne Yates said: “Northern Lights has strength and expertise that will benefit both children and staff – we are delighted to be part of this growing organisation. An exciting new chapter in Grange Primary School’s history has begun!”

Children and staff will feel the benefits of being part of a larger family of schools with opportunities to work together.

“We had the best interests of our children at heart when governors opted to go down this route,” Mrs Yates explained.

“Education is changing, multi-academy trusts are the future, and we recognised that Northern Lights shared our ethos and values – I am thrilled that we are now part of their family of schools.”

Northern Lights Learning Trust’s primary and secondary schools are a strong diverse group of schools including village, rural, urban, small and large schools.

They are: Hart Primary School, Hartlepool; St Helen’s Primary School, Hartlepool; St Peter’s Elwick Church of England Primary School, Hartlepool; Benedict Biscop CE Academy, Sunderland; Holley Park Academy, Washington; Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy, Stockton-on-Tees; Venerable Bede Church of England Academy, Sunderland, and now Grange Primary School, Hartlepool.

Northern Lights chief executive Jo Heaton said: “We are delighted to welcome Grange Primary School, a great school which further strengthens Northern Lights and we look forward to working alongside them.

"We are a collaborative trust, sharing best practice to ensure the best outcomes for pupils and providing developmental opportunities for staff.

“With our own teaching school hub, early years hub and teacher training opportunities, we are well placed to make transformational change to education in our area.

“We work together to ensure that young people and adults are given the opportunities and support to flourish. We celebrate the diversity that exists within our Trust and value that each of our individual school families are as unique as the communities they serve.”

St Aidan’s CE Secondary Academy, in Darlington, has been approved by the Department for Education to be the next school to join Northern Lights.