Ashington schools partnership praised

Posted by The Journal on Nov 28, 09 03:19 PM in School news

A pioneering schools partnership in Ashington has been praised by a prominent education expert.

The Ashington Learning Partnership was formed by bringing together five schools with a total of more than 3,000 pupils to create a single learning establishment for local youngsters aged from three to 18.

The federation was set up after Ashington Community High School applied to become one of the first trust schools in the country.

Now Steve Munby, chief executive of the National College for School Leadership, has visited the partnership and said he was delighted with what he saw.

He said: "I was hugely impressed by the people I met and the progress they are making as a partnership. The vision is becoming a reality and they are inventing the future."

As well as Ashington High, the partnership includes Bothal and Hirst Park Middle Schools and Wansbeck and Central First Schools.

It has initiated ground-breaking new ways of organising teaching, learning and school leadership which have been recognised at a national level.

Yesterday strategic head of the partnership and high school headteacher, Ken Tonge , said: "It's been a privilege to show such an important figure in education what we are achieving here. Steve took time to talk to many pupils and staff and it's very encouraging to hear what he felt about us."

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