‘Work hard, play hard’ could be the motto of a Sunderland primary school where young pupils have excelled in all aspects this term.
Superb school children from St Leonard’s Catholic Primary School, part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, have every reason to celebrate after their dedication and resilience paid off in spades.
The school’s Year 6 children smashed their SATs out of the park, achieving a 100% pass rate at the age expected standard across all exams, as well as in their writing moderation. This compares to a national average of 61% of pupils meeting the expected standard in all three of the areas tested: reading, maths and writing.
An incredible 27.3% of the cohort achieved the “greater depth” standard in all tests.
Scarlett Oliver, aged 11, who received the highest scores ever for a child at St Leonard’s, said: “I was lost for words when I was told from Miss Henderson that I had scored standardised scores of 120, 119 and 118 across my tests, achieving greater depth in all areas. All of the staff were so proud of me. I was very excited to tell my parents and feel this is the biggest achievement in my life so far.”
Classmate Thea Milburn, also 11, said: “I was proud of my SATs results and it just shows how hard work pays off. My parents were so excited when I told them and I can’t believe that we scored 100% as a class.”
And 10-year-old Lewis Fenwick-Devlin added: “I have been at St Leonard’s since Reception class and I am so proud of the progress I have made. The teachers
have been so supportive and encouraged us to achieve our very best.”
Headteacher Dionne Dunn said: “I couldn’t be prouder of the effort and determination that has been shown by our Year 6 pupils. The progress that has been made is outstanding.
“I am so pleased for each child and their families, who deserve the results they received. I am equally proud of the excellent teaching staff who have ensured that every child was given the best opportunity to learn, grow and shine as a member of our school. I would like to thank the children and staff for their hard work and commitment.”
And whilst the Year 6 pupils were working hard, the Year 5s were playing hard to become the first Sunderland school to bring back a gymnastics gold medal from the Tyne & Wear Regional Key Steps Gymnastics Final.
The team of five Year 5 girls qualified highest in their age category in Sunderland, which took them to the final held at the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle. They competed against the finalists from schools in Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland to be placed first overall. They were helped along the way by the school’s dedicated staff, including PE lead Ashley Latham.
“I am so thrilled at the success of our Year 5 gymnasts,” said Mrs Dunn. “It is a real asset to the staff, Miss Latham in particular, that our school children are given the opportunities to excel in different areas of sport – not just academic learning. We love to celebrate the unique talents of all of our children and raise their aspirations at the same time.”
Pupil Georgia Price, aged nine, said: “We have practised team building and our routine every day to ensure we met the highest standards.”
Estie Henderson, 10, added: “I am really proud of myself and the team as this is the first time we achieved a gold medal in this event, or any school from Sunderland. All of the other teams were very good and we were surprised when we won but really pleased and proud of ourselves.”
There are a few places available in different year groups for September. For more information, please visit www.stleonardsprimary.org.uk
For more information about BCCET, please visit www.bccet.org.uk