FEATURE: VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
The importance of good relationships with local schools
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n our regular and much-loved View from the classroom feature this month we are delighted to hear from Will Scott, Principal - Dame Allan’s Schools, and Geoff Laidler, Headteacher - Dame Allan’s Junior School and Nursery, who explain how their schools have partnered with state schools in their local area of Newcastle upon Tyne, and the benefits which have come from these partnerships for everyone taking part.
Tell us about your school
Dame Allan’s Schools are a collection of independent schools in Newcastle upon Tyne with a history that spans over 300 years. Ours are the only schools in the North East following
a pioneering ‘Diamond Structure’ of education, where boys and girls are educated together in the purpose-built Junior School and Nursery, separately between the ages of 11 and 16, and together again in the Sixth Form. This structure offers our pupils all the benefits of single-sex education with the social and cultural advantages of a co-educational environment, while allowing us to tailor academic, co-curricular and pastoral provisions to carefully and proficiently suit their needs. The Schools have grown steadily over the last ten years, with pupil numbers rising from 900 to more than 1,200, and we are known for our strong pastoral care and a vibrant co-curricular offering that supports our broad academic curriculum. In December, Dame Allan’s single- sex Boys’ and Girls’ Schools were named joint ‘North East Independent School of the Year’ in The Sunday Times’ Parent Power Guide 2023. We take a truly holistic approach, and our strong school ethos is at the heart of all we do, with excellence, stability and happiness remaining the cornerstones of the well-rounded education we have provided since 1705.
Does your heritage play an important role in the schools today?
The Schools were founded when philanthropist and entrepreneur Dame Eleanor Allan’s endowment provided an education for 40 boys and 20 girls in Newcastle, whose family circumstances would have limited them to little
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www.education-today.co.uk April 2023
or no education. While the Schools have changed significantly in the intervening years, the founding principle of this philanthropic support continues today, and we remain immensely proud of our heritage. We raise funds to support the on-going development of the Schools and extend further the significant number of bursaries already awarded annually to deserving pupils, which currently sits at around 13 per cent of the student body. Awarding bursaries helps enrich school life, enhance academic standards, promote inclusivity and contribute to social mobility. We have a strong tradition of innovation in education, and
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