
41DARRAS HALL PRIMARY SCHOOL |
BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2018
What is truly central to this is knowing
the strengths of individual staff
members. We create opportunities
for each member of our team to fulfil
their potential and, as a result, remain
satisfied in their work. This goes a
long way toward ensuring that we
are all passionate about success for
every child at Darras Hall. Beyond
that, middle leaders at the school
take complete responsibility for pupil
learning and pastoral care within their
phase. Support from the higher-level
teaching assistants really helps drive
this home, and a close relationship
with all governors allows everyone to
remain deeply involved in the school’s
development.
Partners of all shapes and
sizes
We try to look outwards at how we
affect others and how others can help
us in everything we do, the result being
that the school’s structure is not one of
strict exclusivity. Parents take on a really
central role at Darras Hall. Since some
have a limited amount of face-to-face
contact with their child’s teacher, we
use a range of communication methods
to ensure that they maintain an up-to-
date awareness of their child’s learning.
Indeed, many of these parents also
volunteer within the school. Along with
grandparents and other volunteers,
they offer individual reading support
for identified children on a regular basis
and receive training from school staff.
Our move from the original three-
tier structure – where we were a
first school that pupils would attend
before moving on to middle and then
high schools – to a primary-secondary
model has enabled us to form effective
partnerships with our neighbouring
schools. Staff have regular opportunities
to work together on areas such as
assessment, physical education, middle
leadership, SEND and the transition
between years 6 and7.
The partnership between our school,
other local primary schools and the
local secondary school is a strong
one, and will this year provide the
basis for the Pele Trust. Two members
of staff are centrally employed by
this partnership and work across all
organisations within it: an MFL teacher
and an educational psychologist.
With time, we plan on having
more to come. Looking beyond the
traditional 11 to 18 school structure,
we also work closely with Northumbria
University in training teachers through
School Direct, BA and PGCE courses.
Problem solving is a central
element of our curriculum
Determination, ambition and resilience
are key components of the Darras Code
We are all
passionate
about success
for every child
at Darras Hall
“
“