Atomix Educational Trust believes that increased collaboration across the educational phases will benefit all learners throughout their educational journey. The Trust exists to promote and facilitate collaboration between schools and the college to our collective benefit.

The partners in our Trust accept a shared accountability for all our learners and focus on ensuring positive outcomes and progression, particularly at transition points across the key stages. Aspiring to become an all-through Trust, our innovative approach seeks to promote ambition, aspiration and provide security and the keys to success for our young people, for their future and the benefit of the region.

Our Trust engenders a love of learning through an exceptional quality of educational provision in which every learner is inspired and supported to fulfil their potential, enhancing their personal development and benefitting their community. We recruit and retain teachers, support staff and managers of the highest calibre by investing in their professional development through training and progression opportunities.

Our schools and college offer a friendly, caring environment with high expectations, aspirations and supporting the highest levels of achievement. Our Trust central team works through partnership with employers, community groups and other agencies to make our region a great place to live, learn and work.

Prior Pursglove College

“Where heritage meets innovation: Excellence in education since the 16^th century”

Over four centuries of educational excellence shape Prior Pursglove College’s approach to modern learning. Located in Guisborough, the college combines its rich academic heritage with contemporary teaching methods and facilities. Students benefit from extensive subject choices and dedicated support services. Our commitment to student success is evidenced through consistently high achievement rates and innovative programmes, including successful international partnerships and environmental initiatives recognised through our Eco-Schools Green Flag Award with Merit.

Stockton Sixth Form College

“Fostering tomorrow’s leaders through academic excellence and vocational success”

At Stockton Sixth Form College, we pride ourselves on providing a dynamic learning environment that bridges academic and vocational excellence. Our students benefit from state-of-the-art facilities, including a new gym, and comprehensive support services. With strong industry partnerships, including Middlesbrough Football Club, we offer unique opportunities for personal development and career progression. Our commitment to student success is reflected in our outstanding pass rates and growing range of enrichment activities, preparing learners for their next steps in education or employment.

Errington Primary School

“Nurturing curiosity and creativity through innovative primary education”

Errington Primary School stands out for its unique approach to primary education, combining academic excellence with innovative learning experiences. Our position in the top tier for phonics nationally demonstrates our commitment to strong educational foundations. Students enjoy distinctive programmes like beekeeping and hands-on enterprise projects through our Dragon’s Den initiative. We create an environment where young minds flourish through a perfect balance of traditional learning and creative exploration.

Bishopton Pupil Referral Unit

“Specialised support for every learner’s journey to success”

Bishopton provides specialist education that transforms lives through personalised learning pathways. Our innovative approach includes state-of-the-art facilities for vocational training, including design technology and hair and beauty courses. Through our 12-week intervention programmes and longer-term support, we ensure every student receives the guidance and skills they need to succeed. Our commitment to personalised education creates an environment where students can rebuild confidence and achieve their potential.

Guisborough Montessori

“Building strong foundations through child-centred early years education”

Our Montessori nursery provides a nurturing start to our young people’s educational journey, following the renowned Montessori approach to early years education. We create an environment where young children develop independence, curiosity, and essential early learning skills through carefully curated activities. Our dedicated team ensures each child’s individual development needs are met, establishing strong foundations for their future educational success through supportive guidance and personalised attention.

Atomix Educational Trust is recognised as a key hub for high needs provision across the Tees Valley, having a significant high needs presence at Prior Pursglove College. The Trust sets a high standard for inclusive education, offering sophisticated support structures for learners with SEND and SEMH needs across all phases. From early years to post-16, Atomix provides expert guidance in areas such as emotionally based school avoidance, therapeutic interventions, and mental health support.

Each setting benefits from a coordinated approach to SEND, with personalised learning plans, targeted interventions, and strong transition planning. This ensures that every learner, regardless of their starting point, can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally within a nurturing and aspirational environment.

Prior Pursglove College & Stockton Sixth Form College – Endeavour Faculty

The Endeavour Faculty at Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College provides a fully inclusive, stimulating, and structured environment in which students are provided with a wide range of opportunities and experiences to prepare them for life beyond college.

We will find a suitable and realistic personalised route for all students to help them develop their learning, whatever their individual starting point. We offer a wide range of courses to support our students for their next steps in education or employment.

In the Endeavour Faculty, every student is an individual!

Errington Primary School – The Haven

The school operates a dedicated SEND unit called ‘Haven’, offering six full-time assessment places for Key Stage 2 learners. This provision is well-resourced and provides bespoke, short-term support for pupils, which also includes a small number of external learners from other schools.

Bishopton PRU

Bishopton PRU is a Pupil Referral Unit offering educational provision to KS3 and KS4 learners who are at risk of exclusion, permanent exclusion from school or those not attending mainstream school for other reasons such as illness (physical and/or psychological).

The aim for those young people based at Bishopton is to return to their mainstream school after a 12 week period. If this is not appropriate, further educational advice is sought with a view to either extending the placement, accessing alternative provision or statutory assessment. The centre also brokers alternative vocational provision for young people who remain solely on the role of mainstream schools.

We have high aspirations and ambitions for our young people and we believe that no child should be left behind. We strongly believe that it is not about where you come from, but your passion and thirst for knowledge, and your dedication and commitment to learning that ultimately determines young people’s life outcomes. We are determined to ensure that our young people are given every chance to realise their full potential.

The school has recently undergone a significant refurbishment programme and has created a safe and inclusive learning environment. We have a cutting-edge hair salon, a brand-new DT workshop, catering facilities, and a music room. We are now on an exciting journey to be an outstanding school, with a clear strategic vision for moving forward.

Our Staff

Our Bishopton staffing body includes dedicated teachers supported by skilled teaching assistants, a proactive pastoral team, attendance officers, a SENCO coordinator, and a therapeutic and mental health lead. The Senior Leadership Team is made up of the Headteacher, Deputy Head, Curriculum Manager, and Pastoral Manager who work collaboratively to drive improvement and support every learner.

All staff believe that the enhancement of self-esteem and confidence for all learners, with a strong focus on academic qualifications, are the key to success. All staff will promote the re-engagement of learners and help them to achieve their learning potential. This is underpinned by staff working in partnership with parents/carers and other stakeholders to achieve the very best for learners.

While the school experienced significant staff absences and high turnover during 2024, we are now in a period of stability. Long-term absences have been resolved, and we have successfully transitioned to a more permanent and cohesive staffing structure. This is an exciting time to join Bishopton, as we build on this momentum and continue to strengthen our provision.

Our Vision and Values

At Bishopton, we believe it is imperative to have a clear, long term school vision that gives clarity and focus towards achieving exceptional educational outcomes for our whole school community.

We believe in developing and nurturing the ‘whole’ child and we aim to develop the social, emotional, behavioural and academic needs of each student who attends to allow them to have a successful future.

We aim for all young people who attend our school to receive a broad, balanced and personalised curriculum that enables them to make rapid and sustained progress and to make a positive transition to their next stage of life, whether that be education, training or to employment.

We believe in giving all young people a fresh start and our fundamental aim is always to provide our learners with the opportunities to return to mainstream education, if appropriate. If this isn’t possible, we will ensure that we provide all of our young people with the equality of opportunity which their mainstream peers are entitled to.

Mainstream SEND Provision Across the Trust

This approach is mirrored across the Trust in our mainstream SEND provisions. Our aim is to promote a culture that effectively breaks down the barriers to learning by creating a safe and stimulating learning environment based on individual need.

Our approach to promoting good quality teaching and effective learning is an integral part of our whole school curriculum and is underpinned by the aims of the schools and colleges. We also recognise that it is the responsibility of the schools and colleges to provide good quality teaching and learning opportunities which will significantly influence the behaviour of our learners.

We accept and recognise that classroom management, teacher behaviour and organisation can have a positive impact on teaching and learning. We will always seek to encourage and support the achievements of our learners through highly effective teaching and a positive learning environment. We regularly recognise and reward positive behaviours and attitudes, as we feel it is fundamental to the personal development of the young people in our community.

Atomix Educational Trust is committed to delivering good quality teaching and learning for all, including those who learn at home or in Alternative Education provision. All learners have the right to access a broad, balanced curriculum that also recognises their need for a more differentiated curriculum. To ensure all learners have access to this curriculum, they should all experience a variety of teaching and learning that engages, encourages and enables them to achieve good or outstanding outcomes during their time with us.

To continue to maintain our very high standards, Trust Leadership recognises the need for continued professional development, professional mentoring and strong systems of support and analysis to empower staff to achieve these ambitions.

At Bishopton and across the wider Trust, it is recognised that good mental health is paramount and is a non-negotiable if our students are to thrive.

We are proud to have a bespoke mental health offer that is available for all our students and staff.

For our young people, we have an onsite counsellor at the schools and colleges, who can work with issues such as developmental trauma and attachment as well as grief, loss, and anxiety. In addition to this, we use Thrive practitioners who actively develop the wellbeing and resilience of young people. At Prior Pursglove College, the use of therapy dogs has had a positive impact on our young people.

We also work with the Mental health Support Team at Stockton through the Trailblazer project. This gives us access to resources and a dedicated Educational mental health Practitioner who can work with lower-level issues such as low self-esteem and anxiety.

Bishopton PRU

Bishopton PRU has recently been inspected by Ofsted in May 2025 (opens in a new tab).

• The quality of education: Requires improvement
• Behaviour and attitudes: Inadequate
• Personal development: Requires improvement
• Leadership and management: Inadequate

Key findings:

• Staff create individual learning programmes for each pupil. When relevant, pupils’ targets link to their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt learning to help pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. Pupils benefit from learning in small groups and have one-to-one support when needed. Ofsted recognised the school now teaches a carefully sequenced curriculum.
• The school has implemented a whole school approach to reading. Pupils develop their reading fluency and comprehension. Pupils who need extra help with reading, including those with SEND, receive extra personalised support. This includes through a phonics programme, when necessary.
• Pupils’ personal development is supported by a well-designed personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. Although the programme has been in place for some time, the school has only just started to teach it coherently to build pupils’ knowledge effectively. Pupils learn about different relationships and online safety. Visiting speakers support pupils’ understanding of risks, such as from knife crime.
• Pupils like cooking meals, playing chess and participating in trips including to different places of worship. They benefit from a suitable programme to promote further education, employment and training options.
• Staff appreciate and understand the changes being made to the school, and strong relationships between staff and pupils create a safe learning environment. Leaders support them well with their welfare and workload.

Areas for improvement:

• Disruption to learning due to poor behaviour and inconsistent staff responses.
• Low attendance and engagement.
• Curriculum delivery that needs greater consistency and impact.
• Behaviour management strategies that require confident and consistent application.

Our Executive Principal can provide the strategic leadership, stability, and expertise needed to drive rapid and sustained improvement; ensuring consistent behaviour management, raising the quality of teaching, and fostering a culture of high expectations and accountability across the school and wider Trust.

Prior Pursglove College and Stockton 6^th Form College

The colleges have recently been inspected in December 2024 (opens in a new tab). At the time of the inspection, there were 1,928 students on education programmes for young people, 73 on adult learning provision and 165 students with high needs.

Key findings for SEND and Inclusion:

• High Needs Learners receive strong support tailored to their individual needs, with the opportunity to participate in practical, confidence-building activities, such as designing and selling products at a Christmas market. These activities help develop teamwork, motor skills, independence and confidence.
• The college fosters a welcoming and inclusive culture, where students with SEND are fully integrated into the wider college community. There is a clear focus on personal development, not just academic achievement.
• Staff ensure that all learners, regardless of need, are valued and supported, and are well-trained to meet the needs of SEND learners.

Errington Primary School

The school was inspected in March 2023 (opens in a new tab). At the time of the inspection, there were 247 pupils on roll, including several pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Key findings for SEND and Inclusion:

• Teachers demonstrate a solid understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Leaders have implemented robust systems to quickly identify SEND needs and involve external agencies, such as educational psychologists, to provide tailored support.
• Teachers receive clear guidance on how to adapt their teaching for pupils with SEND and apply this effectively in the classroom.
• The school fosters an inclusive environment where all pupils are encouraged to be kind, respectful, and supportive of one another, reflecting the school motto: “Be kind, be ready, be curious.”
• Leaders prioritise the holistic development of pupils, offering leadership roles and enrichment opportunities that promote inclusion and personal growth.
• Older pupils are trained to provide mental health support to peers, contributing to a supportive and inclusive school community.
• Pupils behave well, play cooperatively, and trust adults to handle issues fairly, creating a safe and welcoming environment for all.

Guisborough Montessori Nursery

The Nursery has recently been inspected in March 2022 (opens in a new tab). At the time of the inspection, there were 46 children on roll.

Key findings for SEND and Inclusion:

• The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is described as effective.
• The nursery works closely with the local SEND team, speech and language therapists, and other external agencies.
• A range of strategies has been introduced by the SENCO to ensure children with SEND are well supported.

Our Trust is situated in the diverse Tees Valley region in the North East, and falls under two local authorities; Redcar & Cleveland (opens in a new tab), and Stockton-on-Tees (opens in a new tab). The Tees Valley is distinctive and encompasses both urban and rural landscapes, including the North Sea coast. It is characterised by a rich industrial heritage, scenic natural beauty, and a growing focus on innovation and regeneration.

Historically, Tees Valley was a powerhouse of the UK's industrial sector, particularly in steelmaking, chemical production, and shipbuilding. This legacy is still evident in the region’s landscape and economy, however there is significant aspiration for economic diversification, cultural vibrancy, and environmental sustainability. The region is undergoing significant economic transformation, shifting from traditional industries to sectors such as digital technology, advanced manufacturing, and green energy. The Teesworks (opens in a new tab) site, for example, is one of Europe’s largest industrial regeneration projects, focusing on clean energy and innovative industries.

Tees Valley boasts robust transport links, including the Teesport (opens in a new tab), one of the UK’s largest ports, and a network of rail and road connections that support its economic activities. The area is easy to reach by road or rail, and has the benefit of its own airport - Teesside International Airport provides both domestic and international flights. The area has the benefit of being able to provide a wide range of affordable and stylish housing, plus outstanding nurseries, schools, and colleges as well as good hospitals – making it an ideal place to base a family.

Tees Valley has a diverse population with vibrant communities that reflect a mix of urban and rural lifestyles. Middlesbrough, the largest town in the region, is known for its multicultural atmosphere. The region also offers a rich cultural landscape with numerous museums, art galleries, sports centres and historic sites, as well as public parks, nature reserves, and the scenic seaside towns of Saltburn (opens in a new tab) and Redcar. Slightly further afield, you are close to the historic city of Durham (opens in a new tab) and the picturesque North York Moors National Park (opens in a new tab).

You will be very pleasantly surprised by how much the area has to offer, there really is something for everybody. It is this diversity and context of our region which gives us the greatest scope as a Trust to enrich our community by providing inclusive education to improve life chances of our young people.