When partnership meets PLACE

How one academy is ‘connecting’ right

Our first ‘Connect’ event held in Dormanstown Academy brought together community leaders, charity representatives, and sector experts from Redcar, Cleveland, and beyond. The event, initiated by Headteacher Antje Kell with support from the Woodsmith Foundation and Greggs Foundations, sought to foster collaboration and create a community hub. The gathering aimed to highlight community needs and persistent problems based on research, with colleagues from various organisations nodding in agreement as they recognised these same challenges in their work.

Antje emphasised that solutions shouldn’t be devised in isolation but informed by the experiences and voices of children, families, and communities. We know that the cost-of-living and other societal factors continue to have an impact on many children and families nationally, and we see this in our own communities. But it is essential to involve families and young people in understanding what these challenges are rather than simply making assumptions. Antje highlighted the importance of schools serving as community anchors, helping children to see new possibilities.

Katrina Morley, CEO of Tees Valley Education, stressed the importance of partnerships in addressing the deep-rooted educational inequalities in Teesside. This further echoes the work that we are leading through our PLACE initiative with generous support from the Fair Education Alliance and Bloomberg. Katrina passionately spoke about the region’s resilience and the need for collaborative efforts to tackle not just the symptoms, but also the root causes of the challenges faced by local communities.

Charities and community organisations shared their work, highlighting rising concerns such as knife crime, which groups like the Junction are addressing through youth-led initiatives. They work in partnership with young people to create films that raise awareness of the underlying causes of knife crime, shifting the focus from the symptom to the problem itself.

The event showcased the expertise and dedication of many local organisations, such as Zarach (an update from them here!), Turning Tides, and the Lighthouse Project, all committed to improving lives in the community. One touching story was from Paul, a local resident who, with support from the Woodsmith Foundation, transformed his vision for a community garden into reality, bringing together young children, families, and the elderly, including people with dementia, in a shared space for horticulture.

Rachel Crooks from Beyond Housing introduced the concept of “Better Living,” a place-based approach to improving quality of life by identifying and overcoming barriers to sustainable living. This term, co-produced with local residents, avoids the stigmatising language of poverty and inequality, focusing instead on building an inclusive, thriving community.

The event was a powerful demonstration of the strength of partnerships and the shared commitment to creating long-term solutions for the challenges facing Redcar, Cleveland, and beyond.

As a Trust, we are committed to developing our PLACE work in partnership with others. Dormanstown Academy are an excellent example of how schools and academies can be a hub for both understanding and tackling inequality in partnership with others.