We are proud to celebrate the achievements of some Pele Trust schools, recognised for their exceptional performance.

Nation-wide Recognition

Ponteland High School has been named one of the best state schools in Britain, according to a new ranking published by the Daily Mail. The list, created with input from education experts at The Good Schools Guide, considered GCSE results, extracurricular opportunities, and class sizes. 

Ponteland High has benefited from a regeneration project, providing state-of-the-art facilities for its students. The Daily Mail highlighted the school’s combination of excellent facilities, strong academic results, and a broad range of extracurricular opportunities.

In 2024, the school achieved its best-ever GCSE results, with 30% of the cohort attaining Grades 7–9 and 62% achieving five or more in English and Maths. Overall, 22% of students secured five or more of the highest grades, demonstrating the school’s commitment to academic excellence.

Local Recognition

In addition, five Pele Trust primary schools have been recognised as top-performing schools across the Northumberland County Council area by the Northumberland Gazette. 

Belsay Primary School, Shilbottle Primary School, Swansfield Park Primary School, Richard Coates Church of England Primary School, and Heddon-on-the-Wall St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School were celebrated based on the Gazette’s unique metric. This includes Ofsted inspection ratings, class sizes, and pupils’ achievement against the government’s expected standards in reading, writing, and maths.

These recognitions reflect the hard work and dedication of our staff, pupils, and communities. At Pele Trust, we are proud of the continued excellence and the high standards our schools strive for and maintain!