Business as usual at South Shields School as it hosts open day for new pupils

Families of Year 6 pupils are being invited to its annual open evening on Tuesday to enable youngsters to gain an insight into secondary education.

The school, in Nevinson Avenue, is aiming to boost numbers in a bid to show it is worth saving after recording it’s best-ever set of GCSE results, and improved attendance rates.

It is currently under review after a sponsor failed to be found when it was forced to go down the route of an academy following an ‘inadequate’ inspection result by Ofsted.

The move has led to an outpouring of support for the school by parents of youngsters already there who have hailed the improvements that have been made since headteacher Allie Denholm took over.

Kelly Allen, parent of a Year 10 pupil at the school, who recently set up a petition to save the school, said: “We are incredibly impressed by the ongoing improvement made by South Shields School.

“The highly dedicated staff have continuously helped my child throughout his time at secondary school and I would recommend the school to any parent considering schools in the area.”

Throughout the open evening, potential students and parents will have the chance to meet key members of staff and see for themselves the school’s hands-on learning approach.

Related: Angry scenes at South Shields School consultation meeting

There will be a welcome talk by the headteacher Allie Denholm before a variety of educational demonstrations throughout the evening including experiments, 3D printing, special FX make-up and an appearance from the Royal Navy Cadets.

There will also be a ceramics workshop led by new member of teaching staff Mr Douglass who has previously appeared on BBC’s The Great Pottery Throw Down.

Headteacher Allie Denholm said: “Following our best ever GCSE results and improved attendance this year, there’s been an increased amount of interest in the school from parents and we hope to see lots of both, new and familiar faces in attendance at our open evening on Tuesday.

“Secondary school can be a scary place for new pupils and we do our best to eliminate inevitable nerves.

“We want everyone to feel welcome and experience the spirit of our school, which is to unlock the academic and personal potential of every child. Our specialist SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) provision and in-house Place2Be counselling services are in place to provide pupils with the support they need to thrive in their new school.

“We can’t pretend we haven’t been in the spotlight recently, so we hope that both parents and pupils will come judge for themselves and learn more about what our exceptional teaching staff and facilities have to offer.

“The school will continue to be open for business and will remain an option on the South Tyneside Council admissions form throughout the year, regardless of any decisions made about the school.”

The open evening will take place from 6pm until 8pm. No registration is required.