Sandhill View Sunderland launches new breakfast club

Teachers and pupils start the day with ‘family breakfast’ in new programme aimed at building better relationships

Students and staff at a secondary school in South Sunderland are enjoying a new way to start their day. Key stage 3 students at Sandhill View Academy had their first taste this week of ‘family breakfast’.

This new initiative is designed to foster the relationship between school and its pupils. Every day, as part of our new extended tutor time, pupils from Year 7, 8 and 9 take the time to sit in their form classes with their form teachers and enjoy a nourishing breakfast together as a ‘family’ to help start their day of learning in a positive and fulfilling way.

Headteacher Jill Dodd said: “We are delighted and proud to introduce this new initiative to provide the best for our students by giving all KS3 tutor groups the opportunity to sit together and enjoy breakfast.

Free breakfast club will set pupils up for the day

“Not only does research show that having a proper breakfast positively affects learning in terms of behaviour, cognitive and school performance, but we believe that this will also strengthen the relationship between the child and the tutor, standing ‘in loco parentis’.”

This a great opportunity for tutors, students and their peers to socialise together, but it is also hoped that this programme will help families who may be struggling financially due to the recent ‘cost of living’ crises by providing free food for breakfast for all.

Sandhill View Academy continues to go from strength to strength. Not only has it recently been rated ‘Good’ in all areas by Ofsted but GCSE results and outcomes continue to improve. This year’s GCSE results saw 58% of students achieving 4+ in English and maths and 14% achieving the top grades in English and maths, which is an all-time high and above local averages.

Of these recent GCSE successes Mrs Dodd said: “Despite the adversities of the last two years, we are all delighted with the achievement of our students. Our students continue to impress us with their resilience and it is this, along with hard work and dedication from staff and support from parents, which have led to fantastic outcomes for them.”

The new programme will offer a cost of living help, as well as an aid to learning.

Open evening

Sandhill View Academy is already looking towards the future, excited to challenge and encourage their current and future students to aspire to new highs and enrich their local community in doing so. The school is currently oversubscribed in year 7 with its highest intake in over ten years. We anticipate similar demand for places in 2023 and early applications are advised via www.sunderland.gov.uk/admissionsonline

Sandhill View’s next open evening for Year 6 pupils and their parents is on Wednesday 21st September 2022 at 4pm. Whether you’re a Year 6 parent looking at your child’s future or just interested to see what puts Sandhill View at the heart of its local community, there’s plenty of fun-filled activities, bundles of free goodies to grab and exciting competitions to take part in at the school. Everyone is welcome.

More information can be found on the school’s website here.