A South Tyneside primary has scooped a prestigious national accolade for being a school where "anything feels possible".
St Aloysius Catholic Infant and Junior School has beaten thousands of other schools from across the UK to be crowned Primary School of the Year at the 2021 Times Educational Supplement (TES) Awards.
The Hebburn school has been recognised for its exceptional learning and development provision where children and their families are put at the heart of the teaching approach.
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Judges hailed St Aloysius as having a "joyful warmth" and being a "great place to learn and play".
Chief executive at The Chartered College of Teaching, Dame Alison Peacock, who judged this year’s awards, said: "I’m impressed by the joyful warmth of St Aloysius Primary.
"It is clear that this is a school where anything feels possible and where the highest standards across an incredibly broad curriculum offer are achieved.
"Great care goes into ensuring that the wider community is involved with the school in a wide variety of ways. Uplifting, purposeful and meaningful, it’s a great place to learn and play."
The annual TES Awards highlight the achievements of schools across the UK and their teachers, support staff and pupils.
The primary school, which is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, was one of eight on the shortlist hoping to take home the national prize ahead of the online awards ceremony on June 25.
Kathryn Fenwick, acting headteacher at St Aloysius, said the national award was the "real pinnacle" following a tough time for the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"To win such a prestigious national award is a fantastic achievement and shows how St Aloysius continues to be an incredible place to work and learn," she said.
"As the judges said, our school is a place of joyful warmth, where anything certainly does feel possible.
"We've enjoyed success in the past but this is the real pinnacle.
"Over the past 18 months we have been working incredibly hard as a staff team working with families and the community.
"The pandemic has been incredibly difficult to manage but our staff have been exceptional and have delivered high quality learning.
"We also have done a lot of community work, producing meals to a high number of families, cream teas to grandparents and also teddies to children.
"It is such an amazing achievement and we're honoured to bring a national award back to the small town of Hebburn which should be celebrated by the whole community.
"Thank you to our wonderful pupils, staff and families who, even during the challenges of the past year, have continued to amaze me each day with their positivity, hard work and kindness."
The TES award comes just a year after St Aloysius received the World Class Schools Quality Mark - an accreditation awarded to schools in the UK and internationally whose students have demonstrated world class skills and competencies.
Brendan Tapping, CEO of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, said: "This award is hugely deserved and everyone who plays a part in making St Aloysius great - our staff, our children, their families and the wider local community - should feel very proud of their achievements.
"As a trust, we focus on creating better schools, better communities and better futures in Christ.
"Winning this award symbolises just how hard our schools are working, and how dedicated they are, in making this a reality."
