Pennywell Fellowship to shine light on change

A Sunderland-based education initiative is aiming to tackle disadvantage through a new collaborative model bringing schools and communities together.

SHINE Sunderland has invested more than £350,000 into the Pennywell Fellowship, a school-led partnership designed to improve outcomes for children and families across the area.

The programme brings together six local schools – Academy 360, Christ’s College, South Hylton Primary Academy, Highfield Primary School, St Anne’s Primary Academy and North View Academy – with a shared focus on addressing barriers to opportunity, improving attendance and strengthening engagement with families.

Officials say the initiative will develop a long-term blueprint for change, aligning schools with employers, universities, public services and charities to deliver coordinated support.

Three core priorities underpin the approach: enrichment through access to cultural and outdoor experiences, employment through career-focused activities, and engagement to rebuild trust between schools and communities.

Project lead Sarah Hammond, school improvement partner at the Laidlaw Schools Trust, said: “We know this could be transformational for our community. 

“But we wouldn’t be able to move ahead and achieve the quality of what we want to achieve without this funding.

“SHINE’s funding will enable us to build something robust, that is sustainable for the long term – not just for Pennywell, but something that could ultimately benefit other communities too.”

“Most civic organisations: the police, public health, children’s services, schools, businesses and the volunteer sector, are working towards the same social value missions and goals. 

“But we’ve been doing it in silos. 

“It makes sense that we pool, not only financial resources, but also our different expertise, experiences and lens on possible solutions.”

Funding will support the creation of a dedicated delivery structure, including a project manager, digital platform and community roles such as Family Champions to strengthen links between schools and families.

Backed by a wider £11 million programme, the project aims to create a scalable model that could be replicated across Sunderland and beyond, positioning Pennywell as a testbed for new approaches to tackling entrenched inequality.

Sarah added: “We’ve identified key influencers in the community. 

“Parents who other parents trust. 

“When someone they recognise and trust says, ‘I’ll go with you to that group’ or, ‘This support is for you’, that’s powerful.

“If we can build a strong network of Family Champions, that could be transformative.

“The strength of SHINE Sunderland’s ten-year commitment to the city is that it allows us to think long term. 

“Most funding cycles are two or three years. 

“You can’t transform a community in that time.

“With SHINE, we can measure the impact over a decade – especially around attendance and early intervention.”

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