Our Story
Laidlaw Schools Trust was founded in 2008 with one secondary school in Newcastle.
We now provide extraordinary education at nine nursery, primary and secondary academies in Newcastle, Sunderland and Sedgefield, and are set to grow further.
Key Milestones in Our Story
We look forward to welcoming new schools to our Trust as we expand in the future too.
September 2008: Excelsior Academy opened
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June 2012: Atkinson Road Primary joined the Trust
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April 2013: Atkinson Road achieves Good Ofsted Judgement
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September 2013: Rainbird Primary (now Excelsior Primary) opens at Excelsior Academy
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April 2014: Thomas Walling joined the Trust
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July 2017: South Hylton Primary joined the Trust
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Summer 2017: LST Central Team established in St Nicholas Building in Newcastle
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September 2017: Westgate Hill Primary Academy joined the Trust
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January 2018: Academy 360 joined the Trust
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January 2018: Atkinson Road Nursery School joined Atkinson Road Primary Academy
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December 2019: Academy 360 named as the third most improved school in the UK in Fair Secondary School index
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March 2020: Sedgefield Community College joined the Trust
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October 2020: Westgate Hill achieved Green Flag Award becoming an ‘Eco-School’
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May 2021: Thomas Walling achieves Good Ofsted judgement
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July 2021: Sedgefield Community College named best in the Country
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September 2021: South Hylton achieves Good Ofsted judgement
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September 2021: the Laidlaw Teaching and Leadership Centre at Sedgefield Community College opens
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October 2021: Westgate Hill Primary Academy achieves Outstanding Ofsted judgment
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June 2022: Sedgefield Community College maintains Outstanding Ofsted judgment
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June 2022: Academy 360 achieves Good Ofsted judgment
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September 2022: Sedgefield Hardwick Primary Academy joined the Trust
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June 2023: Atkinson Road achieves Good Ofsted judgment
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September 2023: Beacon of Light School joined the Trust
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October 2023: Beacon of Light School achieves Good Ofsted judgment