CHILDREN and staff at a Prudhoe school celebrated its official conversion to an academy with a big win at the end of the school term.

Prudhoe West First School is now Prudhoe West Academy, after joining up with Wise Academies, a multi-academy trust which incorporates schools across the north east. The conversion became official on July 1.

After entering a consultation on the proposal in January, headteacher Carrie Davison said feedback had been positive and she felt it was the right step for the school.

"There were no negative comments whatsoever," she explained. "Parents asked questions and they were very appropriate questions, but our parents trust the school governors and staff to make the right decisions for their children.

"From my point of view, when people say why did we do it, for us to improve we need to work with other highly performing schools.

"We are already seeing the benefit through school support between the six of us within the trust, and there's other things like we are able to work together and do things joining the six schools together.

"Everyone joined together at Gateshead Stadium at the end of June for the Wise Games Elite Competition.

"We were hailed winners of that - before we officially joined the trust!"

The school was also named Newcastle United Foundation School of the Year at a ceremony at St James' Park on Wednesday, July 19, in recognition of a family-friendly football club it ran after school for eight sessions.

A celebratory carnival was held on Friday, June 30 to celebrate the academy conversion, where an adapted school logo was introduced.

The blue tree of the school logo has turned purple to reflect the colours of Wise Academies.

"It's coming together and being part of that family," added Mrs Davison.

"We didn't want to be stand alone but also didn't want to lose our identity."