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What's Coming up in Summer Term 1

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:31:33 GMT

What is Coming up in Summer Term 1?

What's Coming up in Spring Half Term 2

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:43:16 GMT

What is Coming up in Spring Term 2?

National Recognition for Alder Tree Primary

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:01:17 GMT

Alder Tree Named Among the Best Schools Nationally

Alder Tree Primary Academy is celebrating a proud moment after receiving national recognition from the Secretary of State for Education, who praised the school as one of the very best nationally for outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

The recognition follows the release of the school’s 2024/25 outcomes and came in the form of a personal letter from Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education. In her letter, she highlighted the exceptional achievements of Alder Tree pupils and commended the ambition, commitment and dedication shown by the whole school community.

This has been a special week of celebration at Alder Tree, as staff and pupils reflected on what the recognition represents, not just strong results, but the values, care and belief that underpin everyday life at the school.

Principal Kate Burton said:

“We are incredibly proud of our children and staff. This recognition reflects the determination, love and care shown every day at Alder Tree, and our unwavering belief that every child deserves the very best opportunities to succeed.”

The Secretary of State also encouraged the school to share its experience and best practice more widely, recognising the role Alder Tree can play in supporting improvement across the education system.

The national recognition builds on a remarkable journey for the school. Formerly Mill Field Primary School, the school joined White Rose Academies Trust in December 2020 and was renamed Alder Tree Primary Academy following extensive engagement with families and stakeholders. Since then, the school has undergone significant improvement and was judged Good by Ofsted in November 2023.

This latest achievement is a testament to the hard work of pupils, the dedication of staff, and the strong partnerships between school and families. It marks another important milestone as Alder Tree continues to grow and thrive.

We are proud of how far we have come and remain firmly focused on continuing to raise standards, champion disadvantaged pupils and provide an excellent education for every child in our care.

What's Coming up in Spring Half Term 1

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:17:51 GMT

What is Coming up in Spring Half Term 1?

What's Coming up in Autumn Half Term 2

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 15:05:08 GMT

What is Coming up in Autumn Half Term 2?

What's Coming up in Autumn Half Term 1

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:21:37 GMT

What is Coming up in Autumn Half Term 1?

Alder Tree Achieves the Gold Award

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:08:53 GMT

ALDER TREE ACHIEVES THE SCHOOL GAMES GOLD AWARD

We are delighted to announce that we, Alder Tree Primary have achieved the School Games Gold Mark Award for the 2024/25 academic year.

The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.

Our sporting achievements this year include:

Participating in both girls and boys football leagues, taking part in Dodgeball tournaments, attending Tag Rugby events, performing at the Leeds Rhinos Dance Spectacular, starting a partnership with Yorkshire Cricket Club, improving cycling skills in KS1 and KS2 and much more!

With a total of young people competing in local inter-school competitions this year, we are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible.

As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year.

A special thanks to all teachers, teaching assitants and all other members of staff at Alder Tree Primary.

We look forward to applying once again in 2026!

What's Coming up in Summer Half Term 6

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Thu, 22 May 2025 10:01:54 GMT

What is Coming up in Summer Half Term 6?

What's Coming up in Summer Half Term 5

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:59:11 GMT

What is Coming up in Summer Term 3?

What's Coming up in Spring Half Term 2

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:19:10 GMT

What is Coming up in Spring Half Term 2?

What's Coming up in Spring Half Term 1

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:39:16 GMT

What is Coming up in Spring Half Term 1?

Our HT1 Golden Learners

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:30:36 GMT

Golden Learners

Congratulations to our Half Term 1 Golden Learners!

What's Coming up in Autumn Term 2

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:48:03 GMT

What is Coming up in Autumn Term 2?

What's Coming up in Autumn Term 1

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 10:16:47 GMT

What is Coming up in Autumn Half Term 1?

What's Coming up in Summer Term 2

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Thu, 23 May 2024 15:59:15 GMT

What is Coming up in Summer Term 2?

What's Coming up in Summer Term 1

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:42:28 GMT

What is Coming Up in Summer Term 1?

What's Coming up in Spring Term 2

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 13:39:54 GMT

What is Coming Up in Spring Term 2?

What's Coming up in Spring Term 1

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:58:30 GMT

Spring Term 1

We have so many fantastic events on the horizon!

GOLD by the School Games Mark

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 15:28:53 GMT

ALDER TREE PRIMARY RECIEVE GOLD BY THE SCHOOL GAMES MARK!

We are delighted to announce that we, Alder Tree Primary, have achieved the School Games GOLD Mark Award for the 2022/23 academic year. The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.

We are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible. As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year.

It has been lovely for our children to work on their collaboration and confidence skills.

We launched our magazine! Alder Tree Times

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:02:04 GMT

ALDER TREE TIMES

Have you seen the Alder Tree Times? The first edition has just been launched, delivered to our families and placed in shops within our catchment area.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Leeds Printing Company for their generous sponsorship of the first edition of this new magazine. Here is what they had to say:

"At Leeds Printing Company, we believe in the power of community and education. That's why we are delighted to announce our sponsorship of the new magazine for Alder Tree Primary Academy. We believe this magazine will serve as a beacon, bringing the community together by providing valuable information on local services, culture, events, and much more.

By supporting this initiative, we aim to foster a sense of unity and belonging in the catchment area of the school, while also promoting the exceptional work being done at Alder Tree Primary under the stewardship of White Rose Academies Trust.

As a printing company, we understand the importance of effective communication, and we are committed to empowering families and individuals with an informative and engaging magazine. Through this sponsorship, we hope to contribute to the growth and exposure of Alder Tree Primary School, as it plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our children.

Together, with the collaborative efforts of Alder Tree Primary School and the community, we can create a vibrant and connected neighbourhood, where everyone is informed, involved, and inspired to make a positive impact. At Leeds Printing Company, we are proud to be part of this meaningful endeavour, and we look forward to witnessing the profound impact it will have on the local community.”

Please click here to read the magazine. We hope you enjoy reading!

High Performing School Award Scheme

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 15:46:54 GMT

ALL ACADEMIES ACROSS THE WHITE ROSE ACADEMIES TRUST ACHIEVE HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL AWARD ACCREDITATION

The White Rose Academies Trust is thrilled to announce that all four of its schools (Leeds City Academy, Leeds East Academy, Leeds West Academy and Alder Tree Primary Academy) have achieved the prestigious High Performing School Award Scheme (HPSA) accreditation after two years of dedicated work. They are the only schools in Leeds to achieve this award. This significant milestone marks the first step towards becoming world-class schools. The HPSA recognition validates the successful implementation of the High Performance Learning (HPL) philosophy and framework, leading to transformative changes in the culture of the academies and their outcomes.

The HPSA accreditation affirms that the White Rose Academies Trust schools believe that high performance is possible for all students, regardless of background or starting point. The HPL philosophy empowers both teachers and students alike in developing a toolkit of specific skills and behaviours associated with high performance. This accreditation and the ongoing partnership with HPL will support the trust’s aims to offer an education that is truly world-class whilst fostering collaboration and learning amongst a HPL global network of students and teachers.

Professor Deborah Eyre, Founder - High Performance Learning commented: "Receiving this esteemed award is a reflection of White Rose Academies Trust's commitment to ensuring every student can be a high performer, no matter their starting point. The decision to have all four schools in the trust undergo the High Performance Learning Award together demonstrates a powerful, collective belief in creating an environment that nurtures students' holistic development while equipping them with the skills needed for future success. Being accredited as a High Performance Learning Award school is no small feat, and it is a true testament to the efforts put forth by the entire White Rose Academies Trust community.”

At the core of the High Performance Learning approach is the belief that every child has the potential to achieve at high levels. By utilising evidence from neuroscience and psychology, HPL challenges the notion that only a select few can excel academically. The research-backed framework has allowed the academies to develop the ways in which we teach, ensuring that all students in our charge can experience success and build self-belief. This in turn will empower students to take ownership of their education and cultivate lifelong learning skills.

Through the HPL journey, the White Rose Academies Trust has fostered a common language for learning among students, teachers, and parents. This language, based on a proven, research-based, pedagogy led approach, achieved through the life’s work of Professor Deborah Eyre, has revolutionised the way we discuss teaching and learning, creating a more cohesive and informed educational environment.

By weaving HPL into all aspects of academy life, aligning the ethos and framework to provide rigour, coherence, and consistency in the curriculum and teaching methods, HPL enables the development of higher-order thinking skills and success competencies among students. The positive impact extends beyond academic achievements, enhancing student confidence, aspirations, and overall satisfaction.

High Performance Learning Services Ltd, the organisation behind the HPL framework, has already influenced the lives of over 100,000 students and supported the professional development of 8,500 teachers in more than 75 schools across 18 countries.

The White Rose Academies Trust schools have customised the HPL framework to cater to the specific needs of their students and community. The two-year professional development project has led to the adoption of HPL principles, culminating in the academies reaching the required level to achieve the High Performing School Award. The project has fostered trust wide professional development collaboration, allowing teachers to explore and incorporate HPL methodologies into their practice while building professional confidence.

HPL embraces the concept that intelligence can be nurtured and believes in expecting high performance from all students. By aligning with the trust’s commitment to developing well-rounded individuals, HPL equips students with the skills and attitudes necessary for success in learning and life.

The White Rose Academies Trust remains dedicated to increasing the percentage of students attaining highly, regardless of their starting points. The trust will continue to provide the best possible professional development for teachers, prioritise student well-being, and foster an optimistic culture while also engaging parents in supporting their children’s growth at home.

The Principals of the academies within the White Rose Academies Trust commented on their HPL journey below:

“Achieving the High Performance Learning School Award is a culmination of over two years of work by students and staff at Leeds East Academy. This programme has reframed our thinking and provided our young people with a wide range of opportunities and learning experiences. To join a group of schools across the world with this accolade is fantastic for Leeds East Academy and our community. I am exceptionally proud of the journey the academy has been on and continues to be on to provide the best possible experiences for our young people, and most importantly, driving their aspirations and lifting the ceiling on what they believe is possible.”
Danny Bullock, Principal, Leeds East Academy

"Over the past 2 years at Alder Tree our entire school community has worked relentlessly in ensuring rapid improvement for our children. This has been done through ensuring that every child believes in themselves and can achieve their full potential. High Performance Learning has enabled us to look at learning behaviours through the attitudes and attributes that children display to be the best versions of themselves. Whilst using the key performance characteristics to develop their academic outcomes. I am incredibly proud that we have achieved this award, it is a wonderful success of our journey so far. "
Kate Burton, Principal, Alder Tree Primary Academy

“Securing the High Performance Learning School Award is a fantastic achievement and is so richly deserved following over two years of amazing work by the students and staff of Leeds City Academy. This programme has supported and enhanced our work to raise standards both within & beyond the classroom, as students develop into increasingly self-driven & aspirational young people. To join a group of schools across the world with this accolade is fantastic for Leeds City Academy and our community and reflects the vision, ambition & determination of our wonderful young people”.
Richard Chattoe, Principal, Leeds City Academy.

"Achieving HPL accreditation is a proud day for Leeds West Academy, representing the combined efforts of colleagues and students over two years. The philosophy of HPL where all young people can learn without limits and look forward to ambitious futures sits at the heart of what we do every day, and this recognition is something that we will celebrate and continue to drive as we embark on our next phase of our relationship with HPL."
Dan Whieldon, Principal, Leeds West Academy.

Pupil Star of the Week

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 14:05:14 GMT

Pupil Stars of the Week

Congratulations to all of the pupils who received the Star of the Week Award (W/C 27th March) for their fantastic respective achievements!

Below are all of the latest winners, along with which High Performance Learning animal they were:

Golden Learners

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:36:38 GMT

Golden Learners

This week we awarded our golden learners for the term! Congratulations to the children that won the award:

Staff Star of the Week!

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 16:58:10 GMT

Staff Star of the Week!

Congratulation to all of our staff members who have received Staff Star of the Week Award!

World Book Day

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 09:59:45 GMT

World Book Day at Alder Tree Primary

World Book Day saw our children and staff come to school dressed as their favourite character from a book. As part of the day's activities, our children got to vote on their favourite costume, with every winner receiving a book to take home as a prize.

In addition to this, the whole school took part in a game of Consequences. A writing game where there are six parts to the story, all of which are written in secret from the other parts. Each year group had a section to write without knowing what happened before or after their event. All the parts were put together and Mr Foreman read the story...it's quite an adventure.

To hear the whole school story, watch the video below -

Exciting Developments within Early Years

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:04:58 GMT

Exciting New Developments at Alder Tree Primary

We have some really exciting plans for our new Early Years outdoor area here at Alder Tree Primary.

We are proud to be a ‘learning through play’ school as we believe that learning through play is important in helping to nurture children’s imagination and develop key skills such as problem solving and teamwork. We are therefore designing our new outdoor space to support, nurture and inspire your children.

This is a hugely exciting time for Alder Tree and, in addition to the developments outlined above, we have many more to share with you, such as:

We have replaced all the windows and doors to the rear of the school to improve energy efficiency.
The tiled roofs have been repaired and we are currently replacing the flat roofs with improved insulation.
A new community hub for parent events and our after-school club has been built.
We have created a new staff car park to remove cars from the neighbouring streets to create a safer walk to school for children and parents and to ease traffic congestion for our neighbours on Potternewton Mount.
A large number of classrooms have been refurbished with new carpets, lights, ceilings and been painted and we aim to have all remaining rooms completed before September 2022.
We have installed new security fencing to safeguard our students.
We are installing a new daily mile running track on our rear playing field.

To find out more about these developments and improvements, watch the short video below.

We would like to invite you to join us on Saturday 8th January 2022 and see first-hand, the transformation that has taken place at Alder Tree Primary and find out more about our exciting future plans too. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to welcoming you to Alder Tree Primary where our children and staff believe, belong and become.

If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

Alder Tree Partners with Leeds-Based Charity, St. George’s Crypt

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:31:55 GMT

Alder Tree Partners with Leeds-Based Charity, St. George’s Crypt

We are delighted to be partnering with charity, St. George’s Crypt, to help homeless people in the city of Leeds.

The charity, which was founded in 1930, offers care, compassion and hope to the homeless, the vulnerable and those suffering from substance dependence, 365 days a year.

As part of our Global Citizen curriculum, we have been looking at 'Social Justice and Equity', and finding ways to help people who need support. Children have been collecting food and we have been blown away with the amount collected.

Recently, we were joined by Roger and Andy from St. George’s Crypt, who told the children of the amazing work the charity does and gave the children an insight of what it means to be homeless.

They were amazed at the efforts the children had put in to support their clients and really enjoyed speaking to the children.

If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

Open Events

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 09:17:34 GMT

Open Events at Alder Tree Primary

We really enjoyed our first Open Event of 2022! We look forward to inviting even more families to our academy throughout the year.

During our Open Days you will have the opportunity to tour our wonderful school, meet key staff members and see how our school runs each day. We hope it will give you an idea of what the school day would be like for your child if they were to come to Alder Tree Primary.

If you would like to book a personal tour of our academy, please call us on 0113 262 0021.

If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

Our Chosen Charity: Candlelighters

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 10:59:56 GMT

Our Chosen Charity: Candlelighters

White Rose Academies Trust are delighted to announce that Alder Tree Primary’s chosen charity for the year is Candlelighters.

Candlelighters are a Yorkshire children’s cancer charity who do life-changing work to support families through the most unimaginably challenging time.

Not only do they assist with the financial implications of a child’s cancer diagnosis, but also act as a network so that families across Yorkshire who may find themselves in these difficult circumstances can access just the right form of support they need, at any given time.

What does it mean to be ATP’s ‘chosen charity’?

This means that money raised on pupil non-uniform days across the entire academic year will be donated to Candlelighters, as well as money made through other events running per annum, including Halloween trick or treating and a disco.

Rather than just keeping the fundraising exclusive to whole school events, staff at ATP are keen to go the extra mile to raise money for Candlelighters from other possible avenues. Employees have been encouraged to put forward any wonderful fundraising ideas they might have to their principal.

Kate Burton, Principal of Alder Tree Primary Academy commented:

“At Alder Tree Primary we have decided to make Candlelighters our chosen charity of the year. It is a charity that is very close to our hearts having supported members of our school community through difficult times.

“It is now our time to give back to them. We aim to do this with readathons, non-uniform days, staff sponsored walks and many more fun activities. We look forward to working together as a community to raise as much money as we can.”

This charity is very personal to the staff, pupils and families of Alder Tree, who have firsthand witnessed the effects of their transformative work. More information on what Candlelighters do, including how you can make a direct donation, can be found here: Candlelighters - Fighting Children's Cancer.

If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

Year 6 Residential Trip

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 13:24:20 GMT

Year 6 sharing their fun experiences on the residential

If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

Bonfire Night Safety 2021

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 10:37:27 GMT

How to stay safe on Bonfire Night!

With a smaller number of events taking place in West Yorkshire over the Bonfire weekend please attend organised events where possible, or follow the important Bonfire and Firework safety advice if hosting an event at home.

We want everyone to enjoy the bonfire season responsibly. Garden bonfires can so easily get out of control. Not only do these pose a serious risk to yourself, your family and the public, but they also take our crews away from other potentially life-threatening incidents.

However you spend your Bonfire Night, please follow our safety advice:

Just one mistake this Bonfire Night could leave you scarred for life
Keep everyone well away from fires and fireworks – especially children – and keep pets indoors
Avoid drinking alcohol whilst in charge of a bonfire or fireworks
In case of an emergency, keep buckets of water, the garden hose or a fire extinguisher ready
Only children over the age of five are allowed to use sparklers and should be supervised by an adult at all times
Prank 999 calls are a criminal offence

For further details visit the West Yorkshire Fire Service website here .

. If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

Parent Notice - Squid Game

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 09:04:28 GMT

Parent Notice regarding the Netflix TV Series 'Squid Game'

The information in the news story below has been taken from a National Online Safety newsletter.

What is Squid Game?

Netflix’s Squid Game is set to become the streaming service’s most successful show of all time, with huge numbers of viewers taking to social media to discuss each new episode. The South Korean thriller features some scenes of fairly brutal violence and is rated 15 by the BBFC. It follows a group of adults who compete to win innocent-looking playground games, but who are killed if they do not succeed at the tasks.

An unexpected success in terms of viewing figures, Squid Game’s popularity is beginning to spread across various online platforms. There has been a slew of content created – ranging from memes to apps – that convey the violence of the show, so it is important for parents, carers and educators to understand the basis of Squid Game and the potential risks to young people who might be exposed to it.

What are the hazards for children?

Squid Game’s 15 rating has not prevented clips and images from the show being uploaded onto social media sites such as TikTok, with the #SquidGame hashtag being viewed more than 22.8 billion times. There have been reports of children who have accounts on these platforms inadvertently viewing gory, explicit scenes from the programme, and parents and carers should be mindful of the prevalence of these uploads.

The popularity of the programme has also led to online challenges based on various scenes, which see people taking part in seemingly innocent children’s games. On the show, however, characters are executed if they fail in the game – and videos of people pretending to kill each other after competing in Squid Game-style contests are going viral on social media, where they are easily accessible to children.

What is the Squid Game Challenge app?

Squid Game Challenge (also known as K-Game Challenge) is an app for smartphones and tablets that has been released for Android and iOs, and the two systems differ significantly on their age ratings for the game. The iTunes Store rates the app as 12+ (advising of “mild/infrequent horror/fear themes”), while the PEGI rating for Android is just 3+, which means that very young children might be able to download and play the game even with parental controls activated on their device or through Google Play.

The gameplay is frequently interrupted by pop-ups and ads (sometimes appearing while the user is rapidly tapping their screen while attempting to complete the challenge). This could easily lead to unwanted purchases or accidental visits to inappropriate sites beyond the app.

What can trusted adults do?

As a parent or carer, keep a watchful eye on the content that your children are viewing. Speak to them openly and chat about how they have been spending time on their devices; let them ask questions, too. Ensure that the parental controls are activated on your child’s device and that age-restricted child profiles are properly set up any on-demand services available through the family TV (such as Netflix, in this case) to prevent inappropriate content being streamed.

If you see your child replicating the challenges from the show or hear them talking about scenes and characters from Squid Game, it would be a timely opportunity to discuss with them that the programme is not intended for children, that much of the content would be inappropriate for their age, and that the violence in the series is very realistic and often upsetting.

If you are concerned about the things mentioned in this news story, please contact the academy on 0113 262 0021 or email at info@aldertreeprimary.org.uk.

If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

A visit from the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Balfour Beatty and Author Chris Madeley

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 10:13:14 GMT

A visit from the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Balfour Beatty and Author Chris Madeley

Thursday 14th October saw the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Asghar Khan, visit Alder Tree Primary for the soft launch of Cones and Building Bridges, a book written by Chris Madeley featuring Balfour Beatty.

Councillor Asghar Khan was joined by Author Chris Madeley as well as colleagues from Balfour Beatty who feature in this new children’s book.

To introduce this new book, our children from Years 2 – 5 met in the assembly hall to hear from the Lord Mayor who spoke about his journey from arriving in Leeds as a nervous 11-year-old boy to now becoming the 127th Lord Mayor of Leeds.

The Lord Mayor commented “I feel very lucky to be here today at Alder Tree Primary. This is a very important time in your lives, and you are all very lucky to have a primary education.” Cllr Khan explained how he didn’t receive a primary education and emphasised how important it is for our children to take advantage of this opportunity. Cllr Khan went on to discuss the endless opportunities that will be made available to our children if they work hard and listen to their parents, carers, and teachers.

Following on from Cllr Khan, colleagues from Balfour Beatty spoke to our children about careers within the construction industry.

At the end of the assembly our children were able to listen to Chris Madeley read her book which aims to educate children about the world of construction. The children really enjoyed the book and had many questions about the cones’ adventures and the other books in the collection.

Mrs Burton, Principal, said “Myself and the children felt incredibly privileged to be the first people to read this exciting and informative book. We were proud to welcome the Lord Mayor of Leeds to Alder Tree Primary and learn more about his important role working in our city. We look forward to welcoming him back to our academy in the future.”

To find out more about Balfour Beatty, click here: https://www.balfourbeatty.com/

To find out more about Author, Chris Madeley, and the Cones books, click here: https://theconesbooks.co.uk/the-author/

If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

Applying for a Secondary School Place

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 11:07:38 GMT

Applying for a Secondary School Place

It is an exciting time for our Year 6 children and their parents as they choose which Secondary School to attend.

We have been asked by Leeds City Council and Child Friendly Leeds to share some important information with you, to support you with this process. However, if you ever have any questions please do not hesitate to ring our school on 0113 262 0021.

Applications for a Secondary School place are open between 1 August 2021 and 31 October 2021 (national closing date) . There is no advantage in applying early, all applications made by the national closing date are treated equally.

If you live in Leeds, you can apply online at www.leeds.gov.uk/apply.

If you don’t live in Leeds, you must apply to your home local authority (whoever empties your bins) but you can still ask for Leeds schools. We will work with other local authorities if you ask for schools in their area.

The admissions team will be hosting an advice session through the Leeds City Council social media pages on Wednesday 13th October from 12pm - 2pm. Their Facebook page can be found here - https://www.facebook.com/Leedscouncil/

In addition to this, they have produced a new YouTube video for parents to watch - https://youtu.be/WRU1SrS7iJE.

If you have any questions, please contact the school on 0113 262 0021 or call the Leeds City Council admissions team on 0113 222 4414.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about the admissions process can be accessed by clicking here.

If you are looking for a new career opportunity within a value driven organisation, click here to see our current vacancies.

Look to the sky! Announcing our new school name - Alder Tree Primary

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 11:03:37 GMT

Mill Field Primary Academy is to become 'Alder Tree Primary' from September 2021

At 1.45pm on Monday 19th July 2021, an aircraft flew over our school carrying the banner message - 'Alder Tree Primary' - the new name for our school!

This unique unveiling ceremony was witnessed by all of our pupils and staff, who had gathered on the school grounds. The occasion was also marked with a celebratory event which involved dancing, treats, entertainment, painting and a small gift for each child, all provided by the White Rose Academies Trust.

The event marked an exciting new chapter in our school’s history as it begins its rapid improvement journey. The Trust has already worked with the school to develop a new curriculum and improve the facilities.

The school will officially become “Alder Tree Primary” at the start of the new academic year, where we plan to invite pupils, parents and members of the local community to a larger welcome and celebration event on Wednesday 8th September. At this event, all pupils will be provided with free branded uniform items and an Alder Tree will be planted to mark the occasion.

The new brand for the school was developed by the Trust’s own marketing team and the name was chosen following an extensive research and consultation process.

The name ‘Alder Tree Primary’ was by far the most popular with all stakeholders, probably because it has many interesting meanings, mythology and historical references behind it.

‘Alder’ has origins in the local area as Potternewton once included Allerton Gledhow. The name Allerton comes from the Old English alor, an alder tree, in its genitive plural form alra, and the word tūn, meaning 'farmstead of the alder trees'.

The Alder Tree will become a strong symbol for our school: it has a wide variety of inspiring and positive connotations relating to imagination, confidence and strength. When the tree is cut it bleeds a purple shade, which is also the main colour for the school’s brand.

Another popular reason for the school community choosing the name ‘Alder Tree’ is that it is known to be the tree that fairies love! We think that this is perfect name for our primary school with our ‘learning through play’ ethos. This is why one of the activities we ran on the day was painting fairy doors!

Commenting on the special event, Kate Burton, our Principal said:

“We are so thankful to the White Rose Academies Trust for organising this fabulous event today to introduce the new name of the school to our students, staff and also the wider community. The screams of excitement from the children when they saw the new name in the sky were amazing!

“We are now excited to be able to welcome members of our wider community safely to our school site on 8th September, where we will be hosting an even bigger event to launch our new school - Alder Tree Primary!

Commenting on the journey to unveiling the school’s new name, Christian Wilcocks, Executive Principal for the White Rose Academies Trust, said:

“It’s been an exciting journey for the school since December 2020. Our Central Trust Team have been working hard on a full rebrand for the school with many months spent consulting widely with key stakeholders including parents, staff, governors and, of course, most importantly, the pupils.

“The unveiling of the new name is just one milestone on the school’s journey of transformation with many more to come. The school has been on a dramatic journey ever since it joined our family of schools, and we are deeply excited about the future.”

This news was also covered in the Yorkshire Evening Post : https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/education/primary-school-in-leeds-reveals-its-new-name-to-pupils-and-staff-using-an-aeroplane-flying-over-the-playground-3315201

If any members of our wider community wish to joins us for our next event in September, please contact our academy at: office@mfprimary.com.

Leeds Councillor and Executive for Learning Visits Mill Field Primary Academy

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Thu, 13 May 2021 15:20:36 GMT

On Thursday 13th May, we welcomed Leeds Councillor Jonathan Pryor to our school to learn more about our incredible community of young learners and passionate educators.

Councillor Pryor, who is also Executive Member for Learning, Skills, Employment & Equality with Leeds City Council, complimented the new developments and improvements within the academy. He particularly appreciated our school library and the plans for our wellbeing garden, which are expected to be completed by September 2021, in time for the new academic year.

As part of the visit, Cllr Pryor and Kate Burton, Principal of Mill Field Primary Academy, discussed the school’s ambitious plans for its journey of rapid improvement over the next two years and the important role that local representatives can play in community transformation.

The visit also involved meeting with many of our children who were eager to talk about their learning and introduce Cllr Pryor to our newest member: Tim the Toad who sadly was too shy to say hello during the visit.

Kate Burton, Principal, commented "It was a privilege to invite Councillor Pryor to our academy and discuss our ambitious plans. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to build relationships with councillors and individuals who are passionate about improving our communities. We look forward to welcoming Councillor Pryor back to our academy soon."

Thank you, Councillor Pryor, for visiting our academy. If any members of our wider community wish to visit our academy, please contact office@mfprimary.com.

WRAT Community Wellbeing is now available

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 12:21:53 GMT

WRAT Community Wellbeing – digital package

The Trust have put together this special digital package of tutorials with a range of activities accessible for all ages which the whole family can get involved in.

This exciting package releases on the Trust’s private You Tube channel, for access by the WRAT community only, on 1st April and will be available throughout the entire Easter holiday period, to visit as and when you like.

The different activities on offer include a singing tutorial, street dance, family fitness, yoga, a chocolate cupcake tutorial and CV writing skills amongst others.

We encourage the whole family to take part and would welcome seeing pictures and videos of your best efforts or finished project. Please use the hashtag #WhiteRoseWellbeing when uploading to social media, or alternatively please feel free to send these through to trustwellbeing@whiteroseacademies.org confirming in writing that you are happy for the images or videos to be posted on our Trust and/or academies social media feeds.

The Trust really hopes that our brilliant young people and you as their families will find these videos both useful and entertaining during what will hopefully be the last lockdown holiday period, we are keeping hopeful!

Mrs Burton - Principal Blog

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 11:38:07 GMT

Mrs Burton - Principal Blog

Wow what a start I’ve had! On my first day as Principal of Mill Field Primary Academy Mr Boris Johnson announced we were going back into a national lockdown. My immediate response was one of upset as that meant I was unable to meet all the children and families of Mill Field. That first week began by identifying key worker and vulnerable families and closing early for a snow day! This provision has grown week on week and we now have 76 children attending throughout the week. Those children have skipped and bounced into school each morning with huge smiles on their faces and I can’t wait to meet their friends and families over the coming weeks and months as we continue to develop our Mill Field community.

Over the past six weeks I have been faced with many challenges – lockdown and snow to name just two! Each individual challenge has been addressed with a smile on my face, knowing I had the support of my new colleagues around me. I have met colleagues in school and the wider trust who clearly share my passion for ensuring that every child reaches their potential, no matter what obstacles we have to overcome, this has been heart-warming to see.

Alongside colleagues in school, I am incredibly lucky to have been welcomed with open arms into the White Rose Academies Trust, where people check on my well-being, provide support in every aspect ranging from project management to IT support, finance to marketing and also HR, helping me to ensure that my vison will be delivered. This level of additional support from the wider trust is something very new to me and something that has already made a huge difference to the day to day running of school, in a very positive way. Knowing I have additional capacity and support at the end of an email, teams meeting or just the old fashioned telephone is very reassuring.

My first six weeks have been incredible! I have watched and learnt, listened and understood and have been able to start to make plans on how I will move Mill Field Primary Academy forward on the journey that the children and their community deserve. We have some very exciting plans for the immediate future to develop the outdoor space around school. We are going to plant trees and get a new fence to improve the look of school. We have plans in place to develop a staff car park to ensure the streets around school are clear of staff cars. We also have plans in place to build a running track on our school field, develop a wellbeing area with chickens and rabbits and also develop a Key Stage 1 outdoor provision area.

The future is very exciting here at Mill Field Primary Academy and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

Thinking Inside The Box - Time Capsules

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 09:52:04 GMT

Hiding Time Capsules within the school walls

On Friday 12th February our children placed a series of themed time capsules within one of the school's walls.

The wall now contains a time capsule from each year group, from Nursery to Year 6, each containing photos, mementos and letters written by the children to their future selves.

Miss Addyman said “It’s more important than ever to encourage our children to keep positive and keep thinking about the future. Once we can all safely return to the school, our children will be able to feel - just from looking at the walls - that they have the power to make an impact.

“It is a creative activity which brings the whole school together. We love doing activities like this as it gets our children to learn and develop in innovative ways.”

The opportunity came about due to current renovation works at the school, where builders asked if the children would like to leave time capsules before the walls are filled in over the half-term.

Miss Rhodes, Principal, also commented: “We love how the idea came about and how spontaneously it has developed. It is a real testament to the community we have where everyone, even building contractors, want to do the best for our children.

“This will give our children something to hope for and will encourage them to start developing ideas about who they want to be and what impact they want to make on their school and community.

“I joined the school recently and my experience so far has been that our children have many hopes and ideas about the future, especially since the school joined the White Rose Academies Trust. So, it is important to encourage our children to take an active part in the future of the school.”

Welly Wednesday

whitaker.h@whiteroseacademies.org (White-Rose Academies) — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 15:42:16 GMT

Welly Wednesday at Mill Field Primary Academy

Our children love exploring the forest area on a “Welly Wednesday”.

Already this year we have made mud monsters, drilled holes through conkers to make conker caterpillars and even made a fire to toast marshmallows!

What Christmas creations could we make next "Welly Wednesday"?