Month: February 2024

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Tree planting on LeapDay

It was an absolute pleasure to plant trees with students from Fairfield Primary School alongside our climate champion Julie Harrison.

These 120 tree whips symbolised the end of the planting scheme in Stockton. The students also helped plant more mature fruit trees which will provide residents with free food in the future.

The Stockton Council representatives John, Nigel and Colin told the 9 students all about habitats (for animals, flora and fauna), educated them on the role of sap and helped them identify the different types of trees.

The students now have the skills and ability to plant whip of different sizes with of course the very special task at the end to compact the soils with the ‘penguin walk’.

A great way to spend my extra LeapDay!

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Thank you Cleveland Scientific Institution

Cleveland Scientific Institution funded the printing of the Lottie books which have enabled our EngTog Ambassadors to see 870 students in 36 classrooms across every Tees Valley Borough. In addition this has also enabled 610 extra students to be seen in assemblies plus the books have been used at others events such as Eid Festival and Stockton’s first Youth COP.

As an added bonus these visits have helped facilitate some really great Primary Voice discussions and has today pushed the number of PV students to over 19,000 – quite an achievement!

This work will continue due to the kind donation for a second lot of printing of 700 more books; many thanks.

Read about some of the book reading visits and their impact at

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Apprenticeship Oscar win for Paula

Our chair Paula was given the Apprenticeship Champion Award in this years national awards.

NEAAN Co-Chair, Ian Green, said: “Paula is phenomenally dedicated and supremely talented and I can’t think of a more deserving winner of this national honour.“

Read about it at National honours for North East Ambassadors – North East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (neaan.org.uk)

And during National Apprenticeship Week 2024 consider becoming an ambassador yourself – The Apprentice Ambassador Network – North East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (neaan.org.uk)