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ONE of the top-performing schools in South West Durham is opening its doors to prospective pupils and their parents this month.

Whitworth Park Academy in Spennymoor is holding an open evening so that year 6 pupils can see what the school has to offer, on their progression to secondary.

The academy is a warm, welcoming and hard-working community striving for ‘Excellence for Everyone’, which wants children to leave school having not only maximised their academic progress, but also with the social and personal skills needed to benefit from what the world has to offer them.

The school has seen a large improvement in English and Maths exam results compared to previous years, and a recent HMI monitoring visit deemed that the senior leadership team was taking effective decisions to move the school forwards. They also concluded that the School Development plans were fit for purpose.

The school culture has improved, and school attendance has increased, while the persistent absence rate has decreased.

Headteacher, David Stone, said: "This is an exciting time to be at Whitworth Park. With the recent Academisation process being completed, excellent summer exam results, and a recent positive OFSTED visit, the school is now in a position to call itself one of the top-performing schools in South West Durham, and has aspirations to become one of the highest performing schools in the Local Authority.

"Anyone visiting our school will see how a focus on challenging learning and a drive to create a culture of respect for everyone, has accelerated the development of the school and allowed the school to flourish to become an outstanding place to study.”

Whitworth Park Academy values honesty; hard work; success; inclusiveness; good examination results; self-belief; self-discipline; taking responsibility, and respect for everyone. These values have helped to create a vision for the school which is one that:

• Is truly student-centred

• Places learning and teaching at its heart

• Has the highest expectations of its students

• Ensures its students are safe and secure and has an atmosphere of mutual support and respect The open evening will allow potential students and their parents to appreciate the excellent facilities and commitment of the staff to ensuring that pupils are happy, hard-working and fulfilled.

The evening is being held on Thursday, September 27, from 6pm onwards. The Headteacher, along with an executive officer from Advance Learning Partnership, will address parents and potential students, and then there will be the opportunity to look around subject departments and to experience the pastoral care in the school house system.

Looking round the curriculum areas will give students an idea of what to expect when they join the school, and there will be dedicated Teaching & Learning, and Pastoral stands for parents wanting more individual information.

Whitworth Park Academy, Whitworth Lane, Spennymoor, Co. Durham, DL16 7LN Telephone: 01388 824800 www.whitworthpark.org.uk