Popular Author Dan Smith Opens Our New Reading Room
September 24th, 2025A BEST-SELLING author paid a visit to a Sunderland school to help encourage a love of reading and writing.
Regional writer Dan Smith also opened The Reading Room, a new learning space, when he visited Venerable Bede CE Academy in Ryhope.
Dan, who writes thrillers for adults and adventure stories for young people, talked to the pupils about his life and how his love of reading turned into a full-time role as a novelist. Although born in Stockton-on-Tees, Dan spent some of his childhood in Washington and Durham, before settling in Newcastle with his family.
He had a wide variety of jobs, including dish washing and detecting social security fraud before his first book was published in 2012. Since then, he has written a series of popular books for children and adults, including the Crooked Oak Mysteries trilogy and Big Game, which was made into a Hollywood movie starring Samuel L. Jackson.
The latest in his popular series of Night House books was released earlier this month.
Dan said he enjoyed writing for children and adults equally, but he particularly enjoyed his interactions with young people when visiting schools. On his visit to Venerable Bede, he answered pupils’ questions as well as signing copies of his books.
“I hope to inspire young people to read, both through my books and through my life story. Reading isn’t just good for you; it opens up new worlds and new ideas and it’s so important that young people don’t just see books as a means of study. If me being here today inspires just one person, then that would be a lovely thought.” he said.
He added that he was impressed with the school’s new Reading Room.
“It’s a great environment in which young people can catch the reading bug,” he said.
Venerable Bede is part of Northern Lights Learning Trust, which is made up of seven primary schools and three secondary schools, including Benedict Biscop CE Academy, Dame Dorothy Primary and Holley Park Academy.
The Trust’s Teaching and Learning Lead, Zoe Thompson, worked with Venerable Bede’s Tracey Burgess on the design of The Reading Room.
Speaking at its launch, Zoe said: “We wanted to give our pupils a real experience when using The Reading Room – we wanted to create a learning space that they enjoyed being in, somewhere with the Wow factor. Judging by the reaction of the students so far, we’ve succeeded.”
Head of School, Tracey Burgess added: “It’s important to create the right learning environment and we wanted to inspire our pupils to further their reading. The Reading Room is perfect, it’s a learning space, but doesn’t feel like a classroom.”
Check out our Socials (QRs below) for more on Dan’s visit, including a brilliant workshop where our students enthusiastically took the opportunity to engage with their creative writing!
New Initiative to Increase the Volume of Our Students’ Voice
September 24th, 2025AN innovative student leadership programme aims to improve the pupil voice at a Sunderland school.
The programme builds on a previous scheme at Venerable Bede CE Academy in Ryhope, where 12 Year 11 pupils have been appointed to leadership positions – four Senior Prefects and eight Deputy Senior Prefects.
The Senior Prefects have been assigned specific areas of responsibility – such as Community, Enrichment and Pupil Wellbeing. Each Senior Prefect has two Deputy Senior Prefects working with them.
Ben L, 15, and Lara W, 15, are among those appointed to Senior Prefect positions.
Lara said: “I really appreciate what the school has done for me, how it has helped develop me, and I think this is one way of giving something back.”
Lara’s area of responsibility is Pupil Wellbeing: “It’s really important that pupils in school who might have mental health issues feel that there is someone there for them, someone they can talk to.”
Lara felt her work outside of school – working with adults and children at Whitley Bay Ice Rink – will help her in her role.
Ben has been given the area of Community to focus on. He said: “I think it’s important for the school that is has good relationships with places and organisations within the community we’re part of, and I hope to help with that.
“I hope to visit places like retirement homes and other places, and I also want to help new students with the transition into their new school and surroundings.”
The student leadership programme team was appointed after interviews with Head of School Tracey Burgess, who said: “Every pupil we interviewed was fantastic – their confidence levels and vision as to how the programme can give the student body a louder voice were very impressive. The way they’ve started has been beyond our imagination, and I’m so proud of their commitment and ambition for the school.”
To identify the new team, Senior Prefects wear specially-designed gold ties, while Deputy Senior Prefects wear turquoise ties.
Mrs Burgess has regular meetings with the Senior Prefects and then the whole student leadership team to get feedback and plan strategy.
Mrs Burgess added: “They play a major role in school, and in outward facing events too – such as our Open Evening on Thursday, September 25 at 4.30pm – so they’ll be ambassadors for our school too.”
“We had a previous scheme in place last year, but we wanted to extend this to have a greater impact in the school, with particular areas of focus identified.”
Two of those Senior Prefects from last year were twins Sam and Alex Greenwood, who, between them, achieved 19 Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and two Level 2 distinctions in their GCSE exams.
Mrs Burgess said she was delighted with Sam and Alex’s achievements, and with the school’s GCSE results as a whole.
“Out total achievement rates for English and Maths at grade 4+ increased by 18 per cent on last year, while our high grade performance (grade 5 or above) for both English and Maths increased from 22 per cent to 39 per cent. Our results show a huge improvement on last year and were in line, or above, what we had forecast.
“I’d like to thank both students and our staff for working so hard to achieve these results. We’ve started the new school with real energy and there is a real vibrancy around the school with the new Year 7s settling in very quickly.”
National Apprenticeships Week 2025, 10th – 16th February 2025
February 10th, 2025
Venerable Bede CE Academy is proud to once again support National Apprenticeship Week!
National Apprenticeship Week 2025 is the 18th annual celebration of apprenticeships. The week brings together everyone passionate about apprenticeships to celebrate the value, benefit and opportunity that they bring.
We encourage everyone to consider how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and employers to develop a workforce with future ready skills.
Apprenticeship Quiz
Apprenticeship Arcade
The Apprenticeship Short Film
Watch this 7-minute film and discover the benefits of apprenticeships. Find o ut the answers to come key questions around apprenticeships and discover what you can expect and the range of opportunities available.
Searching for an Apprenticeship
Our Social Network Links
October 19th, 2024
VB Open Evening 2024 – Thursday 26 September
September 16th, 2024
We’re so excited to announce that our Year 5 and 6 Open Evening will be held on Thursday 26 September, 4:30-7:00pm. We have a joyful, engaging, and fantastic evening planned… definitely a date for your diary! We’d love to see you there!
Summer Community Concert 2024
June 17th, 2024TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
Venerable Bede CE Academy is delighted to once again have the exciting opportunity to work with other schools within our community and host an exciting concert during the summer term. The performance will take place on Wednesday, 3 July 2023, at 6pm (doors open no earlier than 5.30pm).
Tickets are available via ParentMail. Please contact the school office for further information.
