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Chesterfield’s Hollingwood Primary School has been selected by Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) at the Department for Education (DfE) to serve as an Attendance and Behaviour Hub, supporting schools across the East Midlands to strengthen their own approaches in these crucial areas.
Mr Chris Stewart, Headteacher at Hollingwood Primary School, credits this prestigious designation as the result of the exceptional commitment, collaboration, and shared ambition of the entire Hollingwood school community.
Chris said, “We are delighted that Hollingwood has been chosen by the RISE DfE to be an Attendance and Behaviour Hub. It’s testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff team and families to give our children the best possible start to education. We are looking forward to sharing the systems that we have developed alongside our multi-academy trust colleagues at the Flying High Partnership, to support other schools across the East Midlands.”
Staff and governors at both Hollingwood and Poolsbrook Primary Academy—its partner school within the federation—joined colleagues from the Flying High Partnership, in celebrating the announcement. Chris said, “The success of our schools is built on the strong partnerships between dedicated staff, supportive families, and the wider community—all united in the belief that every child deserves the very best start to their education.
“This achievement is the result of sustained hard work and a shared commitment to fostering positive relationships, maintaining high expectations, and embedding inclusive strategies that enable all children to flourish.”
Photograph: Adults left to right are Jade Thirkell (Inclusion Lead), Chris Stewart (Headteacher), Ben Lodge (Assistant Inclusion Lead), and Lauren Robinson (Deputy Headteacher) with Hollingwood Primary School children.
As a designated Hub, Hollingwood Primary School, based on Lilac Street in Chesterfield, will now work closely with the RISE Department for Education to offer guidance, model best practice, and support other schools in enhancing their own attendance and behaviour frameworks. In this collaborative approach, the school will contribute its expertise to this national initiative, helping to shape stronger, more connected support systems that benefit pupils across the region, improving outcomes for children well beyond Hollingwood’s own school community.
Photograph: Adults left to right are Chris Stewart (Headteacher), Jade Thirkell (Inclusion Lead), Lauren Robinson (Deputy Headteacher) and Ben Lodge (Assistant Inclusion Lead), with children outside Hollingwood Primary School, based on Lilac Street, Chesterfield.
