For those that live further afield, students can attend Thursday classes at St Nicholas Church in Allestree.

Polly has been running maths and English classes in Allestree for nearly six years now. Many of her students have achieved excellent results at their major exams or promoted to higher sets in their school year.

Chris Jones, Manager of the Middlesbrough Centre, was joined on stage by Mrs M. Cobbold, Headteacher of St Bernadette’s Primary School, who kindly presented certificates and Christmas presents to almost 200 children, with parents and teachers watching proudly from a packed hall. Mrs Cobbold was hugely impressed by the commitment of the students – in particular when she learned that many of the Middlesbrough students have been members of Chris’s class for several years.

The First Class Learning Schools Programme is co-ordinated by Chris Collins of the Hartlepool Centre. Chris was delighted that pupils of St Bernadette’s, St Joseph’s, St Augustine’s and St Clare’s schools were all able to attend.

‘Fantastic…lovely…so proud!’ were typical of the comments from parents as they left the hall after this very special celebration.