A Decade of Real-World Learning: How Dame Dorothy and the Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust are Opening Doors for Children

For almost ten years, Dame Dorothy Primary School has been working with the Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust to give its pupils more than just classroom knowledge. Together, we’ve been building memories and futures through hands-on, real-world experiences.

Based just a stone’s throw from Sunderland’s St Peter’s Campus, Dame Dorothy serves a mix of families from different backgrounds. Some children have access to plenty of opportunities outside of school, others don’t, which is where the support from the Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust makes a real difference.

Headteacher Iain Williamson has seen the impact first-hand. He said: “The purpose of it is to offer opportunities and experiences to children. Because we serve quite a mixed background, mixed socio-economic background in families, many of whom haven't had the chance to improve further education, things like that, we give them lots of different opportunities, to get chances to have regular trips”.

Over the years, that support has taken many forms:

• Year 3 pupils visits to Broom House Farm three times a year, getting to see lambs being born in spring, harvest activity in summer, and different work happening across the seasons.

• Year 5 taking part in a rivers project with Wear Rivers Trust, learning about the local environment.

• Year 6 students enjoy a trip to Lambton Estate — always a highlight — and a select group now even join an overnight residential along the River Tyne.

These aren’t just fun days out, they’re experiences that deepen learning and raise aspirations.

Mr Williamson said: “Most of our children would never visit a working farm if it wasn’t for these trips. It gives them real life experiences, and they are then able to take those experiences and talk about them, which provides a wealth of new opportunities and experiences for the children.”

He gave a simple example, asking children to describe walking across a muddy field in winter.

Mr Williamson said: “They can talk about the feel of the mud, the cold, the birds, the sound of the wind. It’s no longer just imagination, it’s lived experience.”

Over time, these experiences stack up. Pupils start to believe they belong in wider spaces in nature, in cultural settings, even in conversations about their futures.

From Boots to Belonging: How the Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust Helps Every Child Take Part

Enrichment isn’t always about big ideas, sometimes, it’s about small things like warm coats, dry socks, and wellies that fit.

At Dame Dorothy Primary School, those little things have had a big impact. Through its long-running partnership with the Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust, the school has been able to offer meaningful, real-world experiences to all children and not just those who can afford it.

Headteacher Iain Williamson is clear: practical support has been just as important as the trips themselves.

Mr Williamson said: “When we take the children to the farm or out into the woods, it’s not enough to just organise the bus, we get things such as the supplies of Wellington boots from the Trust. When we have our children go in the farm, or in early years ages wanting to play outside in the winter months, it's nice to have appropriate footwear to use.”

That kind of support has removed barriers. Children who might otherwise have stayed behind, whether due to cost, weather, or lack of equipment, have been able to join in fully. The school even keeps a stock of extra clothes to make sure no child misses out.

Mr Williamson added: “There’s a dignity in it. If a child turns up without the right gear, we don’t make a fuss, we just help them out quietly. That’s only possible because we’ve had this partnership.”

Over the years, the relationship between the school and the Trust has grown. What began with a conversation has turned into a full calendar of activities and ongoing support, from careers sessions to river walks and residentials.