Parents and carers will remember that earlier this year our school opened a consultation about converting to academy status. Alongside Romiley Primary School, we also shared plans to form a new Multi Academy Trust (MAT) called the Helix Academies Trust.  

We can now confirm that these plans have all been approved by the Department for Education. This means that the process of academisation will now commence, which is likely to be completed in the Autumn of 2024. We are confident that this positive change will be to the benefit of everyone connected to both schools, and will enable us to continue to improve the quality of education that we currently offer.

We will be in contact with further updates when appropriate.

Best wishes,

Joe Barker (Headteacher) and Paul Cavanagh (Chair of Governors)

All school leaders were asked recently to make students and parents/carers aware of ‘The Big Ambition’. This is a survey set up by the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza. The Children’s commissioner is a non-party political role whose job it is to champion the rights of children across the country. You can find out more about the commissioner’s work on her website here.

The Big Ambition is a survey aimed at all young people to ask them about themselves, their experiences to date and their ambitions for the future. Obviously I don’t know what will come of it, but I’m happy to make everyone aware of it in case students or parents wish to fill it in. The survey can be accessed here.

Finally today a reminder that next Friday (1st December) is a training day for staff. Adults will therefore be in the building but the school is closed to all students. We’re back open as usual from Monday 4th December, through to the final day of term on Friday 22nd December. We’d love to see all students in every day in the run up to Christmas. As I said in assembly this week to most year groups, simply turning up is the most important thing that students can do.

Best wishes,

Joe Barker

I’m into my eleventh year as headteacher at Marple Hall School and therefore I’ve probably written perhaps 400 blogs by now. I have missed the odd week over the years, but not many. Often I’ve used the blog to celebrate an aspect of school life, sometimes I’ve used it to share very practical information (especially during the ‘Covid Years’) and sometimes I’ve had a moan about poor levels of funding or some other aspect of educational policy.

Today’s blog is one of the more functional ones, as I use it to update the community on the issue of Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (or RAAC for short). RAAC is a lightweight building material that was used extensively in council and school buildings between around 1950 and 1990. It was typically used in ceilings. Previously thought to be safe, Government guidance changed in August 2023 and any room where RAAC is present in the ceiling has to be closed until ‘mitigations’ are put in place…which either means propping up the ceiling, installing some extra reinforcement or replacing the ceiling altogether.

Obviously being the headteacher of a school built between around 1958 and 1961 I have been aware of this potential issue for some time. Before the news broke in August our school had already had two independent surveys done, and more recently a third survey has been completed which has confirmed that no RAAC has been found at MHS. This is obviously a relief, but we are in no way complacent. If any further work reveals any RAAC in any part of the site then we’ll take immediate action to safeguard the whole school community.

Unlike some parts of the country RAAC does not appear to have been that widely used across Stockport. It has been found in some schools and school leaders and the Local Authority are working really hard to fix the issues asap. I am not sure if MHS can help at all in this, but if we can then we will. We are all responsible for educating the young people of Stockport and that means pitching in when necessary.

Perhaps though there is a much bigger point here. Governments of all persuasions have neglected the national school estate for decades, to the point that the buildings are now on their last legs. I love our old MHS buildings, and we have looked after them tenderly, but they are very much in need of some investment. I hope that the current national RAAC crisis might just spur our current or future leaders to invest properly in children and their futures.

Have a great weekend,

Joe

This week in assembly the students heard from Mrs Worsley, our Deputy SENDCO and teacher in the Elements resource base. She delivered a great message about the struggles that disabled people have had for equality and recognition from the middle ages to the present day. I learnt a lot, especially about the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 and the people who fought for it. Their stories, and the ongoing fight for equality, were humbling and inspiring in equal measure.

I found myself on Thursday morning looking around me in the hall, sitting as I often do amongst the students. As Mrs Worsley spoke it was clear that the 300 Year 10 students present were taking her message very seriously indeed, listening politely and attentively. MHS has a growing reputation for inclusion and I am very proud of it – and especially as the students themselves are instrumental in driving this agenda. Everyone matters at our school regardless of their background or ability, as we embrace our comprehensive ethos and try to unite everyone under the Marple Hall Spirit.

I wish you all a peaceful weekend,

Joe Barker

Someone reminded me yesterday that not long before half term we were all commenting on the unseasonably warm weather – 22 degrees in early October, for example. Well, I can safely say that this week has proven that Autumn has arrived and winter is on its way. One of the best things about our school are the generous grounds that the schools is built on, giving everyone here space to spread out and enjoy some fresh air. It’s wonderful for almost all the year, but less so when it’s freezing cold or chucking it down. Suddenly the walk from MFL to Maths, or vice versa, looks a lot less appealing! We obviously want to make sure that students are dry and warm when in their lessons and of course they are welcome to wear coats around the school site, but just a reminder that hoodies or non-school jumpers are not allowed.

This week in assembly Mrs Lawton has been delivering her second of six ‘reading’ assemblies. Mrs Lawton, alongside Miss Shakeshaft, Mrs Beirne and Miss Goodall, lead our whole school reading programme. She also delivers excellent assemblies! This week she has been promoting the ‘horror’ genre of books to the students, complete with telling her own ghost story handed down from her gran. If you live with an MHS student then ask them to tell you the story – it’s terrifying!

All the research tells us that the two best ways to succeed at school are to read and to turn up to school every day. Surely when the weather is horrible then there’s no better time to pick up a book.

Have a great weekend

Joe Barker