One final blog before we bring the curtain down on 2024-2025. It’s been a strong year for the school – rising attendance, positive attitudes to learning and real success out of the classroom too – as well as ticking off the Academisation process and attracting literally millions of pounds of investment in our site and buildings. Thank you to everyone who has supported the school this year, to all the students for making our school what it is, and of course to the wonderful staff.
Before I go, I wanted to remind everyone that we are not running enrichment week in the same way next year. Instead, usual school lessons will continue right up to the final week of term. The very last week will be when our normal end of term events take place; celebration assemblies, sports day, spark evening and Spark Day. These are really popular activities and we will therefore be ending the year on a high.
I wanted to raise this now as I know that presently some families book holidays in Enrichment Week. Please don’t do this as there will be no Enrichment week in 2026, and so I am really hoping to have as many students as possible in school for the final week of next academic year.
I am sure that everyone knows by now that our amazing Under 15s girls football team are the new English Schools FA Cup Champions! The girls capped off a magical season by winning the treble in style – Stockport, Manchester and now National champions too. The girls played with passion, spirit, determination and a respect for the opposition that is common to all MHS sports teams.
A remarkable run for a remarkable team, and thoroughly deserved. Opponents Kings Langley were a really strong team and are a school with an equally ambitious outlook for their students, it was great to share the pitch and the stands with them. Team MHS were supported so well by the travelling family and friends, and of course by the 44 students who made their presence known in the stands. Outnumbered but certainly not outvoiced, the chants from team MHS were non-stop and so supportive. Not only that, but the whole school got behind the team with the game live streamed into every classroom and our halls over lunch. My colleagues tell me that they have never felt an atmosphere like it at MHS, the whole school site reverberating to the cheers when the teams came out, when Penny scored her two amazing goals, and at the final whistle. As one boy said to Miss Gregory: ‘This is a really mint day for our school isn’t it, miss. I’m really glad I come here!‘ I wish I could have been in two places at once to feel what it was like in school as well as by the pitch.
It was an excellent all round performance with solid defence, great goalkeeping, creativity in attack and a determination perhaps best shown my Katie Turner dragging herself to her feet to clear the ball at in the closing minutes whilst struggling with cramp. The match is still available to watch online with professional level commentary throughout – what a treat for the players and families. One highlight of many around 29.30 into the stream…”Ooooh what a goal that is! Penny Hallos take a bow. That is quite superb!’ It’s well worth a watch and is available here: www.youtube.com/ESFATV
Thank you to everyone who has supported this team, and supported sports at MHS in general. Thanks to your help, we have managed to raise close to £1500 (on top of the costs of travel to the game) to further support sports in the future, and to build on the inspiration that the U15 have given us. I absolutely love what this team of girls has done for MHS, they have brought us together more than anything else, and I could not be any prouder of our school than I am this week.
But…it’s the end of term (almost) and it would be remiss of me not to mention to other fantastic events taking place this week
Celebration assemblies for each year group, a KS3 Sports Day yesterday with brilliant support for those taking part, a wonderful Spark Night last night – the best attended ever – and our annual Spark Day which is due to start in about an hour from now. The school is looking great, the stalls are being set up, the staff and students are up for it and the sun is shining…it promises to be a fantastic afternoon. What a wonderful way to end the term!
I’ll be in touch one more time next week before the break, but for now I wish you all a great weekend and, for those going away, safe travels during enrichment week.
A bonus blog this week to advertise the fact that our brilliant Under 15s football team, captained by Madison Cox, are playing in the FA Cup final tomorrow against Kings Langley School from Hertfordshire. We’re taking a coachload of fans with us, and there’ll be plenty of family members there too to cheer on the girls.
The game kicks off at 1pm and will be broadcast live on Youtube free of charge via this link: http://www.youtube.com/ESFATV Students in school will be able to watch the game too!
Turn up and read – my favourite four word phrase, and in many ways the secret to success at MHS. I have a slightly amended version today, which is specifically for the summer holidays. It goes something like ‘stay off and read*’.
It’s no secret that we massively promote reading at MHS, and the good news is that the effort we are making is paying off. The number of books borrowed from the Hub (Library) is growing in every year group, especially in Years 7 and 8. More students are aware of the different recommended reading books in the subjects, and there’s growing uptake of the reading challenges and the books promoted by Mrs Lawton in her excellent assemblies.
Maybe the summer break is the time to get a reluctant reader back on track, and if so then we have a load of resources here to help. You’ll find details of some excellent books in the student link below, especially the ‘Hooked from Book One’ list which promotes the first book in different series. Get your son or daughter hooked on one of these books and they’ll be away. As you’ll see we have also set a summer reading challenge for Years 7 and 8, and every student who has been in a recent Hub lesson will have been given a challenge card to take home. Any support in completing it would be amazing, and further help for parents and carers can be accessed below too.
‘The Ultimate School Reading List’ [all the stories recommended across the curriculum on World Book Day, covering all years.]
‘Hooked From Book One’ [the 12 books from Mrs Lawton’s assemblies this year, including six recommendations for Years 7 and 8, and six more for Years 9 and 10]
Y7 & 8 Summer reading challenge – an exclusive prize is up for grabs!
So, this summer, why not ‘stay off and read!’*
Have a great weekend
Joe Barker
*Strictly holidays only!!
FIND US
Marple Hall School
Hill Top Drive
Marple
Stockport SK6 6LB
Headteacher: Mr Joe Barker
