Searching for a Strapline

Even only irregular readers of my blog over the past four months will know that I have spent a lot of time talking about the Marple Hall Spirit. We’ve done a great deal of work over that time re-awakening the Marple Hall Spirit, which we felt had gone to sleep a little in the slow and stunted journey out of covid.

We think we’re making good headway and it’s great to see students engaging with the various ways in which we are promoting our school ethos. However, I can’t get away from the fact that the current cohorts of students weren’t with us in 2016 when the Marple Hall Spirit was created. The same apples to plenty of staff, and no doubt loads of parents too.

So, whilst we are not looking to re-write the Marple Hall Spirit, there is a very important piece of work that we can do together. Alongside the Marple Hall Spirit sits our school ‘strapline’ – a short and pithy statement that is supposed to sum up what we are and what we believe in. Think Nike’s ‘Just do it’ or Tesco’s ‘Every little helps’. Our current strapline is ‘Our community, Our Future’.

It was written in 2013 and whilst it does a good job of summarising some of the things we believe in, it doesn’t really hit the mark. A good strapline is one that can be used regularly by everyone in the organisation, should be positive and uplifting, and should inspire people to action. As worthy as ‘Our community Our future’ is, I have hardly ever (never) used it in general conversation with a student, parent or colleague. It isn’t an action or something that can be used as encouragement to act in a certain way.

Therefore the Governors and I have agreed that we’re looking for a new strapline, and we have begun the process of creating a long-list of possible options. Eventually we’ll ask all students and staff to vote on their favourite, probably in September so the new Year 7s can take part, but for now we’re at the idea generation stage. So far I have over 100 ideas collected from staff, governors and a group of 80+ student volunteers. Now it’s your turn. If you can think of a great strapline that sums up what we are trying to achieve at Marple Hall School, or what it is we care about most, and especially if it is something that we can use to inspire young and old alike…then please let me know. Feel free to email me directly at joe.barker@marplehall.stockport.sch.uk and I’ll add your thoughts to the list.

Many thanks!

Joe Barker

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