Date published: 30 March 2010

Valley school is best in North West

TOP honours were bestowed on Haslingden High School for being the most improved school in the North West.
Headteacher Eve Challinger was invited to attend a glittering awards’ ceremony at Kings Place London on Tuesday (March 23) organised by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT).

There she was presented with a certificate by guest speaker Richard Reeves, director of the independent think tank Demos, in recognition of the improvements made at the school between 2006-2009 to increase the number of students achieving five or more GCSE grades A* to C including mathematics and English. Last year that figure was 74 per cent.

Mrs Challinger said: “I was very proud to accept this award for the achievements of Haslingden High School.

“I believe this award represents and is a fitting reward for all the hard work and commitment both staff and students put in at Haslingden High and also the support we receive from our parents.

“It also reflects the high expectations and the high aspirations we have for our learners and their ability to meet those challenges and return excellent results not only for the school, but, most importantly, for themselves and their future.

“It was a great honour to receive this award on behalf of the whole school.”

Chris Montacute, strategic director of performance at Partnership Networks at SSAT, said: “It is through collaboration with each other, universities, businesses and with the wider local community that schools will deliver year on year improvements so that every young person, whatever their background or location, is given the opportunity to succeed.”

After the secondary school league tables were published, Haslingden High was acknowledged as the ninth most improved school in the country, based on consistently improving GCSE results and an excellent contextual value added score.

Schools’ Minister Vernon Coaker wrote to the school to congratulate staff and students on their ‘excellent success’.

The school has also been selected to benefit from Building Schools for the Future investment, which will see a major redevelopment of facilities. Contractors are expected to start on site in September 2011.

For more information contact Deputy Head Gill Rennard on 01706 215726