Reporter: Catherine Smyth
Date online: 17 May 2010

AFTER eight years at the helm of the Valley’s only sports college, Mark Smallwood is leaving to become head of a grammar school. 

The Fearns Community Sports College head will begin working at one of the first trust schools in the country – Sale Grammar – in September. 

When he took over as head of the Stacksteads school in 2002 it was a high school where students achieved 26 per cent of GCSE grades A* to C. As he prepares to depart the sports college, pupils achieve 57 per cent GCSE grades A* to C. 

“I will definitely miss the children, they are a fantastic group and I will miss all the staff, who have been brilliant” he said. “This was my first headship and I have enjoyed every minute that I have been at Fearns but I am now looking forward to a new and different challenge. 

“We have taken great pride in the school ethos of celebrating achievement and I am proud that pupils aim to be the best they can be. Students have doubled their achievement in GCSEs. "I think now, after eight years, it is time for a change both for myself and for Fearns – for a new head to take over the reins. 

The school became a sports college in 2004 and Mr Smallwood’s vision for improving the educational environment has seen the construction of a competition-size movement hall, a new dining hall, a state of the art artificial pitch and an equestrian centre.
He changed the uniform adding black sweatshirts for year 11 students and a school blazer. Three house teams MacArthur, Bannister and Hillary were introduced reflecting the school’s mantra Further Faster Higher and regular team challenges are held throughout the year. 

Mr Smallwood met Prince Charles when the school was awarded a kite mark from the Prince’s Teaching Institute. On a political level he has welcomed both Gordon Brown to Fearns and the new Prime Minister David Cameron, and has met past and present Education Secretaries Ed Balls and Michael Gove and established international links with Russia, China and Malaysia. 

His new school only acquired trust status in February and the present head is retiring. Sale Grammar is partnered with the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester Metropolitan University, Wythenshawe Hospital Trust, education suppliers Findel Plc and the charity LIME. 

It is larger than Fearns having 1,260 students with 315 of those in the sixth form.
Mr Smallwood added: “When this opportunity came along I just couldn’t resist it, it is a chance to do something completely new and exciting.” 

Governors will be interviewing for a new head later this term and it is hoped Mr Smallwood’s successor will be in post as soon as possible.