Member Article

New Head Teacher promises a new era for Great Wyrley Academy

The new Head Teacher of Great Wyrley Academy is promising to transform it into one of the best performing secondary schools in the area after it formally became part of the hugely successful Windsor Academy Trust (WAT).

Ian Moreton, who has nearly twenty years’ teaching experience, used the start of the academic year to outline ambitious plans to make sure that all 600 of its pupils achieve their potential, both academically and personally.

The former Deputy Head at Windsor High School and Sixth Form has already spent nearly £100,000 on a comprehensive internal refurbishment project to create better learning spaces and introduced a brand new curriculum designed to improve GCSE and A-Level results.

As part of the new approach, a new twelve-point pledge has been made so that every student will have the opportunity to raise money for charity, visit the sea, present to 30 or more people and sleep under the stars.

They will also become a first aider, take part in a musical or sporting event and experience what a higher education establishment looks like.

“School has to be about more than just getting grades…we need to give our young people real life skills and experiences that will benefit them as they start work and get older,” explained Ian, who leads a senior leadership team comprising four experienced Assistant Head Teachers.

“That is what our pledge is all about. We want our pupils to be motivated, gain practical experience and have an outstanding education – that’s why the decision was made to join Windsor Academy Trust.”

He continued: “This gives us access to fantastic resources, the experience of high performing schools and the ability to bring in experts from inside WAT to mentor our own staff and introduce new ideas and systems that will transform our performance.

“This is more than just a name change for Great Wyrley Academy; this is a new school and a great place for young people to study and gain valuable life skills. We’ve got a three-year plan to be among the best performing schools in Staffordshire… it is ambitious, but I’m confident we can achieve it.”

Great Wyrley Academy currently has 600 pupils learning at the school, including 75 in its Sixth Form which partners with Cheslyn Hay High School.

It also boasts one of the best indoor theatres in the area, its own swimming pool, gymnasium, fitness suite and outdoor football pitches.

In addition to the twelve-point pledge and the enhanced curriculum, the school has also introduced a new behaviour policy that students will adhere to and personal development plans for all of its teachers.

“We are the eighth school to join Windsor Academy Trust and this represents a massive opportunity for us. They have a fantastic educational blueprint in place that delivers results, but also allows the individual schools and students to carve their own identity,” added Ian.

“One of the big things we want to do this year is play a much more active role in the local community, building relationships with local employers and opening up our facilities. This will also help us give students the opportunity to support more community groups and charities.”

He concluded: “This has already started with ‘Wyrley in the Park’, where we invited lots of primary schools down to sing, enjoy games, food and local bands. It was a great success and we want this to be the start of a more sustained campaign.”

Great Wyrley Academy is hosting its annual Open Evening on 3rd October (between 6pm and 8pm), which includes a Head Teacher’s address, school tours and live science, music and PE displays.

There will also be two ‘Drop-In’ mornings the following week (8th and 9th October), where parents can enjoy a tour of the school.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .