Subject Leader English

Heckmondwike Grammar School is a unique school, with students who are eager to learn, keen to know more and want to enjoy their educational experiences. It is exceptional in many ways: a very diverse school community that produces results of the highest quality. We work effectively with the young people, really care about them and their futures and have an ultimate success measure of enabling them to proceed to where they want to go. Excellent relationships between staff and students are the norm, expectations are high and students perform very well as a consequence.

We are delighted to have been named “Secondary School Of The Year”, “Soaring 57 places in the UK rankings to 77” out of approx 6000 secondary schools (state and independent)  in the latest Sunday Times Parent Power Guide.

And for the second year running we are ranked No 2 in the North of England.

This is a fabulous accolade to the whole school community and just reward for years of hard work from staff, students and indeed parents.

The survey includes both GCSE and A level results and is nationally noted as a true measure of school performance using metrics of most interest to parents when selecting a school.

“Such accolades are very pleasing and we are delighted to be recognised, but they only come about because of the week in week out hard work from students and staff and I salute my colleagues and students, they are an exceptional team.” Mr Roberts, Headteacher.

Misbehaviour is rare; and excellent relationships between staff and students are the norm: teachers are able to ‘get on and teach’. Working here is still challenging, however, but in different ways: expectations are high and potential applicants will need to be able to operate effectively in a top performing environment. However, one of the principal joys of working at this school is our eloquent and motivated students. Consequently, outcomes are amongst the very best in the country, and this is the result of able cohorts being provided with high quality teaching that is supported by strong pastoral care for each student. The school is justifiably proud of the focus on academic attainment and knowledge of each individual that enables education to be tailored to every student’s needs; but also prioritises the support it provides to enable any barriers to progress to be addressed. The focus is and will always remain teaching and learning in the classroom, with staff training and development being the main means of achieving this end.

The school is very popular and heavily oversubscribed, with well over 800 students applying for entry into Year 7 each year- and a similar number applying to join the sixth form. This has led to an increase in provision over the last three years as the school has expanded from 150 students in Year 7 to, this coming year, 210. Accompanied by one of the largest comprehensive sixth forms in the country of approximately 500, this provides great opportunities for staff to practise their craft to the highest level while also gaining a wide experience of teaching different year groups and courses. The sixth form includes an equal number of students who join us from other local schools, and consequently collaboration is very important to us. We work in partnership with an extensive group of schools and have a significant reputation both locally and nationally. This means we offer our staff opportunities to be involved in professional development on a larger scale and see it as a sign of our high quality when members of our community are promoted to posts elsewhere, or progress internally. As a result, all staff feel very privileged to work here and to work with our young people.

Further information about the school including main school and sixth form prospectus may be found on the school website at www.heckgrammar.co.uk