Honley High School has officially celebrated converting to a Co-operative Trust school.
Clr Paul Kane, the Deputy Mayor of Kirklees, cut the ribbon in a symbolic gesture to mark a new ethos and status for the 1,200-pupil secondary school.
The school is now being run by the charitable Honley Co-operative Learning Trust. The move was made by the school’s governing body after four months of consultation.
Co-operative Trust schools are state-funded schools linked to the Schools Co-operative Society, which supports common ownership - ‘mutualism’ - and a democratic process where local people have a say. Each school allows pupils, teachers, parents, local people and employers to become members of the trust, forming a community-based organisation.
Honley High’s governors and Trust partners, including Eric Syrajanen from Cummins Turbo Technologies and Chris Reeve of Locala Community Partnerships, set out their vision for how the move would improve learning opportunities for young people and benefit the wider community.
Jan Wallis, Chair of governors and the new Trust, said: “We have three main objectives as a Cooperative Learning Trust: to advance the education of learners at the school, to advance the education of learners in the community, and to work with our community to mutual benefit.
“This is a great opportunity for Honley High School and the community it serves.”
Throughout the event there was a clear focus upon collaboration and cooperation, with the focus on what could be achieved together.
This was reinforced by a presentation by the head girl, Alice Scholes, and lead prefect, David McGowan, who spoke of their excitement at the new Trust.
The launch was followed by the official opening of the School Library by the Deputy Mayor, made possible with help from One17 Design.
The event showcased projects such as Growth Mind-set, providing learning for local people, as well as Tanzanian Expedition 2015 and Two Valleys Radio community project. It also provided an opportunity for prospective partners, parents and members of the local community to discuss getting involved in future projects
Clr Kane said: “It is fantastic to hear about the vision and values of Honley High School and how it is moving learning forward. More importantly, an event like this really engages with the broader community and gets the message out there.”
Headteacher, Paul Greenough added: “The library should be at the heart of the school just as Honley High should be at the heart of our community. The intention of investing in the library was to foster a life-long love of reading and study in our current learners and for generations to come.”
