ADELE Stringer is embracing the challenges that the headship of one of Kirklees’ largest schools brings.
She was thrilled to be appointed head at Mount Pleasant Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Lockwood and is now looking ahead to a positive future.
The 520-strong school has an eclectic mix of pupils and staff with Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic and Polish being the most spoken languages in addition to English.
And the strong sense of community means their are firm foundations for the school to move forward.
“The wonderful thing about this school is that most children are within walking distance.
“The community is wrapped around us,” said Adele.
“Our parents are happy to come into school and our lovely support staff, many from the local area, are keen to move the school forward.
“The children are some of the most charming I have ever met.
“They are curious and polite and very work-orientated. They want to do well and enthusiastic to show what they have learned.”
Staff at Mount Pleasant recently made a visit to a nearby mosque to gain a working insight into the life experiences of the children which they teach.
A “meet the headteacher” session was also held for people to meet Adele and a second is planned next half term.
There is now a strong drive to raise achievement in school.
The school is following the SEAL programme (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning), which aims to build self-esteem and confidence.
To this end, a theme each half-term is used across the whole age range of the school and throughout the curriculum.
“Going for goals” and “New Beginnings” have so far been effectively used with broad themes embracing all cultures.
The school has a strong community cohesion agenda with all faiths being studied and respected.
A recent Eid celebration in school was a huge success with parents commenting “it feels just like Eid in school”.
The school is also aiming to organise a summer fair this year after many years absence.
Year six children are also enthusiastically rehearsing for a school performance of Macbeth.
Adele added: “This is a warm and welcoming place. A school of this size presents big challenges, but these create more opportunities and greater satisfaction at a job well done.”
