New head’s ‘beacon’ aim for Christ the King high
THE academic year is off to an exciting start at Southport’s Christ the King Catholic High School, thanks to the arrival of a new headteacher.
Erin Wheeler is the first female to take the helm at the school, in Stamford Road, Birkdale.
She believes its refreshed building, committed teachers and a summer of successful exam results provide the perfect foundation for her vision to achieve.
Before hosting her first open evening today (Thursday) and welcoming prospective Year 7 students to the school, Mrs Wheeler has revealed her forthcoming changes and future ambitions in the role.
She said the school’s “warm and welcoming” staff and students were among the attractions of the top job.
Bringing 16 years of teaching experience to the role, she is not the only leading staff member to come on board and help strengthen the team this term.
Isobel MacdonaldDavies has joined as chair of governors – again, as the school’s first female in the job – and a new director of mathematics is already said to be making a “massive contribution”.
Reflecting on the 2019 GCSE and A-level outcomes, Mrs Wheeler said: “Christ the King achieved an outstanding set of results which has provided the top start for me, and I’m looking to build
on the success of those summer results.
“I want the school to become a beacon in Southport.”
The head teacher hopes to make strides this year in further establishing it as the “school of choice”, particularly for children moving up from Southport’s Catholic primary schools.
The open evening, to be followed by a sixth form opening evening on November 7, will help set Mrs Wheeler on the path to achieve her wider ambitions of eventually seeing the school oversubscribed.
“Be ready, be respectful and be safe” is a motto that will be used to “encapsulate everything” around the school, she said.
And she said that educating students on using mobile phones and social media with care was an example of learning that would be driven by the approach.
Opening the doors for a whole school Mass and participating in a forthcoming Macmillan charity coffee morning are just some of the ways Christ the King plans to strengthen relationships with the community.
The head hopes to reach out more to existing community members as well as future local residents, with work said to be under way to highlight the school more through housing developers who are building in the area.
Some building work and cosmetic improvements were completed at the school during the summer, and staff and students can expect a brighter environment now that the new academic year is under way.
The open evening tonight will run at 6-8pm. For more information about the school visit christthekingschool.com