Awards shortlist nod for popular primary head
ARECENTLY retired headteacher has been nominated for a national School Superheroes award. Paul Hooton from Southport was nominated by former pupil Ella Marsters for the national awards which have been organised by fintech Miconex alongside the Southport Gift Card, to recognise staff working in schools.
Paul has been the headteacher at Ainsdale St John’s CE Primary School since 2010, and retired on July 21 of this year.
Ella said of her former headteacher: “I started at Ainsdale St John’s in September 2007 in Reception, finishing in Year 6 in July 2014.
“Mr Hooton was firstly our deputy headteacher and then our headteacher and is a fantastic teacher, very fair and a great role model, and he only wants the best for his pupils.
“When I found out recently that Mr Hooton was about to retire, I knew I had to nominate him for this School Superhero award.
‘‘I think it would be a wonderful sendoff for him to win this competition, and also to leave a legacy for Ainsdale St John’s.”
Ella’s mum, Suzanne Marsters, added: “When Ella and some of the other former Ainsdale St John’s pupils heard that Mr Hooton was retiring they decided to club together to buy him a card.
“These are young adults, 17 and 18 years of age. To me, that shows the impact that Mr Hooton has had on their lives, and the values they were taught at the school, such as looking out for one another, kindness and compassion.
“As well as being fair, Mr Hooton also makes learning and being at school fun. Recently, as the Year 6 class wasn’t able to have a planned barbecue due to restrictions, Mr Hooton arranged a water fight for the children instead, showing the children that life will have challenges but that you can adapt to the circumstances. By all accounts, the children had a brilliant time.
“Even though he is the headteacher, Mr Hooton is approachable. Ella bumped into him recently when she was on a bike ride with a friend, and they stopped to chat.
“That’s the kind of person that Mr
Hooton is, never too busy to pass the time of day, he genuinely cares about the children and this shines through. He has a fantastic bond with the children.”
Paul Hooton’s final week at Ainsdale St John’s saw him taking part in three days of activities to mark his retirement, including ‘challenge the headteacher’ activities where he was placed in the stocks and blasted with water balloons by pupils.
The School Superheroes campaign allows any staff member working in a school to be nominated for an award, with one school superhero receiving a £50 Town and City Gift Card for their choice of over 60 schemes around the UK and Ireland, including the Southport Gift Card, with their school or class receiving a £250 cash prize.
Families have until August 31 to nominate their school superheroes who have made a positive contribution to their school community.