Innovative Painsley making a difference
IF YOU send your child to Painsley Catholic College, you can be assured of a five-star welcome.
The Cheadle secondary school has sailed into first place across Newcastle and the Moorlands in our 2020 Real Schools Guide.
The tables look at a wide range of different factors, including academic success.
Last year, 61 per cent of Painsley’s GCSE pupils bagged strong passes in both English and maths. Students also made well above average progress, achieving nearly half a grade higher than expected across eight of their subjects.
Since taking over the former Moorlands Sixth Form College building and establishing its own standalone sixth form, the school has also produced some of the county’s best A-level results.
But the school, rated as outstanding by Ofsted, stresses it doesn’t just prepare young people for exams. Students can also take part in extra-curricular activities and they benefit from excellent pastoral support.
Its pupils have won many accolades, including the West Midlands’ young engineer of the year. And the school was also the first high school in Staffordshire to win ‘gold’ accreditation from UNICEF for respecting children’s rights.
Principal Rachel Waugh said: “We welcome all students to Painsley and, in return, we expect our students to have high expectations and personal standards and embrace any opportunity that comes their way.”
The school also prides itself on being at the forefront of national developments.
Through a maths hub, Painsley has helped to improve the way maths skills are taught across the county.
It has included hosting exchange visits with maths teachers from Shanghai, who have helped train local teachers in the Far East’s world-leading mastery techniques.
The multi-academy company set up by Painsley has also gone from strength to strength. It now oversees 14 schools as far afield as Leek, Cheadle, Stone and Stafford.