Open evening at Calder High School on October 6

The Calder Learning Trust, which runs both Calder Primary School and Calder High School, at Brier Hey Lane in Mytholmroyd just outside Halifax, has a proven track record of high academic performance balanced by a strong extra-curricular and well-being offer and a commitment to promote and develop excellence in sport, the creative arts, digital media – or whichever path their young people need to follow to ‘realise their dreams and aspirations.’

The Calder Learning Trust has continued to deliver examination success significantly above the average for other schools across the Yorkshire and Humber region and nationally.

Staff support pupils

Ofsted inspectors who visited the Trust earlier this year reported that “staff support pupils to achieve well” and that “expectations of ALL pupils are high”.

Inspectors made particular note of the high-quality pastoral care that all pupils across the trust receive that “ensures that pupils get the social and emotional support they need” and commented on the strength of relationships between staff and pupils. Students and pupils told inspectors that they were given lots of “opportunities to express their views freely” and felt listened to and supported by their school.

Commenting on the report, headteacher Anthony Guise said: “Our recent inspection formally recognises the exceptional quality of education we provide across the trust.

“It was pleasing that inspectors recognised the challenges that we have all faced over recent times and that it had not dampened our collective enthusiasm to drive the improvements in standards that the Calder Learning Trust is now credited with.”

Positive attitude to learning

Ofsted inspectors noted that the trust’s “well sequenced and ambitious curriculum allows pupils to know and remember more” and “pupils’ positive attitudes to learning” have translated into another set of strong examination results: maintaining its position as one of the most successful schools in the local area.

The early years curriculum is built around books: staff use this model to engage children in their learning and help them discover the wider world around them including in their 'welly Wednesday’ Forest School sessions.

Inspectors also praised the role of the both the primary and the secondary phases of the trust in the community, reporting that “the link between school and home is a particular strength of the school. Parents talk very positively about the way the school interacts with them.”

In addition, the trust’s partnerships with local sixth-form providers “have developed a strong programme of support to help pupils decide on the next steps in their education, employment and training”.

Find out more

An open evening for new entrants into Year 7 will take place on Thursday, October 6, from 5.30pm to 8pm. Prospective parents and students will hear from the headteacher, enjoy a tour of the school, meet staff and students, and get a flavour of what life is like at Calder.

For those just starting out on their school lives, an open week for prospective Reception pupils and their families will be held from Monday, November 7, to Friday, November 11. Please email or telephone to make an appointment to visit, meet primary staff and pupils and find out more.

If you have any further enquiries regarding admissions into either Reception or Year 7 at The Calder Learning Trust, please email [email protected], visit the website here or call 01422 883213.

You can also find out more on Facebook (search for Calder Learning Trust) and Twitter (@CalderPrimary and @Calder_High)