School head of 21 years calls it a day

WHAT A CELEBRATION: Mr Hayer thanked teaching and support staff for this surprise tribute

Award-winning Radclyffe headteacher Mr Hardial Hayer is retiring after leading the school for 21 years.

Mr Hayer joined the Chadderton school in 1998 when the school was split over two sites, on Broadway and Hunt Lane.

Under Mr Hayer’s guidance, a superb new £28m school opened in 2008 on the Hunt Lane site.

He leaves the school having achieved ‘Outstanding’ in all criteria at the school’s latest Ofsted inspection.

Amongst other highlights of Mr Hayer’s time in charge of the school have been the granting of Specialist Technology College status in 2004, the introduction of the unique PEP4U programme, with staff supporting students as their Personal Learning Guides, and the achievement of Artsmark Platinum and Sportsmark Platinum awards.

Chair of Governors, Mrs Sue Webb said: “We were all very proud of Mr Hayer’s achievement in 2016 when he was named Headteacher of the Year in the Pearson Teaching Awards.

“On behalf of current and former staff and students of the Radclyffe School, we would like to thank Mr Hayer for his service to the school, and wish him a long and happy retirement.”

As a lasting tribute to Mr Hayer, a recently restored garden has been dedicated, the Hardial Hayer Outstanding Legacy Garden.

Over recent months students have put many hours of work into restoring an area of the school grounds that had previously been used as a garden but had fallen into disrepair.

Working with staff from the Design and Technology faculty, students have helped to install raised beds, a shed and greenhouse.

They have planted trees and shrubs, and paths and the pond have been restored.

As the school year ended Mr Hayer cut the ribbon to open the garden, which stands in a corner of the grounds close to the railway bridge on Hunt Lane.

Cricket is one of Mr Hayer’s passions, and the end of an era was celebrated with a game, Mr Hayer taking to the field and starring with bat and ball.

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