Hockey hero visits school presentation

NICOLA White with Hathershaw College principal Dave McEntee at the school's annual presentation evening at the Queen Elizabeth Hall

OLDHAM'S Olympic hockey hero Nicola White was the guest of honour at Hathershaw College's annual presentation evening.

Nicola, who won gold in Rio, was joined at the Queen Elizabeth Hall by the deputy mayor and mayoress of Oldham, Councillor Shadab and Sobia Arshi.

Principal Dave McEntee said record numbers of students were being rewarded for their achievements in a year of record-breaking GCSE results at the Bellfield Avenue secondary.

"They are record breaking for not only being our best ever results, but most importantly for being above the national average for so many indicators and improving the life chances of the students in our care," he explained.

"These results make Hathershaw one of the most successful schools in the town and indeed places us in the top 30 per cent of all schools nationally, something we should all be very proud of. Well done to the class of 2016."

Mr McEntee said other highlights for the school in the last year included regaining its "good" rating from the education watchdog Ofsted this year, after dipping to "requires improvement" in 2014

He also talked about the school building which for many years has consistently missed out while most others in the borough have been rebuilt or had major overhauls.

But he stressed: "Having worked in five high schools before I started at Hathershaw, two in Salford and three in Oldham, I can honestly say it isn't the quality of our 61-year-old building or its facilities that have made me want to stay at Hathershaw, but the dedication and excellence of staff I work with, the parents and carers we work in partnership with and the students.

"Hathershaw may not have the envious building that most other Oldham secondary schools benefit from, but what it lacks in buildings and facilities it absolutely makes up for in having highly professional, talented, caring teachers and non-teachers.

"The pressure on school places in Oldham is acute as a result of an increasing school-age population and we are very likely to see more new secondary schools being built in the next few years.

"Sadly, this will probably mean that for the foreseeable future Hathershaw will not benefit from a major capital investment to rebuild the college to provide our students and community with the facilities that are enjoyed in other Oldham schools.

"But as one parent of a child in year six at primary school told me at our recent open evening 'It's not really about the buildings, it's about the people and the work going on inside'.

"How right he was."