60 years on and still flying high

Pictured (from left, school historian and teacher Mike Russell with Andy Potts, head of humanities; the Mayor, Cllr Ateeque ur-Rehman; school principal Dave McEntee; Adam Anderton, Tomi Akingbehin, Maisha Rahman and the mayoress Yasmin Toor).

AROUND 400 people have helped Hathershaw College to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

Former staff and pupils attended an open day at the Bellfield Avenue school - whose layout was inspired by the iconic Lancashire bomber, partly assembled in nearby Chadderton.

And it was a family affair for some such as Alan, Susan and Stuart Beech. Alan and Susan met in their fifth year at the school, son Stuart was also a pupil there and Susan now works in its kitchen.

Others with a family connection included former pupil David Barber and his son, Gareth, a teacher there and captain of Oldham Rugby Union.

Assistant principal Lorna Philip said pupils and staff from each decade of the college’s history attended, adding: “Many ex-pupils turned up with old photographs and old reports that we will put on the school website.”

Principal Dave McEntee — the school’s eighth head teacher joined the school as head of maths in April 1997 and told guests: “My career plan at the time was clear: stay for two years and then move on. It’s not quite worked out that way. There’s something very special about this building, the people who work in it and its students. Eighteen years on I can honestly say Hathershaw has provided me with an amazing professional experience.”

Hathershaw was opened on May 17, 1955, sponsored by aero-engineering company AVRO, which built the iconic Lancaster bomber.

A technical grammar school, pupils had to pass the 11-plus to attend. Mr McEntee added: “The school was then selective and was very much in competition with Oldham’s grammar schools, offering a more technical syllabus.

“It’s a heritage we are proud to continue to this day, with all students studying a GCSE technology subject.”

Hathershaw was one of the schools that missed out five years ago when the outgoing Labour Government’s rebuilding programme was axed by the new government.

“We were about to sign the contracts that would have delivered a similar building (to others built in Oldham) on this site, only to have the rug pulled from under our feet,” said Mr McEntee.

“Though disappointed at the time, there will always be a bit of me that was pleased to see the current building retained a little while longer.”