Reflections on My First Week as Principal
As I complete my first week as Principal at Co-op Academy North Manchester, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my experiences so far, share some reflections and update you on what’s to come, but first, I must start by saying thank you, because I am genuinely grateful for the warm welcome I have received.
Last week, albeit short, was incredibly exciting, insightful and rewarding. On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of introducing myself to our pupils in assemblies; a year group at a time. Fitting with our Co-op Values and ‘be yourself always’ I delivered an assembly on something that inspires me - technology and consciousness! I asked pupils to appreciate how unique and individual they are and consider the broader scientific developments around creating conscious machines. It was an ambitious topic for a Tuesday morning after Easter and I had such receptive audiences, in particular Year 9, who had their hands up and contributed by asking and answering questions and demonstrating real scholarly enquiry.
Throughout the week, I then made it a priority to visit classrooms, meet pupils in lessons, and engage in the curriculum being taught. So far, I have visited some superb English lessons and some highlights include pupils engaged in Year 11 Language revision and Year 8 working hard to create descriptive narratives. I have been impressed by the independent work that I have seen and pupils' use of mini-whiteboards to share their understanding with their teachers. Co-op Academy North Manchester pupils have a strong sense of pride in their work and in our academy - their energy is contagious!
I have also begun working closely with the staff to better understand the academy’s current priorities and the areas where we can improve together. As part of my opening presentation to all staff on Tuesday evening, we reflected in particular on the Edurio Survey responses that you - our parents and carers - completed at the end of February. Thank you for submitting the survey which I have found to be really useful in focusing my priorities over the coming weeks. There were some wonderfully positive results and comments that I shared with staff in addition to some suggested points for improvement. In next week’s NOMA News I will respond directly to the improvement points that the survey raised and the actions that I am taking in response. In the meantime, I will be available at Year 8 Progress Evening this Thursday 1st May (3:30 to 6:30pm) and I will look forward to meeting you there.
It goes without saying, but all of my early conversations with staff have shown a genuine care for pupils' wellbeing and, as you can see, in just one week, there have been so many good-news stories and reasons to celebrate our pupils. Congratulations in particular to Reggie on his MU Foundation trip to Cyprus and the Debate Mate team who skilfully argued a tricky subject in the hard-fought competition. This week, as Year 11 start their GCSE exams, we all have a part to play in supporting them through this incredibly important time and I wish them the very best of luck on behalf of the whole school community: I know that all of their hard work will pay off.
Now, I am looking forward to the weeks and months ahead, and to working together to make Co-op Academy North Manchester an even greater place to learn and achieve.
Kind Regards,
Mrs Sloper-Russell
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