Welcome from the Headteacher

‘Believe In Your Future’.

To reach the right children at the right time and to do the right thing.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the staff and governors to welcome you to The Pendlebury Centre. If you are unable to find the information that you require on our website, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Pendlebury Centre is a specialist Alternative Provision within Stockport. We support secondary-aged students who require additional help with their social, emotional and mental health needs.

We are very proud of our Centre and of our students and strive to provide a nurturing yet challenging environment that empowers our children to be ambitious and excel in learning and life. Our staff are highly skilled and dedicated at placing the needs of our students at the heart of everything that we do. Our teaching and learning climate promotes curiosity and all students are challenged to exceed their own expectations in an environment that puts their individual needs first. We ensure that special educational needs are identified and understood and aim to equip our children and families with the skills, knowledge and resilience to face future challenges. Many of our approaches stem from an understanding of the psychology of the young people we work with, informed by our embedded culture of continuous questioning, evaluation and improvement.

All of our students access their mainstream school throughout the week to promote inclusion. Every day we have the privilege to witness great achievements from our students, facilitated by innovative practice from our staff team. This practice has been recognised as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted on six consecutive occasions. In our most recent inspection the final report stated:

‘The Pendlebury Centre transforms pupils’ lives. This school is a lifeline for them. Staff go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that pupils receive the care and support that they need to flourish and succeed in their education’. (*Ofsted June 2023)

We are naturally proud of this recognition – however, the true reward is seeing our students develop into responsible and active members of society.

One of our parents recently wrote saying:

“I can’t remember now who advised us on Pendlebury – but I know that was the turning point for her (and us). From our initial visit, we felt hopeful, reassured & supported.
The teachers take time to find out what makes each student tick and try, where possible, to apply those interests to learning; they make it fun and relevant; things are now sticking with her and she is positive & engaged in things like Maths & Science when previously she dreaded them! It’s also overwhelmingly apparent that every single member of staff cares immensely. She knows she will be helped and looked after; she feels safe there day in day out, never judged, and able to be herself.”

We follow a clear protocol for referrals through Stockport’s Secondary Panel for Inclusion – for further information, please see ‘Admissions’ on the website.

We believe that our families, schools, staff and governors are equal partners in the pursuit of our aspirations – we aim high and believe we can succeed together. We look forward to meeting you at The Pendlebury Centre.

Mrs Jane Maxey

Headteacher

Academic Year 2023/24

(*June 2023 Ofsted Report can be found under the ‘useful links’ tab).