A principal of an Oldham secondary school has opened up about how his school is trying to support the "Covid Generation" of students.
Mark Giles has been the principal at The Hathershaw College since 2019, having served as the vice principal at the school for more than a decade before that.
The school currently boasts attendance rates higher than the national average and is supporting its students in a number of ways.
Hathershaw College has been looking to raise attendance to pre-Covid levels.
Last year its attendance rate was 92.4 per cent and since the start of the new school year in September, this has increased to 94.12 per cent compared with the 92.9 per cent national average, which Mr Giles says "is down to that feeling of belonging and creating an environment where [the students] want to come to school".
A free breakfast is provided for all its pupils with a ‘café culture’ serving toast, bagels, tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and Mr Giles helps dish out the cereals.
A sense of belonging
Originally from Middleton, Mr Giles has lived in Royton since 1997 with his wife, Alison, who teaches at Alexandra Park Junior School, with the couple having taught many of the same children.
Mr Giles said: “A lot of the children she has taught I have gone on to teach - I’m proud to have so many roots in Oldham.”
He was appointed principal of Hathershaw College just before the Covid pandemic, which he described as a "baptism of fire".
The students coming through Hathershaw College all had their education affected by the pandemic, which has made the school do their best to offer support to the pupils.
Mr Giles said of the Covid Generation: “There are lots of young people who don’t feel they belong and that’s the Covid legacy. They’ve lost trust in public organisations and it’s about rebuilding that contact with them.
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“In my job, I love the interaction with people so it was like having the rug pulled from under your feet, educating children differently and keeping children and staff safe. It was a steep learning curve.”
Mr Giles says one of the school's main focuses is belonging, saying: “It’s about wanting to do the right things for the children who are from a background where they might not have had the best start in life.
“You don’t always make the right decisions, but you make decisions for the right reasons and ultimately for the children."
One of the ways children are helped to feel a sense of belonging is through the Hathershaw Acts of Charity and Kindness, which sees students fundraise for local, national and international charities, as well as carrying out litter picks and inviting the elderly from sheltered accommodation in the area for a Christmas meal.
'I am proud to be from Oldham - it's a smashing place to be'
As a student, Mr Giles attended The Blue Coat School, where he met his future wife and gained the inspiration to become a teacher.
Mr Giles said: “Alison and I were both brought up in very working class households - Alison’s dad was a printer for the Mirror Group and my dad was a cabinet maker who left school at 14.
“Our children were brought up to do the right thing by people who need support. Success is not about money and it’s not what gets me out of bed in the morning.
“I always said that education can transform lives and traditionally I probably wasn’t destined for the job I am doing.
“But if it hadn’t been for my education in Oldham I wouldn’t be principal here at Hathershaw College.
“I am proud to be from Oldham and I say to my kids ‘We’re not from Manchester, we’re very much from Oldham.' It’s a smashing place to be.”
Cllr Mohon Ali, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "Hathershaw is a shining example of a nurturing school dedicated to placing its students on the path to a bright future.
"Its success in raising attendance and creating an environment where children are happy to learn is a testament to the hard work and care of Mr Giles and his team."
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