Welcome to Alder Grange.

Our school is a unique and special place. There is a real sense of family and community within the school. Alder Grange is a school where everybody is inspired to be the best they can, where excellence is nurtured by everybody and a community in which everybody cares.

Our desire is to successfully develop the whole child. We place considerable emphasis on developing the foundations of personal achievement; their emotional and physical health and well-being, their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, creativity and individuality. Our intention is to help our young people grow to become outstanding, independent, resilient and effective citizens in an uncertain, global 21st Century world. We strive to deliver a personalised curriculum alongside a rich offer of extra-curricular activities, enrichments and life skills for all our students. Naturally, academic progress and attainment are also extremely important to us, and you will find our results reflect this. This is due to a total commitment to excellent teaching and learning by a highly skilled and dedicated staff, constantly reflecting upon and developing their own practice. Many members of staff are former pupils.

Our school is inclusive in nature and values young people of all abilities from year 7 to year 13. We encourage them to care for one another and the school, to work as a team and to take on leadership roles. There is also a genuine care for and partnership with the young people in our care and their families.

Our current priorities in school include a focus on wellbeing, particularly mental health for both staff and pupils. The development of a curriculum intent that ensures all pupils are able to develop their knowledge and passions is taking place within all subject areas in school. During the seven years our pupils are with us they are given the skills and access to opportunities needed to make the next steps in to their adult lives. As a school we are never quite satisfied and build ongoing self-evaluation in to the school calendar to allow us to constantly review and reflect on our practice in order to improve.

Alder Grangers are rightly proud of their school and our often repeated phrase, ‘once an Alder Granger always an Alder Granger,’ reflects the strength of feeling our young people have for their school.

I have been a member of staff at Alder Grange since 1998 and I feel immensely proud and privileged to be Headteacher. I love the school and am passionate about ensuring it continues to go from strength to strength.

You would be welcome to visit and see our wonderful school in action at any time.

Joanna Griffiths

Headteacher