HAYDON BRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
Respect Responsibility Resilience

Dear parent / carer,

I am writing to share an important update about the next stage in our work to secure further improvement at Haydon Bridge High School.

I am very pleased to confirm that I will remain in my role as Executive Headteacher for the next academic year. This follows an extension of the agreement between Northumberland County Council and Cumbria Education Trust. Since Easter, I have had the privilege of leading the school alongside Mr O’Connor.

From September, I will be joined at Haydon Bridge by Mr Priddle, currently Assistant Headteacher at William Howard School. He will take on the role of Head of School, leading the day-to-day running of Haydon Bridge. Mr O’Connor, who has been undertaking this role, will return to William Howard School as Deputy Headteacher.

When we were first asked to take on the leadership of Haydon Bridge, we were clear that this would be a collective effort. Since then, a strong and positive partnership has developed between the senior leadership teams at William Howard School and Haydon Bridge. Together, we have been able to draw on and share the considerable expertise across both teams, to the benefit of both schools.

This Cumbria Education Trust flexible model of leadership allows us to deploy the right leaders at the right time as the school moves rapidly through its improvement journey.

As we move into the new academic year, our focus will shift to accelerating improvement while maintaining the stability we have worked hard to establish. Mr Priddle brings a wealth of experience as a senior leader, as well as his work as a qualified Ofsted inspector. He is very well placed to work with me, our staff, and the wider school community to drive further improvement, secure removal from special measures, and ensure Haydon Bridge becomes a school of choice for the local community.

I will continue to provide strategic leadership, ensuring clarity of vision and a strong sense of direction as we move forward.

As a senior leadership team, we will be hosting an informal parent event on Monday, 13th July, from 6pm, where we will share an overview of the progress made this term and outline priorities for the year ahead. Food will be provided. This will also be an opportunity to meet us and ask any questions you may have. We would be very pleased to see you there.

Finally, I am pleased to say that the school already feels very different, and I would like to formally thank Mr O’Connor for the commitment and hard work he has shown in helping to stabilise the school.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, I can be contacted via email at hbhs@hbhs.co.uk

Yours sincerely,

Kath Pigdon
Executive Headteacher
Haydon Bridge High School

North Bank, Haydon Bridge, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 6LR Tel: 01434 684 422 Email: hbhs@hbhs.co.uk www.haydonbridgehighschool.co.uk

Head of School:
Richard O’Connor Executive Headteacher: Kath Pigdon