A superhead who transformed ‘the worst school in England’ is stepping down – to be replaced by a former TV presenter.
Kathy August helped make Manchester Academy into one of the country’s top schools.
Her successor David Bromfield has worked as a journalist and a Tomorrow’s World presenter and is currently deputy head of an inner London school.
As Ducie Academy, the Moss Side school hit rock bottom when tables showed it had the worst truancy in the country.
It was re-launched in 2003. Pupils and teachers moved into a £12m building and new rules and a smart uniform were brought in.
Two years ago, the Moss Lane East school was ranked ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted and results have continued to soar well above the national average.
For the past year, Ms August has been acting chief executive of the United Learning Trust (ULT), which sponsors the school.
She has now decided to step down to focus on her new role – and a new principal has been appointed.
Alisdair Cox, a Moss Side councillor and governor at the academy, said Ms August had been instrumental in turning the school around.
He said: “Thanks to her the school has really high ambitions for its pupils. The results have risen year-on-year and it meets the needs of a really diverse community.
“Moss Side needs to have an outstanding school and that’s now what we’ve got.”
Describing her successor, Kathy August said: “David is a highly experienced educationalist and school leader with an outstanding background in science.
“He is just the kind of leader we need at Manchester Academy and he will be a huge asset to our team.”
Mr Bromfield, currently deputy at all-boys Archbishop Tenison’s School, worked as a science teacher for a number of years before taking a career break as a journalist.
He worked for BBC FiveLive and was also a presenter on Tomorrow’s World, before returning to the classroom.
He said: “Manchester Academy is known nationally as a flagship school that has achieved many amazing things since it opened.
“I am hugely looking forward to beginning my time and working with a group of fantastic staff and students whose commitment, enthusiasm and love of learning is genuinely referred to across the country.”
The ULT is a Christian charity which runs 20 independent but state-funded academies around England, including Salford and Stockport Academies and William Hulme’s Grammar School in Manchester.
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Good luck, mate.
You will need it.
End positive discrimation, for one.
It's the type of school which is labelled 'outstanding' by the government because it isn't as appalling as it used to be.
I doubt if it has parents from the leafy suburbs of Trafford and Stockport eager to get children into it.
As for its results soaring 'well above the national average', the BBC website shows it having well below the average GCSE results for Manchester, and Manchester is one of the worst areas for secondary shools in the country.
Why is it that every time there is a positive story that involves something in the Moss Side area people can not wait to come on here and put a negative slant on it. The amount of prejudice that exists towards the people of this area astounds me, what's more 99% of the time its put forward by people who's views of Moss Side are formed by watching TV and what they read in the press.
I personally have nothing but praise for the wonderful work that staff do at this school. I moved my son to Manchester Academy in Year 8 (from a school in the so called suburbs) . His previous school was failing to challenge him educationally. My son is now 19 and is studying physics at York University. He has mentioned many times that the move to Manchester Academy was the best thing he ever did. As far as results are concerned they are not everything ,my sons previous school (at the time) did have better results but education is about so much more. Oh and just for the record the latest results are (84% - 5 A* - C) and (48% - 5 A* - C including English and maths) which I think you'll find ranks quite good in the Manchester area and considering that many pupils join this school with English not being there first language is quite remarkable.
After 8 years of derogatory comments about 'the supposedly worst school in England', I would have thought that the media would get bored, or at least move on. In addition, if you wish to continue with your devauing of the prior school at least get the name right: Ducie High School, not Ducie academy! I worked at Ducie High School for many years and they were my happiest years in teaching, I had the great pleasure of working with some of the most dedicated, inspirational and intelligent teachers who were comitted to the area and pupils. The clear opposite of the 'marketisation of education' which is currently dessimating education throughout England today. As for results, I taught a class from year 7 to year 11 who left in 2003 with a string of A*'s. Results which have been magically eradicated from the memory of the media marketing machine which is intent on devaluing the successes of those students and staff pre academy accolades. The school, either in its current or previous location, has always served the community and I hope it continues to do so. However, there is no case for progression if there is such a reliance on rubbishing the past in order to justify your success today. Please move on.