THE head teacher behind a turnaround at one of Knutsford’s primary schools says the hard work is continuing, with ambitions to keep the positive feel flowing.

After taking the reins at Manor Park School in September 2016, Simon Cotterill and deputy head Sarah Jeffrey have brought about a number of physical changes to the school, as well as instilling an attitude which has led to academic improvement.

A tumultuous period of changing leadership had left the school in a rut, Mr Cotterill admits, but a focus on standards – aided by new facilities – led to some results in the summer exceeding national averages.

Mr Cotterill said: “The children and staff at Manor Park are amazing – there is a real buzz and sense of something special happening in our school.

“Our results in the summer highlighted the positive changes, with attainment increasing in all areas from previous years with many areas now higher than the national figure.

“We all feel strongly that this is only the beginning for Manor Park. There is a lot more to come.”

The new-look senior leadership team last year introduced the Manor Park values of pride, respect, responsibility, resilience and reflection, encouraging children to ‘make the most of every day’ and ensuring standards were upheld and issues quickly dealt with.

An emphasis on pitting students against their own development rather than those around them has, Mr Cotterill says, improved self-belief and expectations, with initiatives such as the learning pit, awards nights, and even practicing times tables to rock music introduced.

Head girl and head boy, Gracie Wilcox and Thomas Mair, said: “Learning is so much fun now in school. We are really proud when we beat our personal bests and also know what we need to do next to get even better.”

Outside of the classroom – one of which includes a new computer suite and provision for laptops and tablets – children are making the most of a trim trail, playground markings, allotments and redeveloped woodlands to complement the curriculum.

Pupils have also benefited from visits to the town council offices and a school council interview with MP Esther McVey as new opportunities continue to present themselves.

The school council has been behind some of the material changes in the playground, with funding coming from community-focused parent-teacher association the Manor Park School Association.

Mr Cotterill said: “It’s the children’s school, they live it and breathe it every day, so they are consulted often on what we need to do to improve.”