Melland High School

Melland High is a Bright Futures Educational Trust school, helping us to raise aspirations and drive up standards to ensure our students have real choices open to them when they leave school.Pupils are expected to try hard, be aspirational and achieve their personal best in all that they do. We are committed to providing our pupils with an extensive, creative and inspiring curriculum and a range of opportunities both within and outside the classroom that allow them to develop their individual talents to the full. Teaching and learning is at the heart of the Melland High School and our dynamic, motivated and experienced teams of teachers, teaching assistants and supporting professionals use every opportunity to help pupils do their best, and more. Working alongside the senior leaders in the education and our Executive Principal Judy O’Kane OBE, the school benefits from opportunities from across Bright Futures Educational Trust schools, giving our students and staff outstanding support to help them to excel.

We particularly value the tremendous support of parents and carers, recognising their key role in supporting the learning process. We also recognise the significant contribution to the ongoing development of the school provided by our wide network of community partners.Bright Futures has the highest aspirations for its pupils, teachers and schools. Our organisation works hard to ensure every single child reaches their full potential, making sure no child is left behind.

Our aim is to give young people at all of our schools exciting educational and extracurricular opportunities that help them to be the best that they can be, academically and beyond the classroom. Our vision is that Bright Futures Educational Trust will be known for best practice in the educational excellence. Every pupil, parent and teacher at our schools will know that they are part of an organisation that offers quality education that guarantees real choices for every child.

Admissions can be made at any time during the year, but usually take place in September, when pupils coming to the end of Year 6, transfer from our linked Primary School, The Birches, or from mainstream schools.Admissions are controlled by the Local Authority, and a student entering Melland High School will normally have a Statement of Educational Need or an Education, Health & Care Plan.

Melland High School has a strategic three year School Improvement Plan and annual School Improvement priorities. The School Improvement Plan has four strategic areas in development Effectiveness of Leadership and Management, Quality of Teaching, Learning and Assessment, Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare and Outcomes for Pupils.School Improvement Priorities are regularly monitored and evaluated by the governors and IMPACT group, who represent the whole school community.All identified priority areas have a detailed action plan which is also monitored and evaluated by senior and middle leaders.

Melland High School is an ‘outstanding’ special school in Gorton. Our pupils have a range of significant difficulties and complex learning needs. The outreach team from Melland HS is led by two experienced Specialist Leaders of Education and fully supported by the whole school team.The purpose of our service is to provide outreach support to mainstream high schools to support the inclusion of pupils with cognition and learning difficulties up to L2 (KS3) and L3 (KS4).

The school has an experienced and supportive governing body, with a strong core of long standing members, who know the school very well. The governing body is made up of parents/carers, professionals and members of the whole school community who have expertise and experience in a wide range of education or related fields. The governing body meet as a full governing body and as sub-commities at least every half term.Governors also take part in the learning walks and attend various events throughout the year.Governors never hesitate to challenge the practice and seek the very best provision and outcomes for pupils. There is a supportive, healthy and mutually respected relationship between governors and staff and a strong sense of shared accountability and responsibility.

Melland High School is committed to providing a planned programme of impartial careers education and information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and Enterprise Education for all students. The curriculum incorporates a wide range of theplanned activities, based on outcomes for pupils that develop knowledge, skills and understanding useful in lifelong learning and work. CEIAG is an inclusive, broad and balanced programme of careers education and personal development that provides the young people of all abilities with the opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ in class, throughout school, in the local community and by access to a range of specialist professionals eg. SALT, careers and work contexts.

Learning is complimented by themed learning days, enterprise projects, jobs fairs, college visits, enrichment activities (work experience or supported internships) and as the part of their overall education which is broad, balanced, challenging, inspirational, challenges stereotypes and promotes equality of opportunity.