Pupils at Hydesville Tower School in Walsall joined over 45,000 children and young people around on Friday 27th September 2019 to draw attention to the vital role of mental wellbeing in education.

Hydesville collapsed the curriculum for the entire day to mark Global Be Well Day, a worldwide event led by Cognita, the group of 74 schools of which Hydesville Tower School is a member. 

With children ranging in age from 3 to 16 years old, the challenge at Hydesville Tower School was to create a meaningful series of events that would have value immediately but also for the months and years to come. Big favourites included the Animal Café, with time to pet and look after a range of animals; Zumba and kickboxing to get the pulse raising; meditation and yoga to help promote calm and mindfulness; and lots and lots of smiles.

Warren Honey, Headmaster at Hydesville Tower School, said: “this was a wonderful opportunity for the Hydesville community to come together and put mental health in the spotlight. As a school, we value the person and their emotional wellbeing, so planning these events felt a natural opportunity to prepare our children for the various challenges of life.

“The School’s Mental Health Champion Aimee Kingston was instrumental in designing elements of the day, and all the staff were involved at various stages to promote the initiative.”

Global Be Well Day emanated from conversations between the global leaders last October, and a commitment to action in all the Cognita schools. Resources from world experts in sleep and nutrition, alongside the shared ideas for activities have helped this initiative reach over 45,000 students, 7,000 staff and countless parents and families.

For one lesson a week the timetable is collapsed and given over to pupil enrichment. The programme draws on the interests and talents of our teachers and is a chance for pupils to enjoy pastimes that are beyond the confines of the examination curriculum. The activities are carefully planned to ensure there is something to appeal to all pupils.

Hydesville Tower School Nursery has announced that it has received national recognition for going above and beyond the minimum requirements in paediatric first aid. With its robust processes and documentation, the nursery staff strive to keep children safe by minimising risks and accidents and giving parents that greater reassurance.

Hydesville Tower School Nursery has been awarded Millie’s Mark by National Day Nurseries Association in collaboration with Department for Education and Millie’s Trust. 

Millie’s Mark is named after Millie Thompson, who tragically died as a result of choking in a nursery in 2012. Her parents Dan and Joanne Thompson have campaigned for all staff to have paediatric first aid training and having Millie’s Mark demonstrates that nurseries have met this. In addition, it shows they work hard to keep these crucial skills in the forefront of employees’ minds, so they are competent and can apply paediatric first aid in any situation.  

Sam Smith, Nursery Manager, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded Millie’s Mark.  This is a special achievement and shows how serious we are about ensuring children are safe when they are in our care. I would like to thank everyone who has supported us during this process and we are all very much looking forward to celebrating our success.”

Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) adds: “Achieving Millie’s Mark is a great achievement for the nursery, it shows that all staff are fully trained in paediatric first aid and that they have reflected on their current practice to improve competence and confidence. Becoming a Millie’s Mark’s nursery is a clear indicator for parents that this nursery has met the highest standards and gives them the reassurance that their children are safe’.

Pupils from Hydesville Tower School in Walsall are celebrating excellent 2019 GCSE results, with 98% of all papers taken achieving a “good pass” or better at the new Grade 4+.  The national average was 67%.

Most impressively, 44% (compared to the national average of 20.6%) of exam grades at Hydesville were awarded at Grade 7 or above with half the cohort securing 5 or more GCSEs at Grades 7-9 – the previous A grade equivalent. Over a fifth of all exams were awarded Grades 8 or 9, the latter being the equivalent of an A** to show exceptional performance. 

Results in specific subject areas were exceptional.  In Science, 55% (compared to the national average of 42.3%) of grades were 7 or above in Biology, 72% (the national average was 43.9%) were Grade 7 and above in Chemistry, with 18% (compared to 13% nationally) at Grade 9, and 73% (43.8% nationally) achieved Grade 7 and above in Physics. 

In addition, an outstanding 100% of History grades were Grade 8 and above and over 84% achieved a “strong pass” at Grade 5+ in English Language.  

All of the Year 11 cohort at Hydesville are to be congratulated for a superb set of results.  In particular, Karn, Tyler and Zara each collected a large number of the highest grades – 8s and 9s. 

Miss Lauren Jenkins, Head of Senior School, remarked: “This has been a group of children that we have enjoyed nurturing over the past five years. The measure of their achievements is evident in their value-added scores, with a sizeable increase on each child’s potential from starting with us.  As a year group, they have offered a great deal in the classroom and in the various extra-curricular activities available.”

Hydesville Tower School, situated on Broadway North in Walsall, is proudly non-selective and is fully committed to helping pupils achieve the very best results possible. Mr Warren Honey, Headmaster, said: “It is a pleasure to celebrate with our staff and pupils who have worked so hard to achieve these results. My congratulations go to all of our GCSE pupils and I wish them every success as they take their next steps into post-16 education and beyond. These results provide a clear indication that the personalised approach taken at Hydesville gives every child the opportunity to flourish and fulfil their potential.”

Every day is an open day at Hydesville and we host personal visits and private tours throughout the year to suit individual families.  Do contact us if you want to look round sooner than the following dates and we will happily arrange this.

Call to book a Taster Day: 01922 624374 or email [email protected]

Come along to our Early Years' Open Event to find out more about our Nursery & Reception classes.  See our school in action, meet staff and pupils and find out for yourself what makes us so special - including small class sizes.

Tours are available at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 2 pm.  Please arrive in time for the start of your preferred tour slot.

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