Please welcome to Ackworth School…

Leaving us this term…

Lynne Ward

“With very mixed feelings, it is time to hand over the baton to Hannah, our current Resource Deputy, and I hope that she has as much fun as I have had! Retirement, new interests and opportunities, and grandchildren beckon, but it has been a wonderful 12 years at Ackworth as Head of Autism Resource. The school’s small Resource, ‘Shed Court’, housed just four pupils and members of staff in 2011, and with a remarkable and wonderful growing staff team, we have pursued our vision to promote a positive and inclusive view of autism and related conditions, and to provide a safe, bespoke and therapeutic environment for our young people, now numbering 25 staff (including some part-time staff) and 21 pupils in new accommodation in the West Wing. June Pease has served the school for 40 years, having been with Autism Resource since its inception. She retires alongside me, and the Resource’s ethos and pupil-centred understanding of autism owes much to her wisdom, patience and skill.

One of the key things that strikes everyone who knows Ackworth is the genuine regard and acceptance for diversity throughout the whole school. My thanks go to all who have supported such a different type of provision under the Ackworth umbrella – Anton, the leadership team, teaching and support staff and pupils. Ackworth is a very special place, and I leave Hannah and the team with my very best wishes as they take the Resource on to new successes.”

Susan Swales

“When Rachel was born in 2003, I lost my identity. I was no longer Susan Swales (née Burchell) – I was ‘Rachel’s mum’. When we moved to live at Ackworth School in 2006 I gained a split identity –‘Rachel’s mum’ and ‘Jeffrey’s wife’.

It’s hard to relocate to any community when you’re really just the ‘plus one’ – responsible for everyday life whilst your ‘significant other’ gets stuck into the on-site job for which they have been employed. The Ackworth family was very welcoming and I was taken out for a meal by the resident female staff before term had even begun, but that barely scraped the surface of my need to belong.

How times change.

First I was given a few periods of one-to-one maths (the nearest I’d been to using my maths teaching qualification for a few years) and an excuse to mix a little with staff in school. Exam invigilation also featured briefly. Then Coram House urgently needed sickness cover for their secretary . . . so that was my foot firmly in the door, in the thick of it, getting to know pupils and staff, and doing what I do best – sticking my oar in! Giving birth on site (as planned!) was also a good way of gaining attention, even if it did add ‘David’s mum’ to my confused identity.

And then, timetable requirements for September 2015 meant a (very) part-time maths teacher was required. Just the job for a resident housewife whose younger child was now entering Year 1. The rest is history.

I’ve had obliging Heads of Department, who’ve put me where I am happiest, teaching GCSE and A level groups as well as picking up U6 Further maths. [That was preceded by an intensive summer holiday reawakening long-unused knowledge!] I’ve taken on varying quantities of teaching, as pupil numbers have dictated. I’ve had a lovely set of colleagues and some delightful and complimentary pupils and parents, as well as a share of moments I’d rather forget … My involvement musically with recent drama productions, as well as choir and string orchestra, has for me put the icing on the cake. My feelings as I leave are too conflicting to put into words. However, Wales beckons and with it a chance to rebalance our family life. I will keep the maths books out though, as I’ve heard that online tuition has become quite the thing…”

– Promoted to Deputy Head

“I leave Ackworth School with many happy and fond memories. I would like to thank parents, pupils and staff for their support and friendship during my four years at the school. I wish Ackworth and the community the very best for the future.”

Lee Whittaker – Learning Support Supply

“I would just like to thank all the staff for making me feel welcome and giving me this opportunity to learn all that I could in this short space of time. The students have been a pleasure to teach, and they have given me some great memories. It is a shame I had already planned my PGCE at another school, as I really do enjoy working here. To all those leaving and staying on, I wish you all the best for the future.”

“I have been at Ackworth for 12 years and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. Ackworth has provided me with such a wide range of opportunities and it is a place where I have made lifelong friends. Many of my favourite memories have been from all of the overseas trips I have led, where I have been privileged to watch the growth of pupils’ awe and wonder in the world around us. I will miss my Ackworth family and the wonderful site that we get to work on every day, however I am looking forward with excitement to the next stages in my career.”

Belle Wagner – Returning to Dubai

“It has been an absolute joy working with such well-rounded and focused individuals during my time at Coram House. I will miss the students and staff alike and wish the children every success on their future educational endeavours.”

Jane Donnelly – has taken a role at a new school

“I have been at Ackworth for seven years. I have loved my time here and will miss the school community immensely. The commitment from the girls for hockey and netball in particular has been incredible and something that I am extremely proud of. Over the past seven years I have learnt that it’s ok to take time and reflect as well as silence being very thought provoking. It is going to be very strange in September not to put my Ackworth PE kit on and walk around The Green amongst my school community. I will miss Ackworth very dearly. It is a magical place to be.”