THE month of May marks a new era for Cardinal Newman High School following the appointment of its new head teacher and governing body, who are determined to see the Latchford school go from strength to strength.

Former head of school Julie Warburton has stepped up to the role of head teacher after more than 35 years of experience in catholic schools.

Mrs Warburton, who has worked at Cardinal Newman for 20 years, has been tasked with steering the school in the right direction and was recently praised by Ofsted for ‘taking effective action’ during the short time she has spent as interim head teacher following the departure of David Lewis.

After the school was graded as requires improvement following an Ofsted inspection in December, staff have been determined to see the school improve. 

Teaching and learning, which was graded as good by Ofsted in December, still remains one of the school’s strengths with Ofsted stating that ‘good practice is shared and teaching and learning continue to improve’.

The school is also predicted to receive its best exam results yet, improving on last year’s record.

Mrs Warburton has every faith that Cardinal Newman’s school leaders, teachers and staff have the right skills, motivation and determination to see the school grow.

She said: “I am confident about the progress of this school. We are not an exam factory. Children are at the heart of everything we do.

“If a child is happy they make better progress. We are here to ensure this happens.”

Following Mrs Warburton’s appointment, parent Kathleen Peach, who has two children at the school, was delighted that her children had already enjoyed four happy years and felt positive that their remaining years would be ‘rewarding and successful’ under her leadership.

The school on Bridgewater Avenue has also formed a new governing body after the federation between Cardinal Newman High School and St Gregory’s High School was dissolved.

All governors are new to the school’s governing body, which comprises of two staff, two parent, one local authority and seven foundation governors.

Chairman Father Peter Montgomery said: “The future holds great promise yet we remain aware that there is plenty of work for us all to do because no thriving school ever rests on its laurels.”

In the report, the governors were commended for their enthusiasm and determination to fulfil their responsibilities as quickly as possible while showing a willingness to take important decisions.

It was also noted that the governors were ‘already proving helpful’ by asking probing questions and developing their understanding of the school.