At Priestnall, we put our students at the centre of everything we do.  Our collective philosophy is to provide an ‘education for life’, ensuring that our students are fully prepared – in terms of knowledge, skills, qualifications and confidence, in mind and body – for whatever their next step may be.  We have an active Student Leadership Team who work closely with members of staff and contribute significantly to school development.  As Head, I meet with our fantastic student leadership team on a regular basis and it is always pleasing to hear how proud they are of their school and to listen to their suggestions for further improvement.

High quality teaching is the foundation upon which our success has been built, and I am very proud to be the Head of a dedicated, talented and innovative team of staff who are constantly striving to improve on our already good practice. Students at Priestnall enjoy an exciting, diverse and inspiring curriculum, and also have countless opportunities to enrich their school experience though our extra-curricular programme, which is regularly reviewed and developed to meet student interest and need. This year, we are developing our Personal Development Curriculum, which includes quality time with their Learning Co-ordinator every morning. We believe it is important to ‘check in’ with students every morning and ensure that they have everything they need to start their day.

As well as guiding our young people to achieve academic excellence, we provide outstanding pastoral support through our successful ‘college’ system, which is designed to ensure that all students feel safe, happy and secure. The college structure enables students to immediately feel part of a small community within the wider school, and also allows our staff to deliver personal and individual support whilst building strong relationships with our parents and carers.

We insist upon the highest possible standards and quality at all times whilst showing care, compassion and support for each individual.  We aim to remain the vibrant, learning-focused organisation with which all our stakeholders – students, parents & carers, staff and governors – are genuinely proud to be associated.

I have been Head here since September 2019 and can honestly say that it is a great place for staff to work and students to learn.  Our strengths and positive ethos are best seen at first hand, and although you cannot currently visit us at the moment due to Covid-19 measures, I invite you to watch our virtual film which will give you a taste of what we’re about.

Please click here to view our virtual film of the school

I look forward to meeting you in the near future.

Best wishes,

Craig Burns