Four schools united by three values – Belonging, Believing and Becoming
Education has been at the core of St James & Emmanuel’s vision since 1612 when a bequest led to the establishment of Didsbury Church of England Primary School. Over the years the school has changed, grown and adapted, but it has always had the welfare of the local community and its children at the centre of its mission. A major factor in its success has been the partnership of church and school, which has created a combination of shared ownership and commitment which translates into high levels of pastoral care and improved outcomes for children and staff.
By 2013, Didsbury CE Primary was attracting over two hundred applications for thirty places in Reception and the school and parish decided it was time to expand and develop our provision in order to meet demand for an excellent and distinctive Anglican education. A successful application to the Secretary of State for Education led to the founding and building of West Didsbury CE Primary School on Central Road. This brand new two-form entry primary school has got off to a flying start and is now also fully subscribed and will continue to grow until it reaches its final size in 2020.
In 2015, St Wilfrid’s CE Primary School, Northenden, joined our family of schools and is thriving under the newly appointed Head of School, Helena Miller.
The most recent addition was in 2019, when St Elisabeth’s CE Primary School, Reddish, joined the Trust.
Overseeing this transformation of our educational landscape, and acting as guardian of its ethos and outcomes, is the St James & Emmanuel Academy Trust. The Trust is committed to a distinctively Christian and Anglican educational experience which is summed up in the three values: Belonging, Believing and Becoming. We want our schools to be happy places where children, families and staff want to belong and can make deep and profound relationships. We want our children, families and staff to enter a life-long journey of believing. Believing in themselves and their gifts, believing that their futures are bright and believing in the people around them. We also want our children, families and staff to go on ‘becoming’ – becoming all that they can be, the best that they can be. This is aided by educational excellence, but is also supported by a loving and carefully nurtured culture of faith and hopefulness.
We now have a brand new Academy Trust Website where you can see all our wonderful schools and the vision that unites them, you can also see information about the Trustees who spend so much of their time and talents guiding the Trust.
We want our children, families and staff to enter a life-long journey of believing. Believing in themselves and their gifts, believing that their futures are bright and believing in the people around them. We also want our children, families and staff to go on ‘becoming’ – becoming all that they can be, the best that they can be. This is aided by educational excellence, but is also supported by a loving and carefully nurtured culture of faith and hopefulness.
The recent journey from one school to four schools has been an exciting and challenging one and we invite you and your children to join us on it and to bring your unique contribution to our shared life here in Didsbury, West Didsbury, Northenden and Reddish.
Revd Dr Nicholas Bundock – Member of the Trust
Mr Matt Whitehead – Executive Headteacher
