SECONDARY NEWS
Hawarden High School partners with Dolce Schools Catering
One of the oldest schools in Wales has seen its school meal uptake rocket, following a complete redesign of their main dining area, in a project that the headteacher says has ‘revolutionised the catering experience’.
Hawarden High School, in Flintshire, Wales, has partnered with Dolce Schools Catering, the family-run independent caterers, which completed the full fit-out and design service with their in-house team of experts. Following the redesign, the school has reported a consistent 98% uptake on Free School Meals and 76% uptake on paid school meals, far above average.
Serving over one thousand pupils, aged between 11-18 years old every day, Dolce’s flagship offering at Hawarden’s newly designed Food Court offers students a diverse culinary experience across four ‘zones’: Street Kitchen, Casa Brasilia, Italian Kitchen and the Toast Office. Scott Curtis, Managing Director of Dolce, says: “We started offering our fit-out service in 2019, and Hawarden is the first high school we’ve transformed in Wales, so this represents a milestone for us. We have our own dedicated team, meaning we not only offer unrivalled expertise
but also a more affordable redesign option for schools.
“In fact, the redesign didn’t cost the school any upfront money – we covered the cost with the view that the increased uptake will deliver more revenue. Removing the financial barriers for schools is key to ensuring pupils have access to the best possible catering.
“Our design and fit-out service isn’t about changing a few signs; it’s a complete overhaul including flooring, cladding, seating and lighting. “We make dining areas vivid, exciting, well- designed spaces – with the added benefit that
the food offering itself is backed up by our team of chefs, who have created menus based around fresh ingredients, packed full of taste and nutrients. Schools can come to us and get their whole catering offering managed – from the food to the design – under one roof.” Simon Budgen, Headteacher at Hawarden High School, said: “Since we started working with Dolce, service speeds have become much more efficient thanks to the innovative till system, there is a wide variety of food on offer and students are more engaged; they often comment on what they’ve tried and suggest dishes to me.”
Pupils in poorer areas of North two years behind when they leave secondary school
Government data has shown that disadvantaged pupils at the end of their GCSEs were 3.9 grades or, as reported by the Education Policy Institute, 19.5 months behind their peers at the end of secondary school. On average, disadvantaged pupils in the North are 21.5 months behind their peers. In London it’s half that, at 10.4 months.
The Tutor Trust, a leading education charity, is working to address that gap. Their approach, which involves recruiting and training talented tutors, often students from universities across the North, is designed to make high- quality tuition more accessible to schools in disadvantaged areas, closing the gaps in attainment between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.
What started as an idea in 2010 grew with early support from Manchester City Council and the University of Manchester. Now, with successful results from two Randomised Controlled Trials from the Education Endowment Foundation under their belt – a real mark of quality for interventions like this one – the charity is moving across the North to support more pupils.
Already working in 150 primary and secondary schools, colleges, and alternative provision providers in Merseyside, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, its latest expansion will see Tutor Trust bring its model to at least 300 pupils in Hartlepool by the end of this academic year. Students in Hartlepool generally perform below both the national and North East averages, particularly in GCSE results. English and maths outcomes are lower, and there is a notable attainment gap; disadvantaged pupils are 19.5 months behind their peers.
The Tutor Trust’s tutors work closely with school staff to identify where the greatest needs lie, ensuring that tuition is targeted and tailored to the individual needs of each pupil. Tutors then work with small groups of students to provide personalised, one-to-one support in subjects such as English, phonics, maths and science.
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www.education-today.co.uk
Students from ‘outstanding’ Cambridgeshire Sixth Form celebrate Oxbridge offers
Five students from Impington International College are celebrating receiving university offers from the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford to study a diverse range of subjects from September 2025.
Students Arwen T. and Anjali S. have both received offers from the University of Oxford to read Geography and Psychology
respectively. Marina B., Izzy H. and Beth H. have all received offers from the University of Cambridge, where Marina has an offer to read Medicine, Izzy to read Natural Sciences, and Beth to read Human, Social and Political Sciences.
The Oxbridge offers follow the news that the College received a positive report from its recent IB Evaluation visit, which highlighted that ‘the concepts of community, diversity, inclusion and compassion permeate and frame the work of all members of the school community’ and that the College ‘continues to demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the IB philosophy and programmes.’
The College was also praised for its ‘commitment to educational equity’ for providing ‘access for students of all backgrounds and abilities.’ Reflecting on these comments, Victoria Hearn, Executive Headteacher, said: “While we are, of course, immensely proud of our students who have attained offers to study at Oxbridge universities, we are equally as proud of all of our students.
“An IB education really is a ticket to a world of opportunity, and this is evidenced by our storied history of alumni successes that have been achieved over our 30-year history of offering the programmes. We are now the only provider of a Sixth Form IB education in Cambridgeshire and I am delighted to offer this future-ready education to our students, free of charge.”
March 2025
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