Head's teaching vision to raise resort standards

St Nicholas Primary School, in School Road, Marton, has been granted teaching school status – meaning it can train new staff and act as a hub to support schools across the town.

And headteacher Andy Mellor is keen to work alongside as many Blackpool schools as possible to help the resort’s pupils achieve everything they can.

The school is the first in Blackpool to be granted teaching school status.

And Mr Mellor has already been busy forging partnerships ahead of the official launch of the scheme in October.

He said: “Through my whole career I’ve wanted to make a positive impact on the lives of the children I work with.

“We got an outstanding inspection for St Nicholas and the next logical step was to see how we could work a little more widely.

“One option was to go down the academy trust route, but that did not travel with the govenors.

“Teaching school status gives us the opportunity to work with many schools, without being tied to the structure of an academy trust and to share best practice across the town.”

St Bernadettes, Kincraig, St John’s and Layton are already signed up along with the Blackpool Multi-Academy Trust.

Mr Mellor said: “We want as many schools onboard as possible because there is some great practice out there and we want to share it, in Blackpool and hopefully beyond.”