Hale Independent Issue 172

17 NOVEMBER 2024 Visit our website: www.independentnewspapers.co.uk T: 0161 480 8171 | E: info@damartraining.com or visit our website: www.damartraining.com A specialist provider of apprentice recruitment and training • Excellent GCSE & A-Level results • Stunning 80-acre campus in Prestbury • State-of-the-art facilities • 11 + & Sixth Form Bursaries • ‘Excellent’ in all areas – ISI Inspection 2022 REGISTER ONLINE: www.kingsmac.co.uk www.kingsmac.co.uk | 01625 260000 The King’s School in Macclesfield Sixth Form Options Evening Thursday 14 November | 6 pm Entrance Examinations Friday 17 January 2025 Charity No. 1137204 TYTHERINGTON School head Manny Botwe was a visitor to 10 Downing Street after receiving an invite to a reception hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He followed that engage- ment by chairing a Q&A ses- sion with Sir Martyn Oliver who is His Majesty’s Chief Ofsted Inspector. Mr Botwe was appointed president of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) earlier this year. ASCL represents more than 25,000 school and college lead- ers across the UK and is one of the country’s most influen- tial educational organisations. His role involves him reg- ularly meeting with govern- ment ministers, Ofsted and other major stakeholders who influence decisions relating to key educational issues. Mr Botwe, who has been the headteacher of Tythering- ton School since 2015, said: “I was delighted to be invited to Downing Street. “It was great to have the opportunity to talk about all of the great things that are happening in our schools as well as shine a light on the things we need government to do in order to improve the system. “Later on in the week, with my ASCL president hat on, I chaired a Q&A session with Ofsted’s chief inspector. “The purpose of the session was to provide ASCL Council members the opportunity to discuss future of inspection in this country. I was hon- oured to have been involved in both events.” By Julian O’Neill CHESHIRE sixth form student Finlay Buckley is hoping his Arkwright Scholarship will take him into tomorrow’s world. Finlay, 16, has earned one of 200 top engineering scholarships from over 2,000 applicants nationwide. As well as winning £250, for each of his two years at King’s School Sixth Form, Finlay believes winning the award will bolster his CV and cre- ate a vast range of network- ing opportunities. He said: “I don’t particu- larly want to pursue the traditional route of a uni- versity degree, but rather a degree-apprenticeship with a top national company. “That way I get the same academic qualification with hands on work experience, which I believe will be more useful in any future career.” The scholarship is named after one of the great pioneers of the Industrial Revolution, Derbyshire entrepreneur Sir Richard Arkwright, who invented the spinning frame and the water frame and had factories across the North West supplying textiles to the world. To impress a distinguished Downing Street invite for Manny Engineering a bright future Scholarship: Finlay Buckley panel of judges, Finlay, from Rainow, first completed a formal application, then sat a two-hour exam in which he designed a mini snow-gritter to help keep pathways clear, before getting selected for an interview where he had to give a presentation. He is currently studying A Level design technol- ogy, maths, further maths and chemistry. Finlay, who plays ice hockey for the Manchester Storm Academy and captains the King’s School 2nd XI field hockey team, will go to New- castle upon Tyne to receive his award and meet prospective engineering company recruit- ers later in the autumn. King’s students have won the Arkwright Scholarship seven times since it was introduced in 1991, with Fin- lay’s success is the first since the pandemic. Design and technology teacher Gareth Steele, who is the school’s Arkwright coordi- nator, said: “Finlay combines both immense engineering and technical creativity with exacting attention to detail and hard work.”