Principal's welcome

A very warm welcome to our website and to Hope Valley College.

Our school is often described as a special place not only because of its location in the heart of the beautiful Peak District and the Hope Valley but also because of its wonderful students, staff, parents and governors.  As the new Headteacher, I am delighted, honoured and privileged to be given the opportunity to lead our school community in the next chapter of its journey.  I believe in equality of opportunity so that every child has the best education both in and out of lessons. Our students only have one chance to benefit from their education so it must be excellent every day in every way.

The ethos of our school has developed over many years since its first days as a Village College in 1958 but it has always had students at its heart.  We want all our students to become successful, independent young people who can achieve their hopes and dreams. We believe in nurturing talent, enriching lives and achieving the very best outcomes.  We want our students to be happy at school and to ensure that this is reflected in their excellent attendance and punctuality every day.  We have the highest expectations for all our learning community and welcome the support of our parents; together we make a powerful team.

Our curriculum aims to provide every student with the opportunity to succeed academically and to continue to be inquisitive, lifelong learners. We want our students to be the best they can be and to achieve their potential in every subject, every lesson, every day. Outside of lessons we believe in enrichment because it develops excellent relationships with students, and it broadens horizons. We aim to give our students unique and sometimes life-changing experiences. Many of our enrichment activities are core to our curriculum, for example our outdoor education programme whilst others, like our trips and visits, provide students with the chance to travel, sometimes overseas.

The school is a part of Chorus Education Trust enabling us to work collaboratively with the other excellent schools in the trust and South Yorkshire Teaching Hub. The ethos of the trust, ‘Outstanding Achievement for All’, is a perfect fit for Hope Valley College and we are building a strong future together.

Thank you for reading this welcome, I look forward to meeting you soon.

Mrs Debbie Petts, Headteacher