Friday 31 August will see the retirement of a very special lady who has devoted more than 38 years of her life to the teaching profession. After obtaining her degree at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Mrs Hughes taught Mathematics in several schools in the Walsall area, moving from one to the next on promotion. In 1989 she was appointed Head of KS4 at Thomas More Catholic School, taking on the role of Head of Mathematics and Head of House at Stuart Bathurst Catholic High School in 1992 and in 2001 she became Assistant Head Teacher there. She moved to St Edmund’s Catholic School in September 2007 as Deputy Head.
1 July 2013 saw the conversion of St Edmund’s to an academy, changing its name to St Edmund’s Catholic Academy – part of Bishop Cleary Multi Academy Company (BCCMAC), incorporating SS Mary and John’s Catholic Academy, St Michael’s Catholic Academy, SS Peter and Paul’s Catholic Academy and St Teresa’s Catholic Academy.
September 2013 was a watershed in St Edmund’s history: a move to a bright, part new, part remodelled premises as a result of a unique collaboration between some of the main partners on Compton Park; St Edmund’s Catholic School, the University of Wolverhampton, the Archdiocese of Birmingham and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, together with Redrow Homes and Wolverhampton Building Schools for the Future team from the Local Authority.
Following the retirement of former Principal, Deirdre Finucane, in August 2014, Mrs Hughes was appointed by the Directors as Principal. She has taken the academy from strength to strength, achieving ‘Good’ from the Ofsted Inspection in March 2016 and Good during a recent Section 48 RE Inspection in February.
The academy is now over-subscribed with approximately 630 children applying for the 200 places available in year 7 in September 2018 and has a thriving Sixth Form.
Directors, Representatives, stakeholders, staff, students and friends have a series of events planned in the near future to mark their appreciation of a long career in Education, but most especially for the time spent serving the students and staff of St Edmund’s Catholic Academy.
The BCCMAC motto of ‘Learning and Growing Together in Christ’ has certainly been achieved by Mrs Hughes on her journey. We wish her well as she hopefully meets a relaxing new chapter in her life – but somehow we don’t think so!!! Thank you for your wonderful contribution.
