New Principal takes over at Hinchingbrooke School

HINCHINGBROOKE School’s new principal has promised to “inspire excellence and fulfil potential”.

Andrew Goulding’s first act in charge of the Huntingdon school has been to order a full-scale curriculum review to ask “fundamental questions” about whether teachers are offering students the right subjects at the correct levels.

The former headmaster of an “outstanding” school in Bishop’s Stortford has also started a management restructure and says he wants to look at whether the current school day is the most efficient way for pupils to learn.

In response to the news that GCSEs are to be scrapped, he said he “wasn’t against well-planned and thought-out change” but had concerns about the proposals.

“Michael Gove appears to be keen on getting back to an academic education,” he said.

“As someone who was educated at a grammar school I can see the benefit of that but there needs to be a curriculum for all young people.

“In this country we only seem to value GCSEs, A-levels and university. We haven’t got a highly-regarded technical and vocational route for youngsters to take. That’s what this country needs and what employers are calling out for.”

The father-of-three was appointed head of Hinchingbrooke in December but did not take up his post until earlier this month.

He said he had received a “very warm welcome” and believed Hinchingbrooke to be a “fantastic school with enormous potential”.