WHEN Hilary D’Arcy drove through the gates of Ladybridge High School eight years ago, she was about to start her first day as head of one of the most struggling schools in England.

But as she quietly closed the door of her office for the last time in December, 2015, she left as headteacher of one of the country’s most improved schools with a Y7 waiting list of more than 100 children and an attendance rate of 96.8 per cent - well above the national average.

Looking back on that first day, Hilary says: “Ladybridge High was a struggling and a challenging school with low attendance and high exclusions, but one where I could envisage a very bright future.

“Although the school had been through a turbulent time, I had an unremitting belief I could make it a successful one with an excellent standard of education and a happy, safe and secure environment for its staff and children.”

She immediately instilled her personal mantra among the school’s staff of ‘if it isn’t good enough for our children, it isn’t good enough for Ladybridge children’ and it’s this philosophy that is still channelled through every fibre of the school.

But Hilary is resolute when she points out she has had the ‘best team of staff I could have wished for’ in the school’s transformation.

“I had the staff on my side from the outset,” she says, “and I’m completely confident I leave the school in the very best of hands.”

Ladybridge High opened on the site of The Deane School, which was closed in 2004 after being consistently found by education watchdogs to be failing to provide an acceptable standard of education.

Moreover, it had a massive deficit financially which added another challenge to the new head’s role.

But it was the pupils who were at the forefront of Hilary’s plans.

She says: “When I arrived the children were eager and ready to embrace new infrastructure and new routines.

“I wanted to breathe belief into these children and they were so very much open to new learning.”

Joining Ladybridge High, Hilary admits a major problem was the misconceptions of parents reluctant to even consider the school as a secondary education choice for their children.

Years of underachieving, followed by closure of The Dean School, had understandably resulted in the school being considered a ‘no go area’ by many.

However, with Hilary’s leadership (described by Ofsted inspectors as leading the school ‘outstandingly well’) and a strong, talented and supportive staff delivering high quality teaching, the past few years have seen parents take a ‘huge leap of faith’ to send their children there.

Standards and results continue to soar and the school is over subscribed.

Recent inspections include expressions like ‘behaviour is good’, ‘students enjoy school’, relationships are very strong’ and ‘attendance exceeds the national average by some margin’.

Hilary knows she is leaving the school in the exceptional hands of acting head, Martin Witter, who is an accredited talented leader within the Future Leaders’ Trust.

“Martin has been at the school for a long time and has been a staunch supporter every step of the way,” she says.

“The school will continue to thrive with Martin in the driving seat and, of course, he has the most wonderful staff, governors and parents who will stand beside him.

“Ladybridge High has been my world for eight years and I have loved every single day.

“It’s a school full of people who are proud to be part of it - teachers, staff, and, of course, these marvellous, extraordinary, phenomenal children who wear their black and red uniforms with such pride and strive to follow the school’s mantra of ‘be the best you can be’.

“I’ve been blessed. I will miss every one of them.”