Halton School becomes First to join new Roman Catholic academy trust

ST Chad's Catholic and Church of England High School in Halton today became the First School to join a new Roman Catholic multi-academy trust run in partnership with the Archdiocese of Liverpool, the Diocese of Shrewsbury and the Diocese of Chester.

St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust has been launched to provide the very best educational opportunities for children and young people in the North West of England.

A further 5 Schools in the Liverpool City Region are due to join St Joseph next month with more transferring in the summer term and then in the next academic year.

All the Schools which join St Joseph will benefit from being part of both an academy trust and the wider Diocesan education family, which together will bring opportunities for staff to share, learn from and introduce best practice, as well as access continuing professional development from external providers. The model will mean that students in the Schools will receive great teaching and learning, helping ensure high standards in all areas of School life. It is expected that the Schools which join St Joseph will leave the trust in 2 or 3 years to join other Catholic academy trusts as their permanent home.

St Joseph's 1st Chief Executive Officer is Andrew Truby. Mr Truby was formerly the Executive Headteacher of 2 Ofsted rated Outstanding Schools in Sheffield. He also led a third School that was in special measures when he took it on, and which he turned around so that it is now judged by Ofsted to be Good. He is also a National Leader of Education and the strategic lead for Learning Unlimited Teaching School Alliance, a teaching School with 1 of the strongest track records in the Region, and of St Wilfrid's English Hub.

James Forber, Headteacher of St Chad's Catholic and Church of England High School, said:- "I am delighted that St Chad's has today joined St Joseph. We have gained so much from being part of the local authority and I would like to put on record my gratitude to all the support they have provided us. However, we believe that now is the right time for a new chapter in our School's story. Our aims are simple - for the students of St Chad's to receive the highest quality education and for St Chad's to be best the School it possibly can be. We believe these can best be served as part of St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust."

Andrew Truby, the 1st substantive Chief Executive Officer of the Trust, said:- "I am very excited that we are underway and so pleased that St Chad's is the 1st School to join. It is a great School, with so much potential and I am so looking forward to seeing it flourish as part of the academy trust. In my career I have been committed to transforming children's lives through a world class education and this underpins all my work. This aligns perfectly with St Joseph's mission. We want to provide a Catholic home for Schools whose children and young people are nurtured and challenged to reach their potential."
 

Peter Pan Flies Into St Helens This Easter

HOT on the heels of ˝ Term Pantomime:- 'The Wizard Of Oz,' St Helens Theatre Royal is excited to announce a fabulous cast for its Easter extravaganza. Regal Entertainments is delighted to announce the full line up for Panto Peter Pan, which will entertainment audiences during the Easter holidays. The show is part of the venue's exciting Spring Season 2022 programme. Peter Pan will run at St Helens Theatre Royal from:- Saturday, 2 April to Monday, 18 April 2022. Tickets are on sale now starting from ₤13.

St Helens Theatre Royal's Spring Season 2022 brochure can be found online by visiting:- StHelensTheatreRoyal.Com.

Based on J.M. Barrie's timeless classic about the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan is the 2nd Spring Panto from Regal Entertainments, promising a family friendly swashbuckling show featuring fabulous flying scenes!

With a sprinkling of fairy dust, audiences are invited to join Peter, Wendy, John, Michael, Tinkerbell and friends as they leave St Helens behind, flying past the 2nd star to the right and straight to Neverland, to enjoy daring adventures battling the evil Captain Hook and his hapless henchman. Along the way, theatregoers will also meet Pirates, Fairies, Lost Boys, Indians, and of course 1 tick tocking crocodile.

The title role of Peter Pan will be played by Harrison Vaughan from television show The Greatest Dancer. He will be joined by a whole host of St Helens favourites returning to the stage for another spectacular Panto.

Harrison trained at Liverpool's Jelli Studios, which was founded by Brookside's Jennifer Ellison. The accomplished dancer finished runner up on BBC 1's The Greatest Dancer. His television credits include:- Taking The Next Step; The Next Step; Harrison Vaughan The Winners' Story; Peaky Blinders; Why I Dance? By Harrison Vaughan; and short film Saturday. Theatre credits include Matilda the musical at London's West End, and Peter Pan in Liverpool.

Harrison is the current British TDCI Modern Champion; TDCI English Song, Dance and Modern Champion; TDCI Champion of Champions Winner; World Champion soloist in Jazz and Show Dance; All England Winner in Modern and Jazz; TDCI Regional champion in Ballet, Modern, Song and Dance; Winner of The Carl Alan Young Performer's Award 2020; and The Le Classigue de dance Senior Vocal Award 2020.

Harrison Vaughan said:- "Peter Pan was my 1 Panto as a child, I played Nibs the Lost Boy. It's crazy to think I'm now playing Peter all these years later. It's been so long since I've been on stage due to Covid, I'm so excited to be back performing in a theatre so close to my heart."

Harrison will be joined on stage by St Helens' favourites Lauren McCrory as Wendy; Mia Molly as Tiger Lily; Reece Sibbald as Smee; David Phipps Davis as Mrs Smee; Scott Gallagher as Captain Hook; and newcomer to Regal Entertainments, Hayley Russell as Tink.

Mia, Reece and Scott recently wowed audiences in St Helens' February ˝ Term Panto The Wizard Of Oz, playing Dorothy, Scarecrow and Lion, respectively.

Lauren McCrory will play Wendy. She is no stranger to Panto having played Cinderella in both the Curtis Productions show and the Odeon Cinemas version. She graduated from Performers College in 2019. Lauren played Belle in Beauty And The Beast at Regal's Christmas 2021 show at The Epstein Theatre.

Mia Molly will play Tiger Lily. She has been performing since a young age, and was cast by Willy Russell in the original production of Our Day Out The Musical when she was aged 14. She trained at Liverpool Theatre School, and graduated in 2015 with a distinction in Professional Musical Theatre.

Reece Sibbald will play Smee. A Writer, Director and Performer, Reece returns to the stage in St Helens; and has written this new stage version of Peter Pan. He also appeared as Simple Simon in Jack And The Beanstalk at St Helens in Autumn 2021.

David Phipps Davis will play Mrs Smee. A regular Panto performer for almost 20 years, his credits include Dick Wittington, Mother Goose, Aladdin, and Sleeping Beauty. Trained as a classical singer at the Guildhall School Of Music And Drama, he has performed in Oliver!, The Phantom Of The Opera, and La Traviata.

Scott Gallagher will play Captain Hook. He is a regular performer nationwide with his cabaret and event hosting, and is now expanding his repertoire with script writing and directing. Scott has also written a children's book. He was also recently seen as Silly Billy in Goldilocks And The 3 Bears at St Helens for Christmas 2021.

Hayley Russell will play Tink. Originally from Greater Manchester, she has spent 20 years working as a professional production vocalist, band singer and dancer, supporting artists including Billy Ocean and Gareth Gates. Stage credits include Vampires Rock; Vampires Rock Ghost Train; Iconic; The Meat Loaf Story; Sleeping Beauty; and Cinderella.

Theatre Manager Chantelle Nolan commented:- "Peter Pan is always a fabulous family favourite; you have the good characters, the mischievous characters, and the magical characters. It's a real show of pure escapism as we set off on a thrilling adventure with the Darling family and their new friends, and the exciting flying scenes are not to be missed. We're gearing up for a St Helens extravaganza this Easter."

Peter Pan is the 2nd of 4 Regal Entertainments' Pantomimes at St Helens Theatre Royal during 2022. The programme also includes Sleeping Beauty during October ˝ Term and Cinderella, for Christmas 2022.

St Helens Theatre Royal continues to use the Society Of London Theatre and UK Theatre's:- 'See It Safely' mark. This certifies that the venue is complying with Government and industry Covid19 guidelines to ensure the safety of staff, performers, and audiences.

St Helens Theatre Royal has a range of Covid decure measures in place. They include:- increased cleaning, hand sanitiser stations at points throughout the building, and a QR code phone app for audiences to order food and beverages to be delivered to them at their seats.

Customers are asked to continue to wear face coverings (unless exempt) as a courtesy to others, and are being encouraged to take a lateral flow test up to 48 hours before attending a show. People are asked not to visit the theatre if they have Covid symptoms. Meanwhile theatre staff are taking daily Covid tests.