Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, has congratulated Michael Loncaster on his outstanding contribution to education in Molescroft.
At the end of this month, Michael Loncaster will retire as Headteacher of Molescroft Primary School, a role he has held for the last twenty three years. Graham strongly admires all that Michael has achieved, and invited him to Parliament to thank him for the excellent legacy he will leave. As part of his visit, Graham arranged for Michael to meet the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Laura Trott MP, who congratulated him on the remarkable difference he has made to so many children’s lives and wished him a very happy retirement.
Under Michael’s leadership, Molescroft has gone from strength to strength. The school has received two outstanding OFSTED inspections in a row, with praise from the inspectors for creating, “an ambitious and exceptional curriculum, especially in the arts.” They were particularly impressed with the exceptional range of opportunities available to pupils outside of the classroom, which include the school’s annual Theatre Club. This gives 130 pupils the opportunity to participate in a ‘West End’ scale production of shows from Starlight Express to Hairspray. Thanks to Michael’s belief in the abilities of his pupils, thousands of children have been given memories of a lifetime.
To achieve this in one school is very impressive, but Michael’s extraordinary leadership is not confined to just Molescroft Primary. In 2017, Michael was appointed as Executive Headteacher of Woodmansey Primary School. In this role Michael has been responsible for leadership support, staff development and curriculum design. This was supposed to be for just one term, but seven years later the partnership between Michael and the school community is as strong as ever. His work in this role has resulted in the school being upgraded by OFSTED from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’; securing its long-term future in the community. Michael’s ability to achieve high outcomes in multiple demanding roles is astounding.
Laura Trott MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education commented, “I was delighted to meet Michael and thank him for his outstanding contribution to education in the East Riding. His love of teaching and unwavering commitment to giving every child the opportunity to be the best they can be was clear from our conversation. The thousands of pupils who have attended his schools over the last two decades are very lucky indeed. Happy retirement, Michael!”
Graham said: “No one is under any illusion about how challenging it is to be a Headteacher, so for Michael to have the energy and ability to deliver the highest results for over two decades is a testament to his character. That’s why I was very pleased to invite Michael to Parliament to congratulate him personally on his remarkable achievements and thank him for the wonderful difference he has made to so many children in the community. I hope he has a very long and happy retirement.”
