Parklands High School Academy
Parklands High School, just one mile from Manchester Airport, is our local secondary school. It is soon set for a bright new future, having recently secured ‘Academy’ status. Together with Willow Park Housing Trust and City College Manchester, we are proud to sponsor the new Parklands Academy, where our specialist knowledge of business, travel and tourism will help enrich the curriculum over the years ahead.
With the help of our Managing Director and people at every level of our business, we are actively involved in the project; managing the design of the new school building, recruiting staff and offering support to the development of the Academy and its curriculum.
Our HR Director Julie Armstrong is a Governor of the school and has been involved in planning the new Academy. In addition, a senior member of our team has been seconded three days a week to the project.
Parklands students already have the opportunity to benefit from its links to Manchester Airport. Here are just a few:
Mock interviews
A team of Community Champions recently conducted a series of mock interviews with students who, as part of the process, also completed application forms for a job of their choice.
Events
We offer students the opportunity to come to the airport one day a week over a whole term to organise a unique event. In Autumn 2007, a school team managed an event at Ringway Primary School with the help of volunteer staff from the airport. Learning more about the world of work, the team received gained valuable experience in organisation, communication and time management.
Recognition for Stars
Student stars are getting the recognition they deserve thanks to Manchester Airport. Star pupils Lewis Bogle, Jack Heath and Dale Edwards recently joined Head Teacher Mr Fitzpatrick to meet Captain Martin Drake of British Airways on a tour of Concorde, learning more about what it takes to be a pilot in the process.
Management Development
To develop management skills and promote the long-term success of the nre Academy, teachers from Parklands have attended Manchester Airport’s Management Development training courses and received presentations from senior airport management. Special arrangements have been made to run the courses in evenings and weekends without interrupting teaching time.
There are many more exciting projects happening in the school in the months and years to come - and we’ll showcase a selection here.