A school for children with learning difficulties and complex needs in Stockport has sadly been vandalised, leaving the students without a beloved learning facility.
Castle Hill High School in Offerton — formerly known as Offerton School — was reopened as a community specialist education school back in 2014 after moving from its original site in the Brinnington area of the borough, and currently teaches and looks after around 325 students.
Taking in kids from ages 11-18, Castle Hill has remained an important educational facility for those living in Stockport and has regularly held an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating, providing its pupils with access to everything from science labs, food technology rooms and design workshops to computer suites, art rooms, multi-use sports and games area and much more.
One of the aspects the school and its students were most proud of was the ‘Forest School‘: an outdoor-focused learning approach which sees children interact with their environment and others in it. In the case of Castle Hill, these lessons originated in a specially-designed container located at the back of the school but, sadly, during the recent half-term break, the facility was destroyed.
Gemma Minshull, whose 12-year-old daughter Maddie attends the school, says that she and countless other kids were “left so upset” by the arson and has since issued a plea online, asking Stockport locals and surrounding communities to “please help us to restore our beloved forest school”.
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As she explained, “During the half-term break an intruder broke into the school grounds, deliberately setting fire to the forest school container, destroying everything.”
“The Forest School is an amazing educational approach to outdoor learning, designed to inspire all pupils. The real power of Forest School is its multi-sensory environment. This child-centred learning is integral in meeting the needs of the diverse range of children who attend Castle Hill High School.”
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Setting up a GoFundMe to try and raise enough money to replace everything lost, Gemma went on to reiterate the importance of the forest school, emphasising that it can be key in helping children “work closely with others… gaining more independence, develop confidence, self-esteem” and more.
On a brighter note, in less than a week more than £6,340 has been raised to help replace everything that was lost in the blaze, including replacing the cargo container hub itself, wellies and other items. Local taxi company Lynx Taxis even donated £2,000 outright upon hearing the news.
Offerton locals have even been donating wellies and coats of their own for when it gets back up and running. Speaking to the MEN, teacher John Hadley, who has worked at the school for over six years says, says the staff have been overwhelmed by the support.
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“It’s been amazing, we have been bowled over. There’s been a real outpour and a huge coming-together”, he said, once again reinforcing how much these students get from “being in a multi-sensory environment”.
You can do your bit to help by donating to the fundraiser HERE.
Featured Image — Castle Hill School/Wikimedia Commons/Gemma Minshull
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Government sets up taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England
Emily Sergeant
A taskforce aiming to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England has been set up by the Government.
The new Maternity and Neonatal taskforce – which is chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting – will tackle ‘deep-rooted inequalities’ and deliver urgent action on the recommendations of the independent national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England.
This means that women, babies, and families will receive safer and higher-quality care from the NHS in the long run.
According to the Government, the expert panel includes families, senior NHS leaders, royal colleges, campaigners, academics, and third sector representatives.
The Government has set up a taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care / Credit: Jimmy Conover (via Unsplash)
As part of the selection process, the Government has been working closely with harmed and bereaved families to ensure their personal experiences were reflected, and those who have been chosen collectively have the clinical expertise, lived experience, and sector know-how to deliver the changes so desperately needed for families.
Starting next week, the Secretary of State will chair regular roundtables with the new taskforce – with the first priority to agree its Terms of Reference.
The taskforce will also address recent developments in maternity and neonatal care, including recommendations from the Thirlwall Inquiry, and the independent review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
📢 National maternity and neonatal investigation to be launched
Too many families have suffered preventable harm.
The investigation will urgently look at services with specific issues and the entire maternity system, making sure each family receives safe and compassionate care. pic.twitter.com/J8XkwGM9dN
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 23, 2025
The taskforce will also be supported by a wider range of experts – as part of ‘expert reference groups’ – that the Government says will bring ‘a broader range’ of perspectives.
“Every woman and baby deserve safe, compassionate care during pregnancy and birth, and the very best start in life,” commented Duncan Burton, who is the Chief Nursing Officer for England.
“Although NHS maternity and neonatal teams work incredibly hard to support women and families every day, we know there is more we must urgently do to improve care and experience.
“I look forward to working with members of the taskforce to improve safety and deliver the best possible outcomes and experience for women, babies, families, and colleagues working in these services.”
Featured Image – Credit: Aditya Romansa (via Unsplash)
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Manchester Piccadilly is closing AGAIN for more improvement works this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Piccadilly is set to close again for more improvement works this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Piccadilly train station was closed for nine days back in mid-February while a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ was carried out – with very few train services running in or out of the station in the process, and as you’d expect, widespread disruption caused for those travelling around the region.
But thankfully, after many journeys were impacted for those travelling to and from major destinations like Manchester Airport, and on the West Coast Mainline, the station was back up and running at the end of February, with passengers thanked for their patience in the meantime.
Network Rail invested £7.9m into the major upgrade, with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
At the time it was announced that the station had reopened, passengers were alerted to further minor closures in the future, and one of those closures is set to take place this weekend.
🗓️ On 1 & 22 March, we’ll complete follow-up work following our £7.9m track upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly.
🛤️ Morning journeys will be disrupted on those days, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep you moving.
This Sunday (22 March), routine follow-up work will take place to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping, and this will impact trains until 1pm, so passengers are advised to check online ahead of time if planning to travel.
These upgrades are said to help deliver ‘smoother, more reliable’ journeys for passengers in the future, but during this time, trains from the south and east will not run into Manchester Piccadilly.
All station facilities at Manchester Piccadilly will remain open on the day, including the ticket office, Passenger Assist lounge, toilets, and retail outlets, and Metrolink trams will continue to stop at the station too.
Northern has confirmed that it will continue to run a reduced timetable on services to Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, and Chester.
Danny Jones -
13th June 2023 
