Saddleworth School headteacher Mike Anderson departs after 5 years

Saddleworth School's headteacher Mike Anderson has left the school after five and a half years, with parents notified of his departure on Monday evening. The Cranmer Education Trust, which oversees the school, praised Anderson's leadership through the move to a new site, the COVID-19 pandemic, and curriculum changes that have benefited students.

Anderson's departure takes effect immediately, with the school now led by two executive headteachers from the trust-Rob Higgins from Blue Coat and Chris Heyes from St Anne's. An interim headteacher will join them soon to handle day-to-day operations until a permanent replacement is appointed.

The leadership transition comes at a time when the school has established itself as a community hub following its move to new facilities. Parents have been advised to continue contacting the school through normal channels, with heads of year handling pastoral matters and heads of department managing academic queries.

Any appointments already scheduled with Anderson will be rescheduled with appropriate school leaders. The trust has been approached for further comment on the circumstances surrounding Anderson's departure and the timeline for appointing a new headteacher.