Endeavour School headteacher announces his decision to resign
HE HELD one of the toughest headships in the city.
And now Chris Straker, of Endeavour School, has announced his decision to resign his post after five years.
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Chris Straker is stepping down as the headteacher at Endeavour School.
Pupils were told the news in assemblies yesterday and parents were also sent letters explaining his decision.
Louise Wilson, deputy head, will take over as acting head teacher.
Mr Straker will officially leave on December 21.
However, he has been seconded to work on the city's pioneering Restorative Practice (RP) initiative.
RP is a scheme that has been piloted in the city, including at Endeavour School.
The idea behind the practice is to allow children to understand the consequences of their behaviour and make amends themselves.
Hull is bidding to be the world's first restorative city, and in October hundreds of visitors from around the globe will visit the city for the World Restorative Practice conference.
Speaking exclusively to the Mail about his decision to leave Endeavour, Mr Straker said the school was in a strong position to move forward.
He said: "For a while now I have been thinking I wanted to do Restorative Practice full-time and it has been something I have been doing in the background.
"With the latest Ofsted and the exam results this summer, it just seemed as good a time as any.
"There is, to a degree, the thought of why would you leave a steady job in a school that is improving?
"The team left behind are in a very good place to move very quickly out of special measures.
"It just seemed like the right time to do it.
"After five years at the school it has been a tough decision and I will be sad to leave, but at the end of the day you have to move on.
"At some point, head teachers leave schools. This one just happens to be Endeavour.
"There is nothing abrupt about the decision. I have been thinking about it for a while."
Mr Straker arrived at Endeavour in 2004 as part of the school's interim management team, after the resignation of former head teacher David Throp.
At the time, he was deputy head teacher at Kingswood College of Arts.
He assumed the day-to-day running of the school with Kevin Beaton, the then head teacher of Kingswood.
One month later the school fell into special measures.
Mr Straker took over as head at Endeavour in 2005 and steered the school out of the Ofsted category in the shortest possible time.
But in June last year Ofsted delivered a further blow to the school by placing it back in special measures, largely because of poor exam performance.
Mr Straker said: "When I started, seven per cent of pupils were getting five good GCSEs, this year that is 73.
"I will be sad to leave. Endeavour has been my life, all-consuming for five and a half years.
"The kids and parents are all fantastic, as are the staff, and I hope we get recognised for that progress."
Although technically still the head, Mr Straker says he will no longer be at Endeavour.
He said: "The last thing Endeavour needs is a head who is going out doing other things while the school is going forward.
"It has to be quite clear that Louise Wilson is the head.
"Schools have got to be clear who is in charge."
8 Comments
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by Claire, hull
Monday, September 13 2010, 11:59PM
“thanx to the comment
These people cannot be educated, and should simply be given methadone, and free housing, and kept away from civilised society.
Throgmorton, Bash Street
^^^ im actually attending endeaour now, im my last year, the teachers are actually really good, but its "most" of the kids that spoilt it for everyone else.
our year 11's who just left walked away will A*'s, stop judging the school before you enter it”
by Claire, hull
Monday, September 13 2010, 11:57PM
“thanx to the comment
These people cannot be educated, and should simply be given methadone, and free housing, and kept away from civilised society.
Throgmorton, Bash Street
^^^ im actually attending endeaour now, im my last year, the teachers are actually really good, but its "most" of the kids that spoilt it for everyone else.
our year 11's who just left walked away will A*'s, stop judging the school before you enter it”
by Throgmorton, Bash Street
Thursday, September 09 2010, 10:01PM
“These people cannot be educated, and should simply be given methadone, and free housing, and kept away from civilised society.”
by Billie14, East Yorkshire
Thursday, September 09 2010, 9:45PM
“How dare Hull City Council even think about Pioneering Restorative Practice (RP) initiative. in the current climate and all the cutbacks the rate payers of Hull are
having. I wonder if anyone from the Hull Daily Mail have asked Hull City how much this is going to cost (hundreds of thousands of pounds) WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM FOR THIS they are going to train all their teachers,social workers police residential workers foster carers etc and all the agencies that deal with young people do ask them how they can justify this when they have NO EVIDENCE this works. l agree with Mr Quelch Greyfriars this is not for unruly children. Which LEFTIE in the council has thought this is a good idea most probably a job for the boys again. Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg have stated that they want more people to have their say, have Hull City liased with the rate payers of Hull on this brain dead idea that is going to cost hundreds and thousands of pounds if not millions and it will not work. All the social workers in Hull City are dreading it BECAUSE THEY WORK WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND KNOW IT WILL NOT WORK but they do not dare speak out as the culture within Hull City they fear for their jobs. The Hull Daily Mail should conduct a survey amongst the people who work on the front line of looking after or teaching young people if they think this will work and surprise surprise l think you will find they will say no way. How many people are going to work on this and how much are they going to be paid l have been informed they have already recruited a few people including Mr Straker on massive salaries, do ask Hull City where they are getting this money from and how they can justify the costing of this without any concrete evidence it works?
I agree with Mr Quelch Greyfriars a lot of so called gurus spouting a lot of rubbish. I also beleive the so called trainers who are coming from America we really need Americans to teach us how to control our children? Instead of spending monies on ridiculous unproven schemes why dont we get back to basics and try and teach our young people manners and respect.”
by Mr Quelch, Greyfriars
Thursday, September 09 2010, 12:29PM
“Thank you for clearing up a point, Wackford. The vast majority of Hull children are indeed good at heart and certainly don't deserve their life chances ruining by the vile minority and, of course, their feckless parents. I hope that my previous posting, by which I stand, has not been misinterpreted by others in this respect.”