Last chance to join the Great British Ghost Hunt

MAKE-A-WISH Foundation UK has a final few places remaining for the 1st ever Great British Ghost Hunt, taking place on Saturday 15 December 2007 in aid of the leading wishgranting charity which grants wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses.

Spaces have been going fast for this unique and hair-raising event in which participants will join experienced mediums and clairvoyants at 15 reputedly haunted locations across the country, where they will have the chance to use authentic ghost hunting and psychic equipment to track down ghostly activity. Results from each location will be entered into a competition to battle it out for the title of UK’s Most Haunted Venue 2007.

In Northern England, ghost hunts will be taking place at Ordsall Hall in Salford, famous for its resident spirits including the mysterious ‘White Lady’, Bolling Hall in Bradford - which has its own special ‘Ghost Room’ – and Stanley Palace in Chester, one of the city’s most haunted buildings.

The event is being organised in conjunction with ghost hunting specialists, Fright Nights and all money raised will go towards granting more magical wishes for children and young people across the UK.  For more information about The Great British Ghost Hunt, or to snap up any remaining spaces, please contact Francesca Towson, Northern England Regional Manager at Make-A-Wish, on 01904 567319 or email.

Make-A-Wish is currently celebrating its 21st anniversary year. Since 1986 Make-A-Wish has granted over 4,500 wishes and aims to grant its 5,000th wish by the end of the 21st year. 

For further information about Make-A-Wish, or to make a donation, go to www.make-a-wish.org.uk.

Celebration of the North West’s headteachers of tomorrow

HEADTEACHER recruitment has received a major boost with 352 more teachers in the North West gaining the qualification they need to apply for their 1st headteacher role.  The teachers were awarded the prestigious National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) during a ceremony at Whitworth Hall at the University of Manchester on Saturday 1 December. NPQH is managed by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), and is mandatory for those applying to their 1st headship role. All graduates completed the course at the Centre for Educational Leadership in Manchester, the only provider of NPQH in the North West

Teachers’ enthusiasm to gain the NPQH qualification is being stoked by a new nationwide campaign to identify and inspire talented headteacher candidates. The Tomorrow’s Leaders Today campaign sees NCSL work in close partnership with schools and school leaders, local authorities, dioceses, professional associations, and governor bodies across England to bring on the next generation of heads.

Keith Whitby, Director of Programmes for NPQH North West region said:- "Great headteachers are inspirational people who are instrumental in the success of our schools and make all the difference to the life chances of the children in their schools." It is a challenging role, but there is lots of support and it provides an opportunity to do something bigger. I am confident that this qualification will provide these aspiring headteachers with the preparation they need to take on this exciting role.”

Chris Kirk, NCSL’s Director for Succession Planning said:- “Headteachers can positively influence the life chances of young people and help develop the communities they live in. It is a great job and it is heartening to see aspiring leaders gaining the qualification they need to reach their headship goals.  The NPQH qualification provides an excellent framework for aspiring headteachers and continues to be highly regarded by participants and the wider profession. As we roll out our Tomorrow’s Leaders Today campaign, we will continue to collaborate with schools and local partnerships to support NPQH graduates to progress to headship.”

The graduates were presented with a commemorative programme as a memento of this special occasion. They celebrated their achievement in the company of their friends and families, enjoying the opportunity to catch up with each other and their tutors at a buffet reception.  NPQH prepares and supports teachers for headship through online learning, independent study, face-to-face events and visits to other schools, with the programme taking approximately 6 to 15 months to complete. The qualification is delivered by nine regional centres across England.