Midcheshire Independent Issue 185

NOVEMBER 2025 16 Independent EDUCATION • Top performing school at GCSE & A-Level • Scholarships & bursaries available • State-of-the-art campus • Wide enrichment offer • New bus routes from Hale, Altrincham & Buxton www.kingsmac.co.uk | 01625 260000 The King’s School in Macclesfield Charity No. 1137204 ‘BEST EVER ’ A LEVEL RESULTS 2025 Entrance Examinations Friday 16 January 2026 To register, scan QR code or go to: www.kingsmac.co.uk 5 A NEW £5million sports pavilion on The King’s School’s 80-acre Prestbury site will open next year. Once open it will provide a first-class facility for the school and the wider community. Forming part of the school’s original ‘2020 Vision’ for the campus on Alderley Road, the pavilion plans have been brought forward thanks to a substantial legacy left by a former pupil and benefactor. In recognition of Roy For- ster’s affection for King’s and his desire to see future generations benefit from a world-class environment for sport and community life, the building will be named the Forster Pavilion. It will be a two-story sports hub with a wrap-around spectators’ balcony, located at the centre of the school’s hockey, netball and junior football pitches. Downstairs, two large and two smaller changing spaces with shower facilities will accommodate up to 200 pupils, with five further indi- vidual changing rooms for match officials and staff. The 250 square metre, open-plan hospitality suite on the first floor, will include full audio-visual capability, two TYTHERINGTON School head Manny Botwe is call- ing on the government to fund mobile phone pouches after seeing improvements in behav- iour and social skills since bringing them in. As reported in the last issue of The Independent, the school introduced the pouches at the start of the September term, which means all students are phone free throughout the day. The initiative has now been featured on ITV regional news. The report highlighted the cost of the mobile pouches as a main concern when school budgets are tight. Headteacher Manny Botwe said: “We would urge the gov- ernment to cover the cost of this for schools. “If we are serious about limiting the impact of phones and distraction then we need support and help from govern- ment to make this happen.” Tytherington pupils are asked to place their phones in a lockable pouch at the begin- ning of the school day. The pouch remains sealed until home time, creating a completely phone-free learn- ing environment. Tytherington is the first school in Cheshire East to adopt the policy. Although mobile phone use had previously been restricted, stu- dents were still able to access them in themorning, in toilets, or discreetly during lessons. Staff reported that the dis- traction of simply having the device close by was enough to affect focus and wellbeing. Mr Botwe said the change has already made a noticea- ble difference. He said: “We’ve seen an immediate improve- ment in behaviour and con- centration in class. “Safeguarding concerns linked to phones and social media have already taken a noticeable dip, and students are engaging more positively with their learning and with one another.” Call for government to back phone pouch initiative Sports hub: CGIs of the planned Forster Pavilion (Photo credit: The King’s School) King’s £5m sport pavilion will be a winner separate meeting rooms and comprehensive kitchen and catering provision, to create a venue for formal and casual dining occasions. The building will be fully accessible throughout, including a lift and accessible changing facilities. The roof of the building will also see a full array of solar panels. Set to be opened in Septem- ber 2026, the pavilion will provide flexible and much- needed high-quality sports and events facilities for the local community. Current regular users of the school’s astro pitches include both Macclesfield and Alder- ley Edge Hockey Club, as well as Alderley United FC and many other local sports clubs. Jason Slack, Head of King’s, said: “We are delighted to complete our original devel- opment plan with Forster Pavilion. It is testament to our ongoing commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities for our school and wider communities. “We look forward to opening the pavilion in the name of our extremely generous benefactor, who was a talented cricketer and rugby player whilst at King’s before going on to a successful career as a vet.” Cheshire Paralympics legend Dame Sarah Storey has welcomed the invest- ment. She said: “This new eco-friendly sports pavilion will be a fantastic addition to what is already an incredible campus at King’s. “Not only will it be a fantastic space for King’s pupils, but it will also pro- vide the local community with additional facilities, including the many local sports clubs that regularly train and hold fixtures on King’s Astro pitches and netball courts. “This project is a fantastic investment in sports education and facilities for the region.”