A fledgling school is gearing up for its second year of existence following a hugely successful opening one.

Pinner High School, in Beaulieu Drive, was awarded a string of awards after it opened its doors to a class of Year 7s in September 2016.

Built on the site of the old Heathfield School, it is invited a new group of students this year and is expected to reach 1,000 pupils by 2021.

Headteacher Chris Woolf explained that however good the first year was, it’s all about consolidating that as it moves into the future.

He said: “The first year was really good fun and it far exceeded our expectations.

“The staff and students will always have that tag of being the first group – I call them the trailblazers and they certainly blazed a trail.

“But no matter how successful one year is, it’s all about the next one. Not many organisations will double in size but that’s all part of the challenge.”

Chris expressed his gratitude to the other schools in the area that have supported Pinner High from the outset, and also to the parents who placed their faith in it.

He also explained how there have been more than 450 applications for teaching positions at the school, meaning that it has been able to employ a high quality staff.

And while examinations and assessments may be some way off, he sees this as all part of an exciting future.

He added: “I talk with some of the other heads in Harrow quite a bit and they’ve all been discussing their latest GCSE and A-Level results.

“People always want to know what your results are like and what your Ofsted rating is, but we have neither. We’re lucky to have the trust and support of the community.”

While official grades might not roll around for a few years yet, the school did have assessment forms given out to parents, staff and students and it scored ‘outstanding’ across all categories.

Couple this with a number of teaching and school awards, including an Investors in People Health and Wellbeing prize, and it makes for a special, albeit brief, history, and a promising future.