Reece was Deputy Headteacher at Laurus Ryecroft before taking on the role as Head of School in January 2024.

Prior to joining Laurus Ryecroft, Reece worked at a South Manchester secondary school and has over ten years’ experience in senior leadership roles. Originally from Newcastle, Reece studied History at Sunderland University and went on to achieve a Master’s degree in Education at Manchester Metropolitan University.

He is extremely proud to work at Laurus Ryecroft having been with the school since it first opened and is passionate about supporting students to help them to achieve their potential and open the door to the future of their choice.

He has also completed a National Professional Qualification in Headship and relishes the opportunity to continue building the strong community at Laurus Ryecroft.

Reece lives locally and is married with two children. In his spare time, he loves to follow his local football team, Newcastle United.

Laurus Ryecroft is an oversubscribed secondary school for 11 to 18-year-old students in Tameside. In our very first Ofsted inspection in January 2023, Laurus Ryecroft was judged Outstanding in every category.

'Students at the school respond extremely well to the exceedingly high expectations that leaders have set for them. Their behaviour is impeccable and they achieve highly.' – Ofsted, 2023

The school is run by the Laurus Trust and replicates the outstanding education offered by the Trust’s founder school, Cheadle Hulme High School (CHHS), based in Stockport. CHHS is a hugely oversubscribed school and has been named as one of the UK’s top-performing schools in The Sunday Times, ranking as the 15th non-denominational comprehensive school in Manchester and the North West in the annual Parent Power Survey for 2022 and this year, was awarded ‘Northwest Comprehensive School of the Year 2024’.

Laurus Ryecroft is a non-selective, non-denominational free school. It opened in September 2018 and we moved into our new school building with access to state-of-the-art facilities in 2020. We now have students in years 7 – 13. Our sixth form opened in September 2023 and we currently have a total of 1148 students on roll.

Laurus Ryecroft is a vibrant, warm and exciting place to work and learn in. We are proud to be ‘Unashamedly Academic’ and have the highest aspirations for all of our students. Our Cornerstones – Academic Aspiration; Culture Creativity and Rhetoric; Leadership and Service; Competition and Physical Endeavour – detail how we develop and prepare our students to acquire the knowledge and develop the qualities which will open the door to the future of their choice.

In 2024, 81% of our students attained a 4+ in both their English and Maths and the whole school community could not be prouder. An outstanding 85% of all GCSEs awarded were a grade 5 or above, and an incredible 27% of grades were 7-9, the top achievable results. We are also incredibly proud of our Year 12 Sixth Form students in their inaugural AS results. In Further Mathematics, an incredible 83% of students achieved the highest grade attainable on the course, with is a grade A. Furthermore, students studying Core Maths (Level 3) all achieved a pass rate, underscoring the Sixth Forms commitment to broadening the curriculum and ensuring students develop the knowledge and skills that will open the door to the future of their choice.

We are a true learning community and value the acquisition of knowledge and believe it to be truly empowering. Our teachers are passionate about their subject and the students they teach. We pride ourselves on the quality of our learning environment and on the relationships within school. Our state-of-the-art facilities are valued and respected by all members of our school community. Laurus Ryecroft is a place of mutual respect. Our students display excellent behaviour for learning and a true thirst for knowledge.