A Harrogate Grammar School student has published her first novel — at the age of 12.
Sula Stanhope wrote the 371-page book before bed each night. It took her four months to finish.
Sula said:
“Mum and dad said I could have some extra screen time if I was working on creative projects.
“They were slightly surprised when I presented them with the first draft of my novel.”
The Alchemist’s Prophecy is a dystopian fantasy about a girl sent on a magical quest in a dangerous world.
The book is almost 150 pages longer than the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Storytelling runs in the family.
Sula’s dad Alex said:
“Sula’s grandmother is a writer.
“When I was growing up I was hopeless at English but I always liked telling stories. I used to tell stories to Sula; the storytelling part stuck.
“She now tells stories way better than me!”
After Sula wrote her manuscript, Alex started the process of self-publishing it.
He said:
“I just wanted to give her a chance to hold her book in her own hands.”
Sula also developed creativity playing games with her twin sister Delphi.
Together they would invent characters, arguing about what they looked and sounded like.
Alex said:
“It didn’t always feel very creative when I heard their arguments, but I love what came out of it!”
Teachers at Oatlands Junior School, where Sula used to study, noticed her talent early.
Year 5 teacher Ms Coyne said:
“When I heard about Sula writing her own book, I was not surprised.
“During her time at Oatlands Junior School, Sula showed such creativity, talent and always had her head in a book — sometimes hidden under the table.
“She was an avid reader who clearly loves books and responds with great maturity to the texts we explore. I cannot wait to read it.”
Sula’s Year 6 English teacher Rosie Doyle said:
“I would say I am surprised, but I’m actually not.”
Staff are so proud of their former student they have purchased a copy for their school library.
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In the future, Sula would like to continue writing books.
She sees The Alchemist’s Prophecy as a trilogy and is hoping to complete it one day.
Alongside creative writing, Sula also plays the piano and attends acting classes. You can buy The Alchemist’s Prophecy on Amazon.
Harrogate school ‘could be judged outstanding’, says Ofsted reportA Harrogate primary school is to be re-inspected by Ofsted after an interim assessment suggested it could be judged ‘outstanding’.
Oatlands Junior School was rated ‘good’ when Ofsted visited in 2018, and following inspectors’ latest visit in July, the school retained that status.
But in its report, Ofsted said there was “enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) [i.e. more comprehensive] inspection now”.
Oatlands is now expected to undergo a graded inspection within the next two years to assess whether it is still ‘good’ or has attained ‘outstanding’ status.
The report, released today, particularly praises the school’s inclusivity, reporting that leaders and staff “help every pupil, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to be the very best that they can be.”
It goes on to praise the school’s “broad and interesting” curriculum, pupils’ behaviour, sense of equality, and respect for difference and diversity.
The headteacher of Oatlands Junior School, Mrs Estelle Scarth, said:
“The report certainly captures everything about Oatlands Junior School that we are immensely proud of and quite rightly describes all the outstanding evidence that was found throughout a very thorough inspection.
“Our success is firmly based on the dedication and talents of everyone that works in our school, the strong, positive relationships that we have with our parents and carers, and of course, all the amazing children in our care.”
Oatlands Junior School, along with Western Primary and Harrogate Grammar School, was one of the founding schools of the Red Kite Learning Trust in 2015. This has since grown into a multi-academy trust of 14 schools across North and West Yorkshire.
Amanda Thornton Jones, Director of Primary Education for Red Kite Learning Trust, said:
“Ofsted recognised the strong collaborative approach within our Trust and how talent and expertise of staff are developed across all our schools. Oatlands Junior School has a highly trained, dedicated and expert team led by an exceptional headteacher.
“Mrs Scarth’s high aspirations and vision are shared by all within the school community. Oatlands Junior is a highly successful school, providing a rich curriculum which releases potential and creates amazing opportunities for all pupils.”
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Trial scheme banning school run cars from Harrogate street launched today
A trial scheme to close a Harrogate street outside a busy junior school during traffic at peak times was launched this morning.
Beechwood Grove is now part of the School Streets pilot project, preventing parents from using it to access Oatlands Junior School at the beginning and end of the school day.
From today – the first day of the new school year at Oatlands Junior School – the measures will see school traffic banned from the road between 8.30am and 9am, and from 3pm to 3.45pm, on weekdays during term time.
The scheme is the first School Streets pilot in North Yorkshire.
Residents, school staff, blue badge holders, official school transport and emergency services are exempt from the closure.
As an alternative, parents are encouraged to bring their children to school by foot, bicycle, or scooter. Those who need to drive are asked to use the ‘park and ride’ scheme, parking at Hornbeam Park railway station, M&S Simply Food on Leeds Road, or St Mark’s Church, and walking the rest of the way.
Hazel Peacock & Dr Vicki Evans, of Outlands Road Safety and Active Travel Campaign, told the Stray Ferret:
“We are delighted the School Street pilot at Beechwood Grove started today to create a safer, healthier space around the Oatlands Junior School for pupils, parents and carers and local residents, every school day.
“This first School Street pilot in North Yorkshire, is the result of a joint community collaboration between campaigners, residents, Oatlands Junior School, local councillors John Mann and Pat Marsh and North Yorkshire Council.”
The move comes amid incidents involving cars and school pupils in Harrogate.
This year, a pupil at the junior school was injured when a car mounted a pavement outside the school gates, while a more serious collision on Yew Tree Lane left two 15-year-old Rossett schoolboys with serious injuries.
Following the incidents, a campaign to introduce 20mph limits and other restrictions on roads around Oatlands, Pannal Ash and Rossett gathered momentum.
Headteachers of all the local primary and secondary schools met several times, along with councillors, highways officers and parents, to discuss road safety.
A petition of more than 1,000 signatures was presented to North Yorkshire Council and the proposal was debated by both the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, and the council’s executive.
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Trial scheme will ban school run cars from Harrogate street
A road outside a busy junior school in Harrogate will be closed to traffic at peak times from September.
Beechwood Grove is set to be part of a School Streets pilot project, preventing parents from using it to access Oatlands Junior School at the beginning and end of the school day.
The measures will see school traffic banned from the road between 8.30am and 9am, and from 3pm to 3.45pm, on weekdays during term time.
Residents, school staff, blue badge holders, official school transport and emergency services will be exempt from the closure.
Meanwhile, parents are being encouraged to bring their children to school on foot, or by bicycle or scooter. Those who need to drive are asked to use the ‘park and stride’ scheme, parking at Hornbeam Park railway station, M&S Simply Food on Leeds Road, or St Mark’s Church, and walking the rest of the way.
North Yorkshire Council said it is proceeding with the experimental traffic regulation order for a period of up to 18 months after receiving an “overall positive response” to an informal consultation it ran in May and June.
In a letter to parents, senior traffic management officer Andrew Clare said the proposal would be formally advertised now, before coming into effect on Wednesday, September 6 – the first day of the new term at Oatlands, which has capacity for 360 pupils.
He added:
“We are seeking volunteers to help steward the scheme at school start and finish times.
“Volunteers are crucial to the schemes (sic) success to manage the traffic management, inform motorists of the restrictions, offering information and guidance, for example, highlighting the location of the park and stride locations.”
Earlier this year, a pupil at Oatlands Junior School was injured when a car mounted a pavement outside the school gates.
A more serious collision on Yew Tree Lane in February left two 15-year-old Rossett schoolboys with serious injuries requiring extensive hospital treatment.
As a result, a campaign to introduce 20mph limits and other restrictions on roads around Oatlands, Pannal Ash and Rossett gathered momentum.
A road safety meeting between headteachers, councillors and campaigners
Headteachers of all the local primary and secondary schools met several times, along with councillors, highways officers and parents, to discuss road safety.
A petition of more than 1,000 signatures was presented to North Yorkshire Council and the proposal was debated by both the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, and the council’s executive.
Cllr Keane Duncan, who is responsible for highways across the county, has said a review is now being completed to decide what measures are needed to make journeys to school safer.
Hazel Peacock, one of the parents behind the campaign, said news of the School Streets scheme on Beechwood Grove was welcome. She added:
“Together the school, campaigners and other stakeholders including councillors John Mann and Pat Marsh have been working with NYC to create a safer environment at school start and finish times.
“We are delighted the School Street pilot will begin in September at the start of the new school term and hope it will deliver positive benefits such as safer, cleaner environments around the school and can encourage more active travel.”
Read more:
- Headteachers unite to support 20mph speed limit near Harrogate schools
- Council’s 20mph review ‘kicking can down the road’
School creates new mosaics with help from Harrogate charity
Four new mosaics have been installed outside a school in Harrogate thanks to a partnership with a local charity.
Artizan‘s members have created the mosaics to highlight Oatlands Junior School‘s values of equality and diversity, curiosity, and safety.
They have been placed around the school, with a fourth mosaic outside the arts studio designed to inspire imagination, creativity and exploration.
The four artworks were created children from the school and members of Artizan together, which benefitted both groups.
Hannah Alderson, the school’s art and design technology lead, said:
“This incredible project gave differently able mosaic artists the opportunity to become the trainer; showing children how to mosaic, which of course is a powerful situation for them both to experience.
“[It was] empowering for members of Artizan and a transformation of attitude for the children, seeing people with disabilities in a different light as confident and creative skilled artists.”
For more information about how Artizan can work with local schools, email Liz Cluderay.
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