THE new headteacher of a Basingstoke secondary school said he wants to “give back” to children facing challenges, after struggling himself as a young person.

Andrew Hatherley will take over as headteacher at Coppice Spring Academy - a school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties in Pack Lane - from January 2023.

He said he hopes to transform the school which was graded as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted in March when inspectors found pupils were “beyond control” and staff feared being hurt.

READ MORE: Damning Ofsted report finds Coppice Spring Academy is 'inadequate'

Mr Hatherley has been vice principal at The Portsmouth Academy since 2019 and prior to this he was assistant principal at Havant Academy in Hampshire from 2016 to 2019.

In 2010, Havant Academy was rated second worst in England with just 10 per cent of pupils achieving the five GCSEs including English and maths grade A* to C.

Mr Hatherley said he played a fundamental role in improving the school and helping it maintain a ‘good’ Ofsted rating.

Coppice Spring is Mr Hatherley’s first headship role.

He said: “I was looking for a new challenge. All the schools I’ve worked in were challenging and I’m passionate about giving back to children facing challenges.”

The 41-year-old father-of-one grew up in inner-city Portsmouth in a single-parent family and said he had no role models as a child.

SEE ALSO: Inclusion Hampshire launches campaign to fight gender stereotypes 

“I was disengaged at school and didn’t have parental encouragement. My saving grace was sport and I channelled my energies through this,” said Mr Hatherley, who now plays for Portsmouth Rugby Club.

It was two male teachers he met at school and then college who inspired him to achieve and become a teacher.

Mr Hatherley said: “They became my role models and without them I would be in very different circumstances, so I’m now passionate about giving back.

“They were people I aspired to be like and I could relate to. They gave their time to me. They gave me the confidence and showed me what was available to me.”

READ ALSO: Coppice Spring still 'inadequate' despite improvements since last inspection

Mr Hatherley recalled a particular conversation with his college lecturer and said: “He asked me to imagine walking into a room and using that presence and support to help people and he planted that seed and it grew. He said, ‘I think you should be a teacher’. I remember thinking I wasn’t clever enough to go to university but I applied and got into all six I applied for.”

As a talented sportsman, he began his teaching career as a PE teacher before joining the leadership team at Havant Academy.

Mr Hatherley, who will work alongside Coppice Spring’s interim headteacher Paul Mundy-Castle this term before taking over in January, said he hopes to address the current issues identified by Ofsted.

The school, which is part of Catch-22 Multi Academies Trust, is in the process of being handed over to a different academy provider, after the trust had a string of poor Ofsted inspections.

SEE MORE: Catch-22 handing over three Basingstoke schools following decline

Mr Hatherley said: “I’m ready for this next challenge and to run my own school. When Coppice came up, I visited and I felt at home. I was aware of its journey and the challenges. It felt right. This had my name on it.”

He added: “The children come first and it’s about giving them the best education to improve their life chances.

“I want to put Coppice on the map and share the good work moving forward and give it a good name. I thought it is a massive challenge. I’ve done it at Havant and Portsmouth and I am confident I can do it at Coppice.”