OLDHAM’S Hulme Grammar School is officially one of the best in the country after being commended in the national Independent Schools of the Year awards for outstanding educational partnerships.
The accolade celebrates the Chamber Road establishment’s extensive, impactful community outreach programme, which brings together local primary schools, businesses and sixth form volunteers to enrich the lives of young people across the town and beyond.
Developed in close partnership with local schools and the council, Hulme’s forward-thinking scheme is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and having been selected from a record number of nominations across the country, its commendation highlights a deep-rooted commitment to social responsibility, civic duty, and collaborative education.
A standout example was the blockbuster Hackathon hosted in December – a high-octane, 12-hour tech event that brought together 100 pupils aged eight to 18 from across the community.
Tasked with using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to build apps, software and websites, the students worked tirelessly to design innovative solutions for real-world problems.
The event was made possible through the brilliant support of leading industry partners, including Nominet, Purple, CTI Digital, AMEX GBT, Lovable and Koder.ly, who worked alongside pupils to provide real-world technical expertise.
Building on this monumental success, Hulme has already announced its next Hackathon will return to inspire more young tech pioneers next year.
Central to the school’s outreach success is the opening of its facilities to local primaries, ensuring regional youngsters have access to top-tier educational and sporting environments.
Several have benefited immensely from using its premium sports tracks to host their own sports days, fostering a love for physical fitness in professional-grade surroundings.
Hulme has also opened its dedicated food technology facilities and kitchens to primary pupils and children gained hands-on experience in food preparation while learning vital, lifelong lessons about a healthy diet and proper nutrition.
A further pillar of the recognised outreach success is its focus on future pathways and career inspiration.
The school recently hosted two major careers fairs designed to open doors for young people across the borough.
In October, more than 300 pupils from senior schools and colleges attended a Senior Schools and Colleges Fair, while in June, it hosted over 200 primary schoolchildren to spark early career aspirations.
Both events were brilliantly supported by Hulme alumni and prestigious industry partners who brought their work environments to life.
Pupils engaged with diverse sectors, experiencing everything from the arts with the Palace Theatre in Manchester to construction with Hilti GB.
Additionally, The University of Manchester showcased cutting-edge scientific research using digital microscopes, while Purple.AI offered tech insights into the future of the workplace through the lens of Artificial Intelligence.
Far from being an isolated school, Hulme Grammar acts as a vibrant community hub. Over the past year, its ambitious outreach initiatives have impacted hundreds of children through an array of specialised programmes.
These include it actively helping bridge the regional skills gap in science and technology through hands-on ‘Primary Engineer’ and coding workshops to dedicated science weeks.
Its popular ‘Creative Young Minds’ and ‘Enquiring Young Minds’ initiatives provide immersive, multi-week sessions spanning art, music, biology, and chemistry for local primary pupils.
Literacy has also taken centre stage with dedicated Creative Writing Days and sixth formers visiting local schools for paired reading schemes.
Responding to the announcement, Dr Chris Millington, Deputy Principal (Outreach), noted: “The commendation reflects the daily dedication of Hulme’s staff and students, who passionately believe that excellent education should ripple outward into the wider community.”
Dr Helen Wright, chair of the Independent Schools of the Year 2026 judging panel, praised the high calibre of this year’s entrants.
She said: “The innovative and life-affirming student experience which independent schools provide to their students is awe-inspiring and the stories told in the entries are both moving and humbling.
“The standard of entries has never been higher, so well done on the success of your school, and congratulations on the great work that you do!”
A change of school year does not mean a change of intent. As Hulme looks ahead to its 2026/2027 calendar, featuring the return of the Creative Minds series in November and Enquiring Minds in early 2027, Hulme is inviting more local businesses to get involved.
Whether providing a guest engineer for Science Week, sponsoring a coding initiative, or offering industry insights at the next careers fair or Hackathon, local businesses have a unique opportunity to partner with an award-winning outreach programme that directly fosters Oldham’s future talent.
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