Stockport Independent Issue 208

OCTOBER 2026 4 STUDENTS and staff at Stockport School have been putting in the effort to support Stockpot NHS Char- ity’s appal for a new incubator for Stepping Hill Hospital’s neona- tal department. Over £700 was raised by the students and staff in Orange House, who worked tirelessly hosting sales and tombolas. Adding a big boost to the fundraising, the inspiring Mrs Nina Andrew laced up her running shoes and con- quered the Manchester Half Marathon to add to the appeal. For their commitment, hard work and fundrais- ing, Orange House also won the school house prize for their efforts – a double triumph. Every single penny raised will go directly towards a state-of-the-art incubator for the Neona- tal Unit at Stepping Hill Hospital which provides life-saving warmth, comfort, and care to pre- mature and vulnerable newborn babies. Kate Leadbeater, Stockport NHS charity manager said: “We are so grateful to the incredible students, staff and fami- lies of Orange House for their kindness, caring, energy and dedication. “Their fundraising will make a real and lasting difference to the tiniest patients cared for in our Neonatal Unit, helping us provide the very best sup- port when families need it most. “On behalf of Stock- port NHS Charity, thank you for turning your caring and compas- sion into something truly life changing.” A SCHOOL that recently fea- tured in a Netflix drama has been awarded a ‘good’ rating for the first time since being slammed by Ofsted for ‘losing its way’. St Elisabeth’s Church of Eng- land School in Reddish, has made massive improvements since it was rated ‘inadequate’ in 2019 and ‘requires improvement’ in 2024. The primary school was taken over by Thrive Academy Trust in 2019 after its predecessor school was downgraded from ‘outstand- ing’ in a damning rating by inspec- tors. The old report slammed its ‘ineffective’ leadership, ‘unskilled’ teachers, and found kids were left ‘unprepared for high school’. Since then, under new head- teacher Amanda Lancashire, the school has worked hard to turn around its reputation. In a recently issued Ofsted report, inspectors commended staff’s ‘unswerving commitment’ and ‘high ambition’, with kids now generally thought to be achieving well. Lead inspector Nichola Tom- kow particularly praised the school’s early years provisions, where youngsters ‘get off to a flying start in a warm and car- ing environment’. The report also said: “Each morning, St Elisabeth’s Church of England Primary School’s playground is a hive of activity. From the moment they arrive, staff encourage pupils to believe in themselves, work hard and aim high. “Learning is practical, inter- active and connected to real-life experiences. Staff encourage pupils to ask questions, think independently and work collab- oratively with others.” The school, which looks after around 240 pupils, was also praised for its work with children with SEND, and has above the national average percentage of pupils with additional needs. Deputy head teacher Jo Mul- len, who has been with the school since 2001, says: “We’ve been on a rapid journey of keeping our family feel while also driving improvements in standards and attendance. Our children behave beautifully because they want to be here, and we received a strong outcome for inclusion. “What we’re most proud of is that the Ofsted report recognised the dedication of the teachers at this school. Teaching isn’t a nine-to-five job. Every member of our staff put the children at the heart of what they do all the time.” The school’s Grade II-listed building was recently used as an on-site filming location for Har- lan Coben’s UK version of The Woods, featuring Tom Bateman, Michelle Keegan, Mandeep Dhil- lon, and Pearce Quigley. The drama is due to be released early next year. “It was very exciting,” Ms Mul- len said, “Though it did cause a bit of confusion! It was filmed over the holidays, but some of the parents and kids spotted them changing all the signage for the film. “It’s also brought in a bit of money for the school, which is being used to fund cultural activ- ities for the kids.” STOCKPORT band Blossoms have opened a special pop-up shop in the heart of the town, to celebrate the release of their sixth studio album. The Songs From The Wedding Cake pop-up is based at Castle Yard in Stock- port’s historic Market Place, right by Bakers Vaults and the Market Hall. The temporary shop is packed with exclusive merchandise and special edi- tions of the new album, released earlier this month. The band announced the pop-up to coincide with the release of their sixth studio album, which follows 2024’s num- ber one record Gary. Songs From The Wedding Cake takes its name from Stockport’s iconic Town Hall, which is affectionately known as the ‘Wedding Cake’ because of its dis- tinctive appearance. The 10-track album features singles including Meet Me In Love and Joke About Divorce and was recorded with producer Shawn Lee. Blossoms will also return to Stockport on 15 October for two intimate album launch shows at Stockport Plaza. The band’s latest Stockport pop-up gives fans the chance to mark the release of their new record in the heart of their hometown. A ‘PROLIFIC and heart- less’ cowboy builder who conned more than a dozen victims out of over £1m is now behind bars. Patrick Damien Hartley, 52, preyed on 13 households across the NorthWest, includ- ing Stockport, pocketing over £700,000. He abandoned many of their properties half finished and, in some instances, structur- ally unsafe, before declaring himself bankrupt. Many victims were also left with no choice but to fork out hun- dreds of thousands of pounds to rectify the shoddy work he had carried out in order to meet building regulations. Shocking pictures reveal the devastation Hartley left in his wake, with entire extensions abandoned incomplete, gaping holes torn through walls and building materials strewn across floors. Photographs from victims depict homes left propped up on stilts as well as scaffolding still erected beside demolished or windowless walls. Lancashire County Coun- cil’s Trading Standards brought the prosecutions against Hartley, from Bacup, after victims came forward in September 2022. Following an investigation, they discovered he repeatedly failed to com- plete work for which he had charged consumers tens of thousands of pounds, or deliv- ered work that fell well below acceptable standards. Earlier this year, on August 28, Hartley was sentenced to three years and nine months’ imprisonment at Preston Crown Court. He admitted to a series of fraud and consumer protection offences committed between 2020 and 2023. Some of the victims have condemned the sentence as too lenient. Among them was Phil- lippa Edgar, 48, who was left £185,000 out of pocket as a result of Hartley’s actions. She had hired the builder to carry out a single-storey rear extension and a dou- ble-storey side extension to enlarge the garage of her four-bedroom detached home in Poynton. The mum-of-two agreed a price of approximately £105,000 for the project, which Hartley claimed would take 10 weeks to complete. He started the work in April 2020, with Phillippa giving him around £95,000 in the space of eight months and the extensions were never completed. The family have since been forced to spend over £89,000 for remedial works out of her own back pocket, including to get it structurally safe and in line with building con- trol regulations. Phillippa said: “This was supposed to be our dream home – but it became far from it. The situation was extremely stressful and extremely upsetting, it strained everything from my children’s school lives to my marriage. “Hartley is a conman who knew what he was doing – lie after lie was told about why work wasn’t complete. He then just left the extensions as two brick shells – and stole our hard-earned money. “He left our roof open to the rain, which flooded into our house to the point we set up a pump to suck as much out as possible. Hartley is a hor- rid man who deserves to rot in prison.” The Lancashire Trading Standards investigation was assisted by officers from other local authorities, GMP and Lancashire Constabu- lary. In 2023 he was charged with criminal offences involving 13 different house- holds in Lancashire and Greater Manchester. In March 2024 he formally entered not guilty pleas to 26 offences under the Fraud Act 2006 and the Consumer Pro- tection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and his case was listed for trial in June 2025. In May 2025 he pleaded guilty to six counts of Fraud Act 2006 and three counts of Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 offences. Alongside his prison sen- tence, he was given a sev- en-year criminal behaviour order stopping him from owning a business which part takes in private build- ing work. His case is currently the subject of confiscation pro- ceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, according to the Trading Standards. Netflix-featured school restores ‘good’ rating St Elisabeth’s Church of England School in Reddish, has made massive improvements since it was rated ‘inadequate’ in 2019 (Image supplied) Students help raise life-saving kit cash Blossoms open pop-up shop Cowboy builder conned victims out of over £1m