From city to village for new headteacher (From Gazette & Herald)

From city to village for new headteacher

A TEACHER has moved from a flourishing inner city school to a school in rural Ryedale.

Helen Thomson, 39, of York, has taken over the position of head teacher at Welburn County Primary School.

The mother-of-two is the former deputy head teacher of Stepney Primary School, Hull - a Beacon School which has gained achievement awards.

"I wanted a school with challenges. The school is in special measures at the moment. It has been without a head teacher for a year, although the acting head teacher has been very effective," said Mrs Thomson, who is an advanced teacher and has been teaching for 13 years.

"I want to take the school forward. I'm a teaching head, so a large proportion of my work will be spent with the children building on the work that has already been done.

"I think everything is in place for us to move on."

Mrs Thomson said it was an exciting time to begin at the school because building work to create a new school hall, classroom, kitchen and administration rooms is due to start on February 16.

Besides Mrs Thomson, there are two other teachers, two part-time teachers, four teaching assistants and a resident cook.

Updated: 11:59 Wednesday, January 28, 2004