Council appoints new Head Teachers
The Highland Council has recently made a number of new Head Teacher appointments in its mid and south education areas.
The new Head Teacher of Culbokie Primary School will be Roisin Newell, who currently holds the post of Depute Head Teacher at South Lodge Primary in Invergordon, having previously worked in Glasgow, Kirkintilloch and Alness. Roisin hails from Orkney, but completed her school studies at Alness Academy. Her teacher training was at Strathclyde University.
Commenting on her new post, Roisin said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Head Teacher for Culbokie and I would like to thank the parent council, pupils and staff at Culbokie for their warm welcome. I will continue to work with everyone involved in the school community to build strong partnerships as our pupils move forward in their journey to excellence.”
Head Teacher at North Kessock Primary will be Miriam Mackay. The school has previously been part of a cluster arrangement but the new Head Teacher will have responsibility for North Kessock exclusively. Miriam has family connections with the Black Isle, but went to school in Widnes, before studying at the University of Bradford. Her professional career includes posts in Carlisle, Switzerland and Warrington. Most recently she has spent five years as the Depute Head at a large Junior School in Liverpool.
Miriam remarked that she is “delighted to have been given the opportunity to become the new Head Teacher at North Kessock Primary School and said: “I am looking forward to starting my new role and meeting the children, parents and staff.”
At Coulhill Primary in Alness - replacing the outgoing Head, Susie Hoggarth - will be Morag Wright, who has, since 2010, been the Head at the Newmore and Ardross Primary Schools cluster, having previously worked at Edderton, Inver and Tarbat Old Primaries. Morag was educated at Tain Royal Academy and Moray House in Edinburgh. She said: “I’m looking forward to working with the staff, pupils and parents at Coulhill. I am excited about the future and what we can achieve together.”
Heather Watson has been appointed as the Acting Head Teacher in the Bonar Bridge and Edderton Primary Schools cluster, replacing, for the next fourteen months, Christine Gordon, who is moving on to take up a temporary post as Quality Improvement officer in the North Area. Heather has been Principal Teacher in the cluster since 2010, so knows the schools and their communities very well.
Heather is a former pupil of Tarradale Primary School and Dingwall Academy, before going on to study at Strathclyde University. She said: “I am absolutely delighted to be taking up the post of Acting Head Teacher across the cluster and am thoroughly looking forward to working with the pupils, staff and parents in both schools next year.”
Donald Paterson, Highland Council’s Education Quality Improvement Manager for the Mid Area, said, “We are very grateful to the outgoing Head Teachers in these four schools, and would like to thank them for their hard work over the years: we wish them well for the future. I am looking forward very much to working with our new appointees in the coming months as each of these schools enters a new phase in their histories. I would also like to thank the Parent Council members from the schools and the elected members of Highland Council who participated in the recruitment procedures. Their help in the process has been invaluable.”
Michelle Watson has been appointed to the post of Head Teacher at Drakies Primary School in Inverness. Michelle is currently a head teacher in Aberdeenshire, and returns to the Highlands as she was previously Depute Head Teacher at Auldearn Primary School.
Janine Webb has also been appointed to the post of Acting Head Teacher at Beauly Primary School. Janine’s substantive post is Depute Head Teacher at Holm Primary School.
Peter Finlayson, Highland Council’s Education Quality Improvement Manager for the South Area congratulated Michelle and Janine on their new appointments and wished them every success new posts.