A new headteacher at one of the town's primary schools is hoping to continues its upward progress.

Lindsay Burnett has been acting headteacher at Montreal Primary School since September but has now been handed the role permanently.

The 36-year-old had already been head of a federation of primary schools in west Berkshire before coming to Cleator Moor.

West Berkshire might be quite a distance from West Cumbria, but she explains: “We moved here to embrace the Lake District.”

And she had roots in the area. "My grandmother’s from Carlisle and my mother grew up there."

Lindsay moved with her husband Bruce, an architect, and their two daughters Grace, aged four, and Rosie, one.

What does she like about the new post? “The children – they are brilliant,” she says without hesitation. “It’s a friendly place, and they are all very keen to learn.”

The school’s good Ofsted rating was a jump up from the previous one, which said the school required improvement, so Lindsay’s aim is to continue that upward progress.

She said: “We have 134 pupils at the moment, and that will rise to 146 next year. So we are growing and improving all the time.

"We'd like to improve the learning environment, and the early years outdoors experience. That’s something we are looking at for September."