By Sarah Robinson

Published at 15:46, Wednesday, 15 September 2010

IMPROVING links between home life and school is a new headteacher’s aim for a Whitehaven school.

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Louise Northern has taken up the role of head at St Begh’s School and even though she is still settling in she has high hopes for the school and its pupils.

She said: “I want to further enhance the links between St Begh’s and St Gregory’s and St Patrick’s, so we can work together. That will have a positive impact on the well-being of all the children.

“I would like to see more parents in school and enhance the school-home partnership. We are going to have to work at it in bite-size chunks, it’s about engaging parents for them to see what we are all about.”

An open evening is being held at the school in November so parents can chat informally to staff.

Mrs Northern also wants to enhance community involvement alongside the school. She certainly has a wealth of experience to glean from.

“I have had the privilege of working with fantastic Catholic head teachers in the past and those are the people who have been a real inspiration,” she said.

“I started out my career in Cornwall and then worked in a number of schools in Milton Keynes for five years.”

It was there that she started working in Catholic schools, co-ordinating the religious education classes.

Around 10 years ago, Mrs Northern took the opportunity to work as a deputy head teacher at St Patrick’s School in Maryport, which is now Our Lady and St Patrick’s, before becoming the head teacher there.

“I worked there for two years and I was then asked by the diocese to work at St Cuthbert’s School at Wigton. I fell in love with the school. Some of my fondest memories of teaching were there,” Mrs Northern said.

“I am delighted to be taking on this job in Whitehaven and I’m looking forward to meeting all of the parents over the coming months.”

PUPILS and staff at Kells Infants have welcomed a new head teacher.

Cath Taylor has taken up the post and says she has had “a lovely West Cumbrian welcome”.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be here, the children are just a pleasure to be with.”

Her main aim, she says, is to work with parents, staff and governors to develop the needs of children.

“Kells is a good school with a good reputation. We want to celebrate our achievements and build on that. Its very important to have a secure environment for the children.

“We need to work in partnership with parents, by doing that we can offer a high quality of care and provision,” she said.

“There is already a wealth of experience of people in the community and we want to make learning fun for the children.”

She said the school will be holding a self review, to develop different areas in the curriculum, including the use of outdoor classrooms.

Mrs Taylor has over 30 years of experience teaching and undertaking headship roles around the county. She has worked in a number of schools, including Seaton Infants, Great Clifton Primary and Broughton Primary.

Her most recent role has been head teacher of Belle Vue Infants School in Carlisle from 2006.

“It’s lovely because I have had the opportunity to teach all the year groups,” she said.

“It’s important to know what the children move on to and to know what is expected of them.”

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk