School's goodbye to popular head (From Stroud News and Journal)

School's goodbye to popular head

HEADTEACHER Ross Workman will leave Nailsworth Primary School at the end of this term.

Mr Workman, 39, will end his four-and-a-half year stint on Tuesday, December 21.

Deputy headteacher Carol Lambden will become acting headteacher until permanent replacement Chris Raymond, currently deputy headteacher at Greatfield Park Primary School in Cheltenham, arrives for the summer term.

Mr Workman is returning to Worcestershire, where he lived and worked for 15 years, to become headteacher of Beaconside Nursery and Primary School in Birmingham.

"I think I will be lucky to find as united and as cheerful and as hard-working a team," he said. "It has been really good. I shall miss Nailsworth. It has been a wonderful place to be involved with."

Nailsworth was Mr Workman's first education job outside Worcestershire and his first as headteacher.

"When you live somewhere for 15 years it is a bit like going home," he said. "You build up networks which you miss. But I'm not running away from Nailsworth, I've been very, very happy here.

"The reason I came to Nailsworth was for its huge potential. It was a good school when I came but I've been really gratified by the way we've continued in that vein."

He cited strengthened links with the town, a gold arts mark, a successful Ofsted, expanded extra-curricular activities and support for the regeneration of Forest Green as among the highlights of his tenure.

Town mayor and school governor Cllr Lesley Williams-Allen said: "He has made a very significant contribution to improvements at the school and that is shown in the Ofsted reports.

"We are all very, very sorry to see him go and wish him all the best. He has been a tremendous head." As for his replacement, Chris Raymond, it was a unanimous choice.

"Everybody's delighted with that," she said. "He's an excellent candidate and we're looking forward to his headship."