Shared Moray headship confirmed

Date Added - 28/01/09

Councillors today confirmed that two Moray primary schools are to have a permanent shared headteacher following a successful two-year trial.

Tomintoul Primary and Glenlivet Primary will be the first schools in Moray to have a permanent paired headship.

Glenlivet head Nancy Fraser took on the additional responsibility for Tomintoul two years ago.

Staff and parents at both schools have welcomed the success of the trial which has been the subject of a series of progress reports to Moray Council’s children and young people’s services committee.

Today the committee approved a recommendation from senior education officials that the shared headship should be made permanent and that Mrs Fraser be confirmed as headteacher for both Tomintoul and Glenlivet.

An amendment by SNP councillors that the council revert to separate headteachers for the two schools was defeated by nine votes to six.

Committee chairman Councillor Jeff Hamilton said: "The pilot introduced at Tomintoul and Glenlivet two years ago has been an outstanding success and has enjoyed support from all sections of the community as well as the staff at both schools.

"The co-operation of everyone involved is greatly appreciated and today’s decision means that the schools can look to the future with great confidence.

"I am convinced that the paired headteacher model is ideal for Tomintoul and Glenlivet and I know that Nancy Fraser and her colleagues will continue their excellent work."

A similar pilot is currently under way at two other rural Moray primaries – Knockando and Inveravon.

It has been running since last summer and members of the committee were told there had been a positive reaction from staff and parents. A final evaluation will be made in June.