Headteacher set to leave Blackpool school

St Bernadette’s RC Primary in Devonshire Avenue, Bispham has advertised the position with a start date of January next year.

Current head Michelle Holden has been in post for six years.

She took over from Sean O’Hare who had been at the school for 27 years.

She was unavailable for comment today but at the time of her appointment she said: “I was attracted to the post by the strong sense of community that is so obvious at St Bernadette’s.

“School is an extension of family so it’s essential that we support parents in the education of their children.”

Mrs Holden, an English specialist, joined from Holy Family Primary School in Warton.

In 2014 the school won praise from a government minister for excellence in the teaching of phonics.

This is the method of teaching reading and writing by breaking words down into letter sounds.

MP Nick Gibb wrote to the school, to congratulate it on being in the UK’s top five percent for successfully teaching phonics with a success rate of 95 per cent.

The good rated school will carryout interviews in October and the deadline for applications is September 14.