Former pupil appointed as head of his old South Yorkshire primary school

Luke Harper has become head of school at The Hill in Thurnscoe.

He moves from his current role as assistant headteacher at Kirk Ball Academy in Barnsley, a secondary school that is predicted to be in the top 10 per cent of the country for attainment this summer.

Mr Harper grew up locally and was a pupil at The Hill when he was younger.

He said: "Whilst at The Hill Primary Academy, I was inspired to be the best I could be by fantastic teachers.

"I’ve returned to help the pupils and community learn more, dream more, and do more."

Mr Harper was head of geography at Don Valley Academy where he was part of the team that oversaw the school move from special measures to Ofsted rated 'good' in just two years.

The school is part of the Astrea Academy Trust, which has 20 schools across South Yorkshire.

Trust chief executive, Libby Nicholas, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have appointed Luke as our new head of school.

"He has a stellar track record as an educator and as a leader.

"I have no doubt that he will prove to be a real inspiration to the pupils, having walked in their shoes and lived and breathed life as a pupil at The Hill.

“Jo Leishman will continue as executive principal of the Hill and will be working closely with Luke to steer the school through this next phase of its development and to bring to life our commitment of an education that inspires beyond measure.”