New head looking forward to role

The new headteacher at Aylsham High School has said he is looking forward to leading the school into success.

Tracey Gray

The new headteacher at Aylsham High School has said he is looking forward to leading the school into success.

From September Duncan Spalding will be headteacher of the school replacing current head Paul Mitchell, who is retiring at the end of the summer term, having led the school for nearly six years.

Mr Spalding previously taught at Aylsham High School, and was the Head of Modern Foreign Languages. He left the school in 2002 to take up a more senior position.

Since then he has been further promoted, and is currently the Principal of the Business Academy Bexley in Kent, which has more than 1,700 pupils.

Married with three children, Mr Spalding hopes to move to within the school's catchment area during the summer.

He said: “I am really looking forward to working with the pupils, parents, staff and Governors at Aylsham High School. It will be a great privilege to be able to lead the school into the next phase of its development.

“Aylsham High has made tremendous progress over the last five years and is now one of the highest performing schools in Norfolk. Not only does the school provide an outstanding standard of education for its pupils but it is also leading the way nationally in terms of its work with cluster primary schools.”

Sue Platt, chair of governors at Aylsham High School, added: “Mr Mitchell and the staff have worked hard to make Aylsham High a very good school. It has continued to grow in size, and results have improved to a point where it is the fourth highest performing secondary school in the county.

“The governing body looks forward to Mr Spalding joining the school, and continuing the work.”