Headteacher Lisa Tudor is preparing to say her goodbyes to the ‘fantastic’ staff, children and parents at Monkton Park School this summer.

Mrs Tudor, who has turned the school around since she arrived four years ago, has been offered a head ship at a school in her home town in South Wales.

Despite looking forward to moving back to her home country, Mrs Tudor said she will miss the school very much.

She said: “I have been very happy here, its a lovely school but I am naturally excited about the challenges ahead and moving back home.”

“I think I am going to miss the staff a lot - I have made some very good friends here. And also, I will really miss the children and the parents who have been so supportive.

“Monkton Park is a very happy school.”

During her time at the school, Mrs Tudor said introducing the children to the importance of music was one of the biggest changes she has made.

She said: “I am very musical myself, I play the piano and the viola, so we do a lot of music at the school now, which is probably one of the main things that I have brought to the school.

“We have got choirs and orchestras and about 40 of our children play musical instruments and I have been key in that as well. They have all really enjoyed the musical side of things, its been great fun.”

Last year, Mrs Tudor was commended for her leadership skills in a near perfect Ofsted report, which graded the school as good or outstanding in every category, in contrast to the previous report in 2004 which found the school to be satisfactory.

Mrs Tudor said: “Some people have said to me that I have turned the school around, but I think our Ofsted reports really identify the progress the school has made - it is a very happy school and the children here are fantastic. Whoever is lucky enough to be the next headteacher here will have a lovely time - I certainly have.”

St Paul's head Bob Buckley is also leaving Chippenham in the summer - for a new post in Swindon.