HEADTEACHER Lisa Tudor is preparing to say her goodbyes to staff, children, parents and governors at Monkton Park School this summer.

Miss Tudor, 38, who has turned the school around since she arrived four years ago, has been offered a headship at a school in her home town in South Wales.

Miss Tudor said: “I have been very happy here, it’s 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, Miss Tudor said introducing children to 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, it’s been great fun.”

Last year Miss 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.

Miss 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.”

An advertisement is to go out shortly for a new headteacher for next year but, due to notice periods, the school will be unable to recruit a replacement to start before January 2010.

Lyn Taylor, at present at Paxcroft Primary in Trowbridge, has been appointed interim headteacher from September.

The change comes at a busy time for the school which is creating two new classrooms and two single storey extensions for admin staff, a new playground for Key Stage 2 pupils, landscaping and imroved disabled access.

Headteacher of St Paul’s School Bob Buckley is also moving on after 11 years to become headteacher of a school in Swindon. His deputy Sheridan Upton will take over on a temporary basis in September.

At St Peter’s School headteacher Sue Smith will be replaced in September by Christian Malford School headteacher Julie Harle.