A NEW headteacher appointed to take over troubled St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon has promised parents and pupils he will try and make a good school better.

James Colquhoun, 53, who has 10 years' experience as a headteacher, was appointed after a series of interviews at the school on Thursday and Friday. He takes up the headship in January.

Mr Colquhoun, is originally from the west country and began his teaching career in Swindon. His first child was born in Bradford.

He said he has many exciting ideas for St Laurence and he is looking forward to implementing them.

He said: "This is already a distinguished organisation, and I would like it to be a regional front runner perhaps in some subjects.

"There are lots of new developments like the international baccalaureate exams that could work here.

"This is a great community school with real potential, and I'm looking forward to helping make a good school better."

Mr Colquhoun is employed as headteacher of one of the Govern-ment's Fresh Start schools, in Newcastle.

The Fresh Start scheme, developed in 1997, sees failing schools amalgamated into colleges, usually on a new site with new headteachers, staff and an action plan.

Mr Colquhoun said his Newcastle job had been a challenge, but for many of the children there a Fresh Start school was their only hope of achieving any qualifications.

For staff and parents at St Laurence, Mr Colquhoun's appointment comes after a tough year.

Headteacher Nick Sorensen quit in April after six years at the school.

Shortly after his resignation, school governors said St Laurence would start next year £70,000 in the red, and five teachers would be made redundant in a bid to cut costs.

Mr Colquhoun, who is married with four children, three of whom have followed in his footsteps and joined the teaching profession, said he was looking forward to returning to Wiltshire.

Acting headteacher Vivienne Walker said Mr Colquhoun was selected from a large field of strong candidates for the job.

She said: "To a certain extent we will be treading water until Christmas, getting the place running smoothly, before James takes over in the new year.

"I must thank the parents for being very supportive this year and I'm just delighted with this appointment."

Getting creative in end of term event

STUDENTS at St Laurence School have been celebrating the end of term with an extravaganza of dance, theatre, photography, cartoons and pop music in a three day Festival of Creativity.

All students in Years seven to 12 took part in the three-day activity session, with 24 different activities to choose from.

Some students opted to Make a Musical and in just 72 hours they wrote the script, composed and rehearsed their own musical which was performed to the whole school on the last day of term.

Another group honed their cartoon skills, and budding Gary Larsons headed to Bath for a day, drawing caricatures and designing comic strips. International cartoonist John Byrne visited the school on Monday for a day of workshops.

Several activities tied in with the discovery of a Roman mosaic on the sports ground at the school, and students made their own mosaics and some took part in the archaeological dig currently under way at the school.

The event was organised by Kate Courage, the school's community arts administrator.

Assistant headteacher, Mark James said: "It's an ideal way to give students a chance to develop skills they wouldn't usually work on, but also the staff get to see a project through from beginning to end."