CHILDREN at Stonar School in Melksham and St Mary's School in Steeple Ashton are getting used to new headteachers at the beginning of the new school year.

At St Mary's Julie Lakey has taken over as head after two terms as acting head at Broad Hinton School in Swindon.

She said: "It is all going very well so far, it is a small school and everyone's very friendly."

At Stonar School the new head Clare Osborne, 49, comes with plenty of experience.

Mrs Osborne has been teaching since 1976, most recently as deputy head at St Joseph's College in Ipswich.

Anne Orme, the headteacher of Colerne Primary School, is helping to put Fitzmaurice Primary School in Bradford on Avon back on track. Mrs Orme is acting head teacher of Fitzmaurice until December.

Fitzmaurice was found to have 'serious weaknesses' in an Ofsted inspection just over a year ago. The school, which has over 250pupils, has been without a permanent head since Easter. The county council asked Mrs Orme to take over until a new head joins in January. Mrs Orme intends to be at Fitzmaurice School four days a week and return to Colerne on Fridays. Her deputy head at Colerne, Craig Gibbens, will be acting head of the school this term.