THE new head teacher of one of South Lakeland's leading schools says he will “build on its strengths, successes and strong outdoor ethos.”

Paul Macfarlane has been appointed as permanent head teacher at Dean Barwick School, Witherslack, following the retirement of Linda Graves in July 2016. He had been performing the role of acting head teacher since then.

Mr Macfarlane, who grew up in Kirkby Lonsdale and attended the town's Queen Elizabeth School, has worked at Dean Barwick since 2005.

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During that time the school has received the Learning Outside the Classroom Gold Award and has become a celebrated centre of excellence for integrating the outdoor environment into children’s learning.

“I am delighted to move into the role of permanent head teacher at Dean Barwick," he said. "It is a wonderful place with a really special ethos that nurtures the individual needs of children as only a small school can. The previous head, Linda, built the school into a fantastic learning environment and I look forward to continuing on from her hard work to move forward.”

Chair of governors Pauline Mort said: “Following a rigorous selection process, the governors were unanimous that the decision to appoint Paul Macfarlane was the right one for our school.

"We believe that Mr Macfarlane will be a dynamic, determined, child-centred leader who will continue to ensure that our pupils receive the best possible education we can provide.”

Mr Macfarlane said: “We are incredibly lucky to work and learn in such a wonderful environment. We believe in using our local area and community as a key element in educating our pupils. We have close international links to schools in Kolkata, India, that we will continue to develop further. Our school motto is ‘Nurturing with Nature’ and this sums up our ethos perfectly. I look forward to the future working with such a dedicated and enthusiastic staff team educating and inspiring our wonderful pupils."