New headteacher announced for Stowmarket High School

Lucie Hernandez has been announced as the new head at Stowmarket High School. 

Ms Hernandez was acting as the interim headteacher after Dave Lee-Allan left the position after eight years, stepping down a few days before the start of the current academic year in September.

A letter sent to parents, that has been seen by this newspaper, reads: "Over the two days of interviews and activities, Ms Hernandez demonstrated her energy, her ambition for the school, and the strength of the relationships she can build.

Stowmarket High School (Image: Newsquest)

"Her experience of working in leadership roles in very successful schools could be seen throughout.

"Ms Hernandez also brought a great deal of knowledge of the school into this process and could draw upon many examples of the impact she has made since beginning as the interim Head at the start of the academic year.

"This has been a very important appointment for the future success of the school, so we advertised nationally and secured a very strong group of candidates with significant experience."

Stowmarket High School has a student number in excess of 800.

Headteacher Lucie Hernandez (Image: Stowmarket High School)

The trust which runs the school was recently issued with a 'termination warning' after a recent Ofsted report. 

The warning was issued to the Waveney Valley Academies Trust, now known as Kingfisher Schools Trust, which runs the school, outlining steps that must be taken.

Speaking about the notice, Craig Morrison, chief executive of the Kingfisher Schools Trust, which was known as Waveney Valley Academies Trust until January 1, said the trust was "disappointed" to receive the letter.

Mr Morrison said previously: "We do acknowledge that there is important work to do. Our team are committed to making Stowmarket High an excellent school for the local community and are working very hard to achieve this."