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New academy, new start for Bedford
Hayley O'Keeffe meets Bedford Academy's new headteacher Claire Smith
The headteacher of Bedford's newest school has already achieved one her professional ambitions, after taking over the helm at Bedford Academy.
Claire Smith spoke exclusively to the Times & Citizen this week about how she is settling into her new role at the school, which officially opened last week, and how the team is developing.
Mrs Smith's last job was as an acting deputy head in north Warwickshire, in what she described as "challenging circumstances".
And she hopes that she can use her experience and expertise to build on the improvements already made at John Bunyan Upper School, which was replaced after the last school year by the new academy and was on the same site.
Mrs Smith said: "Being the head of a completely new school has definitely been an ambition of mine for quite a while and I am looking forward to the challenge.
"John Bunyan has made improvements in the past and this has been shown in their recent exam results.
"I am looking forward to building on that for the pupils and staff with a whole new senior team and a whole new set of challenges."
She added: "Some of the staff have stayed from John Bunyan and we have been able to recruit a strong team of new teachers and support staff as well."
And Mrs Smith claimed that building work to expand the site, which is predicted to start in early 2011, will not disrupt the pupil's learning schedule.
She said: "The contractors are currently bidding for the job and decision will be made at the end of December.
"The building works will not affect the children because it will be concealed behind the school on the playing fields. We will work with the contractor to make sure that learning is not being disrupted while the work is going on."
An academy is a state-funded school which is independent of the local authority.
It is set up by a sponsor or sponsors, and run by an independent governing body.
Each academy specialises in one or more area of the curriculum.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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