Alburgh with Denton Primary School has a new headteacher.

Hayley Sonnex took over the role at the start of September and has worked as a teacher at the school for six years.

She said: “When I told the kids, they said ‘yes!’ I still make sure to eat lunch with them in the dining hall and set up a time to help them go over homework as well.”

Mrs Sonnex served as deputy headteacher under Joel Crawley, who helped bring the school’s Ofsted status from ‘satisfactory’ to ‘outstanding’ before leaving for Woods Loke Primary School in Lowestoft.

And after this year’s high SATs results, there’s more than one reason to celebrate.

“What we do here works and as time goes on I can tweak little things,” said Mrs Sonnex. “I’ve started giving an option of fruit or vegetables at playtime and putting together Monday bulletins about what’s going on at the school.

“I’m still finding my feet, learning as much as possible.”

Mrs Sonnex is mostly concerned with making sure each child is happy at the school and learning new skills during their classes - from Forest School activities to phonics and reading.

“Someone once told me - and I think this is the best way to look at it - if you influence one person’s life, you’ve made a difference,” she said.

The school is hosting its annual open day next Friday, October 7 for families to tour the classrooms and meet teachers. The event is from 9am until 11.30am and a coffee morning is also being held to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mrs Sonnex urged new and current parents to visit the school and see what it is like for themselves.

She said: “It’s a lovely place, staff don’t leave here often to go to other schools. There’s a sense of community and I feel privileged to be a part of it.”

Has your school completed a special project or been on a trip? Email the details to bbj.news@archant.co.uk or call 01502 712060 to speak to a reporter.