THE new head teacher at Rockwell Green Primary School has been busy getting his feet under the table after starting work there following the Christmas holiday.

Mike Berrisford, who arrived at the school after 11 years as deputy head of Avishayes Primary School in Chard, says he has enjoyed every day of his first month and was delighted more than 40 parents attended each of the last two celebration assemblies.

He added: “The community is very strong in Rockwell Green and everyone here, particularly the parents and children, has made me feel very welcome.”

His first teaching job was at a small church school in York city centre where he worked for three years. He moved on to St Benedict’s Junior School in Glastonbury, starting as senior leader and becoming deputy head in less than a year-and-a-half. After five years there he moved on to Avishayes.

Mike added: “I have been acting head teacher on a number of occasions, so I have had experience of a lot of what the role involves before coming to Rockwell Green.

“I do this job because I want to make a difference to children’s lives – a big reason for wanting to become a head teacher is the desire to make a greater difference to children’s outcomes and their life chances.”

He has introduced what he calls the ‘Sun and Shooting Stars System’ as a way of encouraging pupils to learn, and has focused on ‘pride and presentation’.

Mike added: “I am a very positive person and I really like to celebrate children when they have done the right thing – I have very high expectations in all aspects of learning.

“I very much believe in a creative curriculum and in a curriculum that is experience-led. If we want children to develop their language and become more skilled as writers they need to experience things.

“My ambition as we move forward is creating that stronger curriculum where children continue to learn, engage, and thoroughly enjoy learning.”

Mike, 44, is married to Rebecca and they have a daughter Freya, who is 12, and a son Harry, ten. “I have a large extended family and it is very important to me – we spend a lot of time together,” he added.

Rockwell Green has 200 pupils with more children attending Rockets pre-school, and a staff of about 30.

Mike Berrisford, the new head teacher at Rockwell Green Primary School, says he’s a ‘positive person’.