New head vows to make school the best

A new headteacher at a Lincoln school is determined to make it one of the best in the country.

Ed Fitzpatrick is now at the helm of Cherry Willingham Community School near Lincoln.

And his vision is to make it the best small secondary school in England.

"It's ambitious but I want us to be ambitious," he said.

"We are a family-orientated school and we are a small school, so the personal touch is key – that is part of the reason I applied for the job.

"When I walked through the doors I thought it was a friendly place and there is massive potential for the school and the community to be transformed."

And part of that metamorphosis will come in the shape of a sixth form and new school uniform.

"I want the school to be even more proud of what it has already achieved," said Mr Fitzpatrick.

"And I am absolutely committed to working more closely with our primary schools."

Mr Fitzpatrick's commitment to exploring the community and engaging with other schools will be in part facilitated by a brand new 3G synthetic football pitch – the only one in Lincoln.

The £1m pitch will have changing and coaching facilities and can be booked out by anyone via the school's website.

Mr Fitzpatrick's previous incarnation was working for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

Before his two-year stint with the trust Mr Fitzpatrick was a deputy head in Lancashire.

He only went into teaching in 1994 after years working at Liverpool University as a researcher – latterly with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.