BURNLEY High School has appointed a new head teacher and announced the start date for constructing its new building.

Assistant head teacher Vicky Povey is to take over from incumbent Dawn Forshaw who is to become the new associate head teacher in January.

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Work will start on the new free school building, which is currently based at Parkhill Business Centre in Padiham Road, on the site of the former Habergham High School in January as well.

It is run by the Chapel Street Community Schools Trust and recently added 89 pupils to its roll and 12 new members of staff.

Ms Povey worked as director for quality assurance and leadership development at Accrington Academy for seven years after working at Blakewater College in Blackburn as head of music and Darwen Vale High School.

She said: “As you can imagine I am excited and very much looking forward to taking up my new post.

“I have worked very closely with Dawn Forshaw and she has been an excellent mentor and adviser in preparing me for my new role with her wealth of knowledge and experience.

“We are both very keen for this transition period to be a smooth one for the staff, students and parents in preparing us for the next important steps for Burnley High School.”

Mrs Forshaw was appointed as head of school in March 2014 and was previously the head of Wellfield Methodist and Anglican Church School in the town from 2007.

She also worked as assistant and deputy head teacher at St Leonard’s CE Primary School in Padiham.

In a letter to parents she said: “I have, together with the senior team at Chapel Street, decided that it is now time, after such a successful launch and positive start to this year, for me to move into a different role.

“This has been a hard decision for me, but I do believe that it is the right time for such a move.

“We have an important year ahead as we prepare for moving to the new building and start to plan for how we will deliver GCSE options courses.

“Ms Povey has a wealth of experience in this area of education and is well qualified to lead the school in the next phase of its development.”

Planning permission for the new school site in Bryon Street was granted by Burnley Council planning in September.