A HEADTEACHER said creating more space for students will be one of her top priorities as she starts her first term at a Pendle school.

Alyson Littlewood, 49, who took over at Marsden Heights Community College in Brierfield three-weeks-ago, said working with the community will also be high on her agenda.

Miss Littlewood, who was deputy and then acting head at Werneth School in Stockport, said it was the school’s ‘fantastic community programme’ that encouraged her to make the move.

She said: “I talk to children about how progress is important in lessons but also outside of the classroom.

“We are educating children so they can given back to the community and be fantastic members of society.

“They are a wonderful group of students and there is such a warmth in the school.

“I spend a lot of time walking around and going into lessons to look at their attitude to learning and the quality of work.”

Miss Littlewood said she has already met some of the parents and is hoping to build stronger relationships with them by holding meetings including in community centres and at the supermarket, as well as at the school.

“It is a partnership between staff, parents and students. If any one of those elements is lacking it is the child that will suffer,” she said.

Miss Littlewood, who also teaches year 11 English, said the Edge End Lane school is nearly at capacity, but the design of the building does not work well for children.

“We are lucky that our children are so understanding and work with us but one of the things will be looking at is creating more space and more opportunities for children to learn both inside and outside,” she said.

Changes to the curriculum are also on the agenda.

Miss Littlewood said: “Many schools have moved towards having a three year Key Stage Four to allow them more time to work on GCSEs so we are looking at the curriculum from that perspective.

“Not every child learns in the same way and not every child has the same approach to exams.”

The school has been working with others as the new one to nine grading system replaces the traditional A* to G system due to what she said was a lack of information from exam boards and governors.

When she is not working the mum-of-two, who lives in Diggle near Saddleworth Moor, likes to paint, read and do a spot of wood turning as well as walking her two dogs.

“I’m quite creative and like doing things that provide me with a challenge,” she added.