THE new head of both Duloch Primary School and Calaiswood School is ready to walk hand in hand with her pupils.

Laura Spence told the Press that she was “delighted” to be appointed on a permanent basis after serving as acting headteacher for several months.

The 36-year-old had been a depute for four years at Duloch up to 2015, and she said it’s been great seeing familiar faces following her return.

She commented: “I’ve remembered a lot of kids that I knew when I was here last time, and I’ve been amazed to see how much they’ve grown and developed. It’s been great seeing them.

“For me now, it’s about building relationships not just with the children, but with their families, too. Parents need to see continued leadership and I’m eager to help both schools and its pupils in both educational and care aspects.

“We want to move forward and use different ways to continue to grow the schools and the campus as a whole.

“The last headteacher was strong and effective, and I want to maintain her high standards and lead the schools on their journey.

“Each school has improvement plans in place and each have their own identity and commitments to focus on.

“I’m delighted to be back and I’m going to be 100 per cent focused on helping the schools with the great team of staff here.”