A NEW head has been chosen to lead one of the largest primary schools in York.

Following a four-week national recruitment campaign, Claire Fielding has been appointed to take over the helm at Clifton with Rawcliffe from January.

The job commands a salary of between £70,745 and £79,958 a year, and Mrs Fielding, who is currently the head of Stamford Bridge Primary School, will take over from the school’s current head teacher, Andy Herbert, following his retirement at the end of the year.

Clifton with Rawcliffe is one of the largest primary schools in York with 640 pupils and 80 members of staff. The school has been part of Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust since 2017 and was judged Good in all areas by Ofsted in July 2021.

Chair of Governors, Donna Wass, said: “Clifton with Rawcliffe governors are delighted with the appointment of Mrs Fielding as the new head teacher of the school from January 2023. She has shown a strong skill set, has a wealth of experience across a number of schools and shares the vision and values of the school. Governors look forward to working with Mrs Fielding in the new year.”

Prior to her role at Stamford Bridge Primary School, Mrs Fielding was head at Melbourne Primary School in the East Riding and has served as acting executive head for both schools. In York, she has worked at Haxby Road Primary School, Westfield Primary School and also at Clifton with Rawcliffe where she was the Lower Key Stage 2 Phase Leader and helped formulate the vision for the new school when it opened in 2011.

During her time as head at Stamford Bridge and Melbourne primary schools, she led both schools to achieve Good Ofsted judgements with the reports highlighting the strength of leadership and vision of excellence at each school.

Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust’s CEO, Andrew Daly, said: “We are delighted with Mrs Fielding’s appointment as headteacher for Clifton with Rawcliffe. She will bring a wealth of experience having worked in leadership roles across schools in York and the East Riding and shares the Trust’s vision of providing an excellent education for all children. I look forward to welcoming Mrs Fielding to the Trust when she takes up her post in the new year.”

Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust is a partnership of ten church and community schools serving more than 4,000 students and their families across York.

Mr Herbert was previously head for many years at Fishergate primary and before that he was acting head and then head at Skelton School.

He took over at the start of the Summer term in 2015 when Chris Wigley, the previous head at Clifton with Rawcliffe, in Eastholme Drive, retired from his job in charge of 600 pupils.

In his time at the school Mr Wigley oversaw the joining of two schools - the former Rawcliffe Infants and Clifton Without Juniors and their move into a brand new £7 million building in 2011.