Sitting down to breakfast with his pupils in Acomb, headteacher Mark Barnett is looking forward to heading up the biggest primary school in York and North Yorkshire.

Westfield Junior and Infant Schools, which serve Chapelfields and the surrounding area from the same site in Askham Lane, are to become one primary school from September.

Westfield Primary Community School will have around 700 pupils, including the nursery children, equivalent to many secondary schools.

It will have 30 teachers and 70 other staff, and junior head Mr Barnett has just been appointed as the new school's headteacher. The former infant head, Marlene MacLellan, retired at Christmas.

Mr Barnett said the change would mean pupils would no longer have to make the change from one school to another at seven and would just move on up through the school.

He said: "We have already got a good relationship between the schools and I am really excited about getting this job. Our main job will be for the children to feel fully integrated into one school, from the nursery up to the 11-year-olds."

The schools already share some staff, like the dining rooms staff, who help run the breakfast club every morning.

The club has been going since October and attracts up to 40 children every day who get a hot breakfast or cereal and toast, and Mr Barnett said he hoped that out-of-school activities could be increased in the future to include holiday schemes.

Building work is also being planned to link the front of the two school buildings to create a new main entrance.

The changeover this summer will co-incide with the 50th anniversary of the infant school's opening and will be marked with a big outdoor celebration.

Mr Barnett's appointment is one of several changes on the cards for primary schools in York.

Sheila Audsley, acting Kingsway Junior head and former Skelton Primary head, has been appointed head at the new Clifton Green Primary School, which opens in September at Kingsway and will take in children from Shipton Street Infant School from 2002.

Julia Elliott, from Stockton-on-the-Forest Primary School, will become head at Dringhouses Primary School in September after Julie Fearnhead retires.

In September, Sue Eland, takes over as head at Poppleton Road Primary School, after former head Ruth Lyons got a new job in Leeds, and Roger Highton will head Dunnington Primary School, following the departure of Val Thomas-Peter to the USA.

New head Lesley Barringer starts at Osbaldwick Primary School, following the retirement of Robin Mason, and Colin Flanagan starts at St Wilfrid's RC Primary in Monkgate when Elizabeth MacDougall leaves.

Our Lady's RC Primary in Acomb is also taking on a new headteacher after Julia Evans went to work for North Yorkshire County Council

Updated: 11:53 Monday, April 30, 2001