A PRIMARY school head teacher is saying a fond farewell after 14 years at the helm of a city school.

Stuart Outram, the head at Hempland primary academy at the end of this academic year.

In a letter to parents he said: “During my time as head teacher at Hempland I have had the privilege of working with brilliant children, incredibly supportive parents and governors and an amazing staff team.

“I have seen many changes and feel very proud of all our achievements.

“Without doubt this has been the most enjoyable and rewarding period of my teaching career.

“I am committed to working in schools and hope that in the future I will have some responsibilities in education, albeit in a different role to headship.”

Governors at the school will very soon begin a national recruitment process for a new head teacher.

The appointment will focus on selecting a head who will continue to develop and improve the school, maintaining the high standards of learning and care they provide for all children.

Mr Outram said: “Equally important will be a focus on our school values, our ethos of every child matters and the strong partnerships we enjoy with parents, our community and our Multi Academy Trust (MAT).”

Hempland voted to become one of the founding members of the Pathfinder MAT in February last year joining forces with Archbishop Holgate’s secondary which had already been an academy for five years at the time.

Since 2015 Hempland has had the Caddell Centre which specialises in teaching primary school-aged children who are deaf and hearing impaired, after it was commissioned by City of York Council.

The children are taught the mainstream curriculum, where appropriate, with support from specialist teachers and teaching assistants.

Previously, some deaf pupils in York had to travel to a school with specialist provision at Boston Spa, but the centre means they can stay within the city and be taught in English and British Sign Language, with the specialist support they need.

Mr Outram joined Hempland in 2003 from Husthwaite CE School, in Husthwaite, south of Easingwold, where he had been the head teacher for four years.