Mr Clarke is Trevelyan head - for good

TREVELYAN School's acting headteacher Phil Clarke is to keep the job permanantly.

Mr Clarke joined as assistant headteacher two years ago and took over the leading role temporarily at the start of the Christmas term.

He learned last week he has beaten four other applicants for the post at the school in Wood Close, Windsor.

He joked this week: "It has been a pretty good 'probationary' period. But now I can think about the next five years, planning for the future instead of week by week."

Mr Clarke, 46, has had a major impact during his time at the school, which caters for nine to 13-year-olds. He introduced the innovative 'pathway to independence' project, under which pupils are encouraged to work on projects in their own homes before sharing the results at school with their friends.

He said: "The school has always been renowned for its extra-curricular activities. But it's what goes on in the classroom that matters.

"I have put a lot of effort into improving the fabric of the school, getting things updated and replaced where necessary. It is cleaner. The outer doors match the red of the Trevelyan logo. Children respond to that, they know what's expected."

Mr Clarke, who has two daughters, began his career as a teacher before being sidetracked into the policy-making side of education, looking after specialist schools and academies.

But he said: "I found I missed teaching. I had been working at home but it was not the same as being part of a team and being with the children every day."