A NEW headteacher of a school in Taunton has been appointed.

Jenny Veal will be stepping down from her role as headteacher of the Taunton Academy at the end of August, to go and take up a new role as the executive principal at South Dartmoor Community College.

John Eddy will be taking over the headship at Taunton Academy, where he has been deputy since 2016.

Before he joined the academy he was deputy and assistant head at schools in Berkshire over a ten-year period.

Mr Eddy said: “I am very proud of the achievements of our hard working staff and students over the last four years and am eager to see our strong foundations deliver even greater progress.

"I am looking forward to being able to welcome our school community back together again, when we can get on with the task of building aspirations for all and supporting students to develop an eagerness for learning and the determination to succeed.”

The Taunton Academy is part of the Richard Huish Group, which also manages four other schools in Taunton.

CEO, John Abbott, said: “‘I am delighted we have appointed somebody who has been an integral part of the improvements which have already been made at The Taunton Academy.

"John has huge ambitions and plans to advance how the school provides education. I am looking forward to seeing this come to fruition over the next few years.”

Ms Veal took over the role as headteacher in 2016, during which time the school's Ofsted rating improved from 'inadequate'.

During the new headteacher's ten years at schools in Berkshire, he was awarded 'teacher of the year' in the National Teaching Awards for his work as head of history.

Chairman of Governors, Chris Ormrod, added: “I am really pleased to be able to welcome John into his new role. He came through an exhaustive selection process with some outstanding candidates and he fully deserves this promotion.

"By appointing from within we can also ensure a smooth and timely transition to a new head teacher and, more importantly, continue to accelerate the pace of change throughout the school.”