AFTER retiring from teaching four years ago it was only the lure of her dream job that could persuade Kathy North back to go back to school.

When plans to make St Peter's an “all-through” school - providing education for those between the ages of four and 18 - it was going to be a big task to find a headteacher who would be willing to build a primary school from scratch both figuratively and literally.

Not only was the headteacher going to be tasked with creating a first-class learning experience from the ground up but the primary school hadn't even been built.

The secondary school and Sixth Form currently operates on two different sites in Holdenhurst Avenue, Iford and St Catherine’s Road, Southbourne.

At present Years 7 and 8 share the Iford site with the 120 Reception and Year 1 pupils but eventually the older students will move to Southbourne with the upper school allowing the primary school to expand.

"Of course it was going to be a big task but for me it was basically my dream job," said Kathy.

"For a lot of headteachers starting at a new school can be quite a daunting experience.

"There is usually a lot of history and you are coming in with fresh ideas and wanting to make changes that not everyone really wants.

"But in this situation I had the best of both worlds. We had the traditions of St Peter's as our foundation but then I was able to take the primary school in its own direction in a way that I believe is best for the children."

For Kathy it was the kind of opportunity she couldn't turn down despite retiring in 2011 when her daughter had twins and needed some extra help.

And according to David Todd, headteacher of the secondary school, it's Kathy's enthusiasm for the job and the school that has made it such a huge success already.

"When parents first started viewing the school all we could show them was a field but Kathy convinced them with her passion and determination and that is something which hasn't wavered throughout the entire experience," he said.

"She shared with them our vision and she made it clear to them what we wanted to do and that it was going to be brilliant."

Adding the primary school has changed things drastically for the staff and pupils already at the school and there have definitely been challenges, which have mainly revolved around space.

"The secondary school have had to give up a lot of room and that comes with it's own challenges and the building project itself has been very difficult at times but there are also so many wonderful things about having an all through school."

And for Kathy the benefits completely outweigh any of the road bumps along the way.

"Of course there was a concern for me and my staff coming in and potentially changing the entire make-up of the existing school and how it has been run for decades, she said.

"But the thing that binds us together is the faith part of it and from that foundation we can do anything."