A RIBBLE Valley secondary school is set to gain a new head teacher after the Easter holiday.

Ivan Catlow has been appointed to St Cecilia’s RC High School in Longridge after serving as deputy head teacher at Mount Carmel RC High School in Accrington for the last four years.

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The Chapel Hill school has been run by Paul Trickett, head at Rhyddings High School in Oswaldtwistle, since September after the previous head, Steve Tattersall, stepped down following a period of ill-health.

Mr Catlow, 42, had worked at Hollins Technology College for 14 years as a design and technology teacher before joining Mount Carmel and started his teaching career in 1994, at Greenlands High School in Blackpool.

The father-of-two lives in Blackburn with his family and is to take up his new role on Monday, April 20.

Mr Catlow said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been appointed head teacher of St Cecilia’s RC High school and I look forward to taking up my appointment after the Easter holidays.

“St Cecilia’s is clearly a good Catholic school and I believe it will be a real honour to work with our talented pupils and staff to make sure the trend of improving results continues and that we offer an outstanding Catholic education for all.

“St Cecilia’s has a very committed and hard-working staff and enjoys support from the parishes it serves.

“Clearly My initial priority will be to get to know the staff, pupils and parents of St Cecilia’s but I look forward to meeting staff and pupils of our feeder primary schools as soon as possible along with our wider community in the respective parishes.

“I look forward to meeting all associated with St Cecilia’s as soon as possible and ask that you keep the school and pupils in your prayers at the start of this new chapter.

“I would like to thank all the staff and students at Mount Carmel for the last four years.

“They have been great to work with and it will be hard to leave.”

Mike Flynn, the chair of governors at the Longridge school, said: “The governors are delighted to have appointed Mr Catlow as our new headteacher.

“He has proved himself to be an excellent deputy head and we are looking forward to him leading our school after the Easter break.”