COUNCIL leaders have raised concerns after a Ribble Valley school failed to appoint a headteacher.

Governors of Whalley CofE Primary School first advertised the post in December last year after headteacher of 11 years Brian Beresford announced that he was leaving to take up another position in Yorkshire.

But after interviewing three people for the vacant post they decided not to make an appointment stating the candidates were not suitable.

Now, the school which has 271 pupils will be without a perm-anent headteacher for more than a year, with an associate headteacher coming in as an emergency measure to take charge for three terms.

Chair of the governors David Borland said that potential can-didates may have been ‘scared off’ by the school’s outstanding status and pressure to maintain the standard.

He said: “We are in the fortunate position that we have outstanding status but this could be putting some people off from applying.

"Brian was a fantastic headteacher and in appointing a new head we have to get it right otherwise there will be serious reper-cussions – we just have not come across the right person at the moment.”

The school is currently being managed by the deputy headteacher Sue Tinker and school’s manager Richard Blackburn. Mrs Tinker has not applied for the post.

In July, Elaine Chambers from Rishton will take over as an associate head until a suitable candidate for the £55,669 a year post is found.

Mr Borland, who has been a governor at the school for 13 years, said: “I am aware that we need a captain on board but we have many quality members of staff who will be able to keep the ship going.

“We are looking for a person who has had experience of being a deputy head, a proven record in management and someone who has Christian values because we would like them to be a role model to the pupils.”

However, Whalley councillor and former governor Joyce Holgate, whose nine-year-old grandson George attends the school, said some parents had been complaining about the failure to find a replacement headteacher.

She said: “I think it is putting pressure on some of the other teachers because there is no headteacher.

“But it is a difficult situation and I think it is best that the governors try to find a suitable person.”