Fairfield's newest headteacher on her plans for the school

Last month, Jayne Mercer, 49, stepped up to lead Fairfield Endowed Junior School.

She said: “This is a great opportunity for me and the children to grow and develop together.

“This is all new for me and as I tell the children when they are writing stories I feel scared and strangely excited about the role.”

One of her new focuses will be to give the children a say in the running of the school.

“Without the children there is no school and I want them to have input in how things are done.”

A junior leadership programme will be created and students will have to apply for the roles.

“We want to discuss issues that matter such as our budget and the attendance figures - understanding is the first step to starting change,” she said.

Applications have shown the children’s maturity and how much they care about the school: “We are not just a Fairfield school, we have links with other schools and are a community that I am proud to be part of.”

Jayne, who is a mum of one, loves walking in her home town of Glossop.

When she is not planning and running a school, she enjoys down-time watching the soaps, although admits after taking on the new job is a bit behind.

She enjoys collecting antique teddies, after her mum bought her one back from Ironbridge a few years ago, and is also a massive Elvis Presley fan.

“When Priscilla Presley was performing at the Manchester panto in 2014 I waited for ages by the stage door to have my picture taken with her.”

This love of the King has even made its way into the school assemblies and the children sing I Can Dream.

Jayne vows to have an open door policy for both staff and students .

She added: “I hope that as headteacher I will be able to bring a different depth and perspective to the school.”

Changing the school’s motto

Once the junior leadership is in place, Jayne wants to challenge pupils to write a new school motto.

She said: “Learning is a lifelong project, you never stop taking in new things and growing.

“I want the children to build a strong foundation here for whereever life may take them and whatever they go on to achieve.

“Anything is possible and I want them to harness that feeling and if we can make a motto now for the children, it can last them their lifetime.”

The headteacher will not have a teaching role in the school but says she wants to see the children grow and become the best people they can: “They all know who I am and the children want to share with me what they have been upto at home and I want to hear it.

“My outlook to this new job is to continue providing a safe and stimulating environment for all the pupils with strong links with the church and community.”