Hello and goodbye!

An advanced skills teacher with a passion for learning has been appointed headteacher of Patrington Church of England Primary Academy.

Mrs Carron Pitois will take over from Jacqui Grant, who is moving to a leadership role at a school in Bridlington.

Mrs Pitois is currently acting headteacher at a small village school in North Lincolnshire. She has worked in all year groups at primary schools in that area since qualifying in 1999.

“My first role was as a newly qualified teacher in a large junior school of over 500 pupils – very daunting but I loved every minute and knew teaching would always be my passion and vocation,” said Mrs Pitois.

It was in 2010 that she was awarded advanced skills teacher accreditation and then a specialist leader of education, working across many schools in the local authority to improve standards of education, offering support and challenge to raise outcomes of teaching and learning for children.

Mrs Pitois believes we are never too old to learn and that each day presents new opportunities and possibilities.

She was attracted to Patrington as it is a church school with the same ethos and values as her current school. She says Patrington’s warmth and friendliness resonated immediately with her on her first visit. “I knew at once this was the right school for me,” she said.

“I am really looking forward to meeting everyone in this new role and very excited to begin my next chapter in my education journey with everyone at Patrington.

“Although my surname is Pitois, I am not French. I married a Frenchman who moved across the channel to live here in my country. He knew I would never give up teaching and, if we were to build a life together, then he would be the one to leave on the understanding I would learn French. He kept his end of the bargain but sadly I have still not mastered conversational French. That is still on my ‘to do’ list!”

Mrs Pitois has a grown-up daughter who is also a teacher. In her spare time she enjoys socialising, soaking up the sun in the summer with a good book and visiting France.