THE headteacher of a Whitchurch school is set to leave in October as she is heading for a new life on the other side of the world.

Sarah Peters, headteacher at Whitchurch Church of England Primary School, in Daniel Road, informed parents of her decision before pupils broke up for the summer holidays.

Miss Peters has been leading the school since 2008, and in its last Ofsted inspection in January 2011, the school received a rating of “good with outstanding features”.

Ofsted inspector Catherine Robinson-Slater said: “The headteacher, deputy headteacher and middle leaders form a very effective team. The impact has resulted in a very rapid rate of improvement in many aspects of the school since 2008.”

But after six years at the helm, Miss Peters said in a letter to parents: “I will be emigrating to Australia in November, and to be honest, the commute would be a bit too much.

“It has been a privilege to serve the town as headteacher at the school. It is a responsibility I have always taken very seriously aiming to provide the best education possible for your children.”

She added: “I have enjoyed working with so many talented and dedicated staff, and feel very confident that the school is in great shape and will continue to flourish.”

And governors at the school have praised the headteacher for her achievements during her time as its leader.

In a statement sent to The Gazette, the group of 15 governors said: “She (Miss Peters) has been a wonderful asset to the school, and we will all miss her. Nearer the time, we shall thank her for her service and dedication to the pupils, staff, parents and community as a whole.

“As a first-rate headteacher, she is leaving us with a wonderful school of which we can all be proud. We, as a governing body, have been preparing for this day by helping her to secure a very strong leadership team which runs right throughout the school.”

Work will now begin to find a successor for Miss Peters, who will leave the school on October 24.

There will be an interim period before a new headteacher can be appointed. It takes time to recruit for such a position.