A RECRUITMENT advert for the post of head teacher of a Tidworth primary school not yet built has been published in the TES – and newly appointed principal of Wellington Academy Dr Mike Milner is expecting a good crop of applicants.

The new primary school under construction on Tidworth’s North East Quadrant development is to be called Wellington Primary and will form part of the family of schools that includes the Academy and the famous Wellington College itself.

Dr Milner said: “The chance of starting a brand new school is likely to attract a lot of interest from someone who may have had that experience already or who someone would like to take on the that challenge.

“It is probably a once-in-acareer opportunity.”

Despite the fact that the building work had only just started the new school will be open for business from September 2014 and will be accepting students from all primary year groups, not just reception.

Applications for places are already being taken – children do not have to be resident on the new estate to be accepted.

The school is being built to ease the pressure on Tidworth’s existing schools which are running near full capacity and to help accommodate the increase in population as the NE Quadrant’s population climbs, no doubt swelled by the numbers of soldiers rebased from Germany.

Dr Milner, who is 39 and who has recently been confirmed in post by the governing body, previously worked as the academic deputy head at Wellington College where the Berkshire public school already has an in house feeder school in the form of Eagle House Prep School.

The principal said: “When we put the bid together, that was where our primary expertise came from as we have a very close relationship with them.

“We already have a good relationship with the local primary schools here, but with this new school we will not have to feel our way as we will have a new school that we know already.”

The school has been planned by Wiltshire Council and will have a modern design with classrooms surrounding a central hall.

Despite not having a completed building, the school does have its own website, wellingtonprimary.

org.uk.

SOUTHAMPTON football legend Nick Holmes was at Waterstones shop in Andover to sign copies of a new book about the club’s players.

All The Saints documents hundreds of current and former Saints players with statistics and facts about them dating back as far as 1885.

Holmes was part of the famous side that won the FA Cup for Southampton in 1976 when they beat Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley.

During his career Holmes made 535 appearances for the Saints and is considered one of the best players the club has ever produced.

MORE 750 Christmas gift boxes are being distributed to children in need in the Andover area this Christmas via their careworkers at local agencies.

The Andover Foodbank works with agencies including childrens services, Homestart and the Adult and Family Learning Centre to distribute gift boxes to children in need.

Annie Mihell from Andover Foodbank, said: “Boxes crammed full of exciting presents were donated by a range of local companies, schools and individuals.

“Bulpitts kindly printed leaflets free of charge and Stannah gave additional warehouse space for the project.

“Simplyhealth donated 20 boxes that made up after cash was donated by the company and boxes were