Louise Hinton is new head teacher of St Mark's School

Louise Hinton has taken over as head teacher at St Mark’s CofE primary school in Natland, near Kendal following Peter Barfoot's retirement after 16 years.

Ms Hinton started her teaching career 13 years ago in York and then Oxford, where she taught English and drama up to A level.

She left teaching to complete a Masters in outdoor education, which led to working with young people at Outward Bound in Ullswater and Brathay in Ambleside.

In 2014, Ms Hinton returned to teaching and started at Chetwynde School in Barrow where she spent 10 years across roles such as English teacher, SENDCO, deputy head, and then head of the primary school in 2020.

Ms Hinton has taught a number of subjects, mainly English and Drama, but also Religious Education, science, history and personal development.

She said her favourite subject to teach is English. She has a particular love of reading and 'genuine excitement and enthusiasm for a story.'

Ms Hinton said she was delighted to find that St Mark’s CofE School was recruiting and is extremely excited for the opportunity to make a difference to children in the community.

Despite only being at St Marks a few weeks, Ms Hinton has seen the children work on Viking longboats, Coronation carriages, Jewish cookies being baked, and pizza cooked at Westmorland General Hospital.

“I have been incredibly excited to find a creative and motivated team of teachers and a number of talented support staff.  I think that the pupils who attend St Marks are very lucky indeed to have such inspiring teachers," she said.

“I have worked with young people for over 25 years and have been looking for a headship for a little while. St Marks has all the attributes of a village school but in a thriving market town, it includes 183 pupils and a nursery for two and three-year-olds.”

Tim Farron recently visited the school and promised the council he would help make the safety of pupils arriving and leaving a priority.