New Birch Wood headteacher sets out her aims

Rosalind Hopkins said she was ‘delighted and honoured’ to have been appointed and has told parents and carers she will ‘strive to ensure an education at Birch Wood is inclusive, safe and happy’ and will ‘continue to ensure pupils are known well as individuals and their unique personalities, talents and interests are nurtured and developed to the full.’

Mrs Hopkins (38), a married mum-of-two, has previously been deputy headteacher at Maplewell Hall Special School in Woodhouse Eaves for five years and worked at Babington Community College, a mainstream school, for nearly 10 years before that.

She said her new role at Birch Wood was ‘her dream job’ and that special education had become a ‘passion’ for her in the way it allows students to become known as individuals as well being able to ‘personalise’ the curriculum - something she wants to develop further over the next year and beyond to provide even more options for students.

Mrs Hopkins said: “I’m very keen to get to know parents as well as the pupils and staff. From my experience of teaching and leading in schools over the last 15 years I know that a successful and happy school depends upon all of us working together.

“Birch Wood School provides a wonderful learning environment and expert staff who are highly committed to our students. My aim is to build on existing successes to take the school from strength to strength.”

Mrs Hopkins told the Melton Times the school was now ‘in a good place financially’ and being ‘well managed’ since action was taken in 2014 to tackle a £550,000 overspend.