TODAY is Mary Clothier’s 14th school day as the new head teacher of Bishops Lydeard Primary.

For anyone in their first fully-fledged headship – her last role was as assistant head at Hugh Sexey, in North Somerset – you’d think the phrase “hitting the ground running” to describe the experience would apply; Mrs Clothier, however, is sprinting.

Here’s why. In November 2012, Ofsted dubbed the school as “requiring improvement”, with an especial focus both on monitoring pupils’ progress more astutely, and on ensuring the teachers were as effective as they could be.

Even in the early fall-out from the report, that staff were striving to better the situation, and with noticeable results, was commended.

Now, with Mary at the helm, she and her staff, including her deputy, former acting head teacher Jenni Thorne, are upping the ante.

Since starting on February 24, Mrs Clothier has been observing lessons, and meeting with staff one-on-one (“It’s been the best time spent”), to get their perspective, and constructive feedback to build on.

Last week, she hosted a ‘Meet the Head teacher’ session for parents, to allow them to put a face to a name, and air their thoughts, with more dates planned in that vein.

Mary says: “I’m trying to triangulate what parents and staff think, with Ofsted’s expectations.

“What I see here is a great school, but we need to build on what we have been successful with in the past, making sure we reward and celebrate what we do well, and move the school forward.”

Afternoon activities, such as gardening, board games and dance, are being introduced, giving not only youngsters the chance to work with other adults, but a boost to the staff’s skills, too.

A head teacher’s ‘blog’ is another addition, and the school website is being freshened up.

Mary says: “Staff are working so hard with the core subjects, the maths and the English, that I think the extra-curricular and enjoyment has been missing a bit.”

Promoting the school’s success, both as a whole, and of the 218 enrolled children individually, is going to be a big part of the ethos looking ahead at Bishops Lydeard.

Mary says: “We’re going to introduce a weekly celebration assembly, so that if a child is successful, they’ll get a certificate in assembly, and their work will be displayed in the foyer.”

In Mrs Clothier’s second week, pupils dressed up to raise money for the flood victims, got stuck into a vibrant Viking Day, and are now looking forward to a community weekend at the end of April … along with a fish tank.

Then, there’s getting Bishops Lydeard Primary that longed-for facelift, from getting the garden spruced up and designing a new playground area, to securing outdoor equipment.

The long-term vision for the primary? “That the school will be ‘Outstanding’ in three years,” says Mary.

“There’s definitely the capacity here to activate what this school is truly capable of, without a doubt.”